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Century Media Records

Century Media Records is a German metal label founded in Dortmund in 1988 by Robert Kampf, now operating as part of Century Media Group under Sony Music Entertainment following a 2015 acquisition. Its current roster and release slate span extreme-metal subgenres - death metal, black metal, melodic death metal - alongside metalcore and alternative-leaning acts, with recent activity including a January 2026 Crystal Lake album and an August 2025 signing announcement for Gaerea.

Quick Facts

Country
Germany
Founded
1988
Label size
Major-affiliated: a large, long-running metal imprint operating within Century Media Group, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment, with a roster in the hundreds of artists via its official store.
Activity
Highly active - ongoing new artist signings (e.g. Gaerea, August 2025) and new album releases (e.g. Crystal Lake, January 2026) through the most recent period covered by evidence.
Genres
death metal, black metal, melodic death metal, metalcore

What Does Century Media Records Release?

Representative artists: Arch Enemy, At The Gates, Mayhem, Dark Funeral, Insomnium, Lacuna Coil, Electric Callboy, Blood Incantation, Orbit Culture, GHOSTKID, Crystal Lake, Gaerea

Broad and genre-diverse extreme-metal-rooted roster spanning death metal, black metal, melodic death metal and metalcore/alternative-leaning acts, alongside legacy genre-defining names.

Who Is This Label Likely to Fit?

Century Media Records is a large, Sony Music-affiliated metal label with a broad, currently active roster and a steady stream of new signings and releases. It reads as a realistic target primarily for bands that already have a track record (releases, touring, scene profile) rather than for a cold first-demo submission, though the label's present-day demo policy could not be verified directly from its official site during this research and should be checked independently before submitting.

This is Metal-Labels' analysis based on available roster and activity data, not a claim made by the label itself.

Demo & Submission Information

Century Media Records' current demo submission policy and any dedicated submission page could not be confirmed during this research - the label's official website blocked automated access, and the only located policy statement dates to 2012. Check centurymedia.com directly (including any current 'demo' or 'contact' section) for up-to-date submission instructions and any stated genre or geographic preferences before sending material.

Submission information last checked: August 2026

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