Record Label Rant

So I was shuffling through some old ass AP mags this morning and I have come to the realization that Victory Records is pretty much the worst label in the world and I really wish their like 4 awesome bands would just release a whole bunch of albums just to get out of their contracts.  If I could I would buy every band on there out of their contracts in a heartbeat.  I came accross many ads for victory where they were pushing bands such as Atreyu, Silverstein, Hawthorne Heights, and Aiden and this was 2004-05.  OKAY well those were your popular bands not denying that at all go for it, but what bothered me is that they would throw in all these meaningless, didn’t go anywhere, got dropped in less than a year bands but no mention of Bayside.  Now yes I am a huge Bayside fan so I am probably blowing this out of proportion but just listen. Victory NEVER put Bayside in any ad for the label UNTIL they had the misfortune of losing their drummer in an accident.  Now don’t that sound kinda funny like “Oh man this band had a terrible accident and lost a member, so listen to them out of pitty”.  I mean it was the very next issue after it had happened, not even a few months or anything.  And now Bayside is one of their “big names” and they don’t care about that, they (from my understanding) are still under contract for “Shudder” even though Bayside didn’t re-sign with them, but they don’t send them any cd’s to sell on tour but yet they can go and make new merch without the bands permission and sell it.  WOW WAY TO GO VICTORY RECORDS, you are the biggest douchebags in the world.  Now this is only one account of this, they have fucked over Atreyu, Hawthorne Heights, and I am sure a whole bunch of other bands.  HH got out of it once I do believe but then went back, don’t understand that, but hey what ever.  Atreyu couldn’t get out of their contract fast enough and yet they haven’t been on the label in years but still Victory is pushing them out there like last weeks lunch menu in an innercity school.

So if I could wish for anything that wouldn’t change the world or hurt anyone drastically, I would wish for bands like Silverstein, A day to remember, and any other band that takes music seriously and is on Victory to leave as soon as you can.  There are a ton of other labels out there that will actually care for you and make you feel as though you are a viable asset to their company not just another flash in the pan that will make them money for the moment.