Pitch Black Records
| Pitch Black Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Phivos Papadopoulos |
| Status | Active |
| Distributor(s) | Germany & Austria: Prophecy Productions/Soulfood Entertainment UK, Ireland, ROW: NAIL/Allegro Media Group |
| Genre | Metal (heavy, power, progressive, 80's, black, death, thrash, etc.) |
| Country of origin | Cyprus |
| Official website | PitchBlackRecords.com |
Pitch Black Records is a Cyprus based independent record label. Established in late 2007 by Phivos Papadopoulos, the label has since released a number of albums by metal bands.[1] The label also organizes a number of concerts in Cyprus.
Overview
Pitch Black Records was founded on December 1, 2007,[1] by Phivos Papadopoulos, to release the first studio album of the band Diphtheria. A five member metal band from Cyprus, Diphtheria included Papadopoulos on guitar and had released two demo recordings in the mid-1990s.[2]
The album To Wait for Fire was released on the label in 2008.[3] According to Papadopoulos, "We just didn't feel like going through the whole procedure of finding a label but at the same time felt very strongly about putting out that album. It just HAD to be released. So it seemed very logical at the time to set up the label."[3]
The label's name can create the misconception that the label only deals with black metal but that is untrue. The name is a twist of the common phrase 'Pitch Black' (associated with sight) referring in this case to pitch as in hearing.[3]
By April 29, 2012, Greek classic metal band Marauder had been signed,[4] as well as bands such as Emerald Sun and Holy Dragons. In April 2013 Pitch Black Records released a compilation album featuring bands from Cyprus, titled Bloodbrothers II – A Compilation of Recordings by Rock/Metal Bands From Cyprus, in the style of the original Bloodbrothers compilation, released in 1997.[5] In parallel to this release, a mobile site and mobile apps for iOS and Android were launched to provide updated information on the Cyprus scene.
In March 2013, the label released a free 20-track sampler containing a song from each release since 2008.[6] In May 2013 the label launched its official mobile app which is available for free on iOS and Android.
Distribution
Distribution is handled mainly through the Pitch Black Records Online Store, though the label also distributes in Germany and Austria through Prophecy Productions/Soulfood Entertainment. In the UK and Ireland (as well as ROW on a non-exclusive basis), the label distributes through Code7 Distribution/Plastichead, while in the United States the label uses NAIL/Allegro Media Group. Digital distribution is carried through major digital stores such as iTunes, Amazon MP3, Napster, emusic, deezer, and others.
Concert organizing
The label also organizes concerts in Cyprus usually with international acts as headliners and local bands supporting.
Concerts:
- Karaoke From Hell - 19 Jun. 2008
- Tokyo Blade – 19 Nov. 2008
- Paul Di'Anno – 27 Oct. 2009
- Power of the Night V (headlining Marauder & Ross the Boss w/ Scott Columbus) – 23 & 24 Jul. 2010
- Power of the Night VI (headlining Arrayan Path & Tokyo Blade) – 16 & 17 Jul. 2011
- Metal Jamm - 2 Jul. 2013
- Orphaned Land Live in Cyprus - 27 Oct. 2014
Artists
Former Artists
| Artist[1] | Genre | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Armageddon Rev.16:16 | Heavy / Power metal |  Cyprus
|
| Emerald Sun | Heavy power metal |  Greece
|
| Illnath | Symphonic melodic death metal |  Denmark
|
| Lethal Saint | Traditional Heavy Metal | Cyprus
|
| Prodigal Earth | heavy power metal | Cyprus
|
Discography
| No. | Artist | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| PBR 001 | Diphtheria | To Wait For Fire | 2008 |
| PBR 002 | Prodigal Earth | Zenith II Zero | 2009 |
| PBR 003 | Silent Fall | Otherwise | 2010 |
| PBR 004 | Lethal Saint | Lethal Saint | 2010 |
| PBR 005 | Arrayan Path | Terra Incognita | 2010 |
| PBR 006 | Alexis | Birds of Prey | 2010 |
| PBR 007 | Pictures of Pain | The Reckoning | 2010 |
| PBR 008 | Emerald Sun | Regeneration | 2011 |
| PBR 009 | Chained and Desperate | Divine Authority Abolishment | 2011 |
| PBR 010 | Arrayan Path | Ira Imperium | 2011 |
| PBR 011 | Illnath | Third Act in the Theatre of Madness | 2011 |
| PBR 012 | Hard Riot | Living on a Fast Lane | 2012 |
| PBR 013 | Litrosis | I am Death | 2012 |
| PBR 014 | Marauder | Elegy of Blood | 2012 |
| PBR 015 | Sacred Blood | Alexandros | 2012 |
| PBR 016 | Access Denied | Touch of Evil | 2012 |
| PBR 017 | Holy Dragons | Zerstörer | 2012 |
| PBR 018 | Blynd | Punishment Unfolds | 2012 |
| PBR 019 | Valor | The Yonder Answer | 2013 |
| PBR 020 | Illnath | 4 Shades of me | 2013 |
| PBR 021 | Reign of the Architect | Rise | 2013 |
| PBR 022 | Various | Bloodbrothers II | 2013 |
| PBR 023 | Arrayan Path | IV: Stigmata | 2013 |
| PBR 024 | Gypsy Chief Goliath | New Machines of the Night | 2013 |
| PBR 025 | Ghost Avenue | Ghost Avenue | 2013 |
| PBR 026 | Artical | Illusion X | 2013 |
| PBR 027 | Stonecast | Heroikos | 2013 |
| PBR 028 | Armageddon Rev.16:16 | Sundown on Humanity | 2014 |
| PBR 029 | Retribution | Corpus Antichristi Y3K | 2014 |
| PBR 030 | Hard Riot | The Blackened Heart | 2014 |
| PBR 032 | Vomitile | Mastering the Art of Killing | 2014 |
| PBR 032 | Holy Dragons | Dragon Inferno | 2014 |
| PBR 033 | Stormcast | Frame of Mind | 2014 |
| PBR 034 | Crimson Wind | Last Poetry Line | 2015 |
| PBR007V1 | Valor | The Crown and the King (7") | 2015 |
| PBR 035 | Sacred Blood | Argonautica | 2015 |
| PBR 036 | Orpheus Blade | Wolf's Cry | 2015 |
| PBR 037 | Chainsheart | Leaving Planet Hel | 2015 |
| PBR 038 | Dragonheart | The Battle Sanctuary | 2015 |
| PBR 039 | Trinakrius | Introspectum | 2015 |
| PBR 040 | Blynd | Liber Sum | 2015 |
| PBR 041 | Arrayan Path | Chronicles of Light | 2016 |
| PBR 042 | Pictures of Pain | World Demise | 2016 |
| PBR 043 | Gypsy Chief Goliath | Citizens of Nowhere | 2016 |
- Source: PitchBlackRecords.com/releases (May 2015)
References
- ^ a b c d "Pitch Black Records". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
- ^ Chronis, Grigoris (May 14, 2008). "Diphtheria - To Wait For Fire". Metal Temple. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
- ^ a b c Ehrhardt, Claudia (Aug 2010). "In Words: Pitch Black Records". Ice Vajal. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
- ^ "MARAUDER JOINS PITCH BLACK RECORDS; Fifth album by Greek classic metal legends". Metal Rules. April 29, 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
{{cite news}}:|first=missing|last=(help) - ^ "Bloodbrothers II – A Compilation of Recordings by Rock/Metal Bands From Cyprus". Metal Recusants. April 28, 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
{{cite news}}:|first=missing|last=(help) - ^ Spencer, Trey (March 1, 2013). "Free Pitch Black Records Sampler". Sputnik Music. Retrieved 2013-06-03.