Sumerian Records

Sumerian Records
Founded	2006; 15 years ago (2006)
Founder	Ash Avildsen
Distributor(s)	ADA, Warner Music Group[1]
Genre	Rock heavy metal progressive rock metalcore alternative rock post-hardcore electronicore electronica
Country of origin	United States
Location	Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles, California
Official website	sumerianrecords.com

Sumerian Records is an American independent record label based in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles with UK expansion plans later this year (2021) via a London office.^[2] The label was founded in 2006^[3] by Ash Avildsen.^[4][5] Fellsilent became the first non-US band to be signed to the label, in 2008.^[5] They have signed artists such as Black Veil Brides, Poppy, Palaye Royale, and The Smashing Pumpkins. Sumerian is one of the only fully independently owned and operated record labels^[6] in the world to surpass 2 million subscribers on their YouTube channel.^[7] It is considered a true lifestyle modern music brand known for both breaking new artists and revitalizing iconic legacy acts^[8][9] with two RIAA certified gold records for Asking Alexandria's singles “The Final Episode”^[10] and “Not The American Average”^[11] neither which ever received any mainstream radio play.^[12] Sumerian has had several seminal artists in the rock, emo, and alternative genres perform on late night television, such as Asking Alexandria,^[13][14] I See Stars,^[15] and Crosses(†††)^[16] on Jimmy Kimmel, Bones UK on Seth Meyers,^[17] and most recently The Smashing Pumpkins on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.^[18] Sumerian delivered the highest charting alternative radio song for The Smashing Pumpkins in 12+ years for their lead single “Cyr” off their latest album.^[19][20]

Current roster[]

• After the Burial
• Animals as Leaders
• Bad Omens
• Betraying the Martyrs
• Between the Buried and Me
• Black Veil Brides
• BONES UK
• Born of Osiris
• CHON
• Dead Posey
• Evan Brewer
• The Faceless
• From First to Last^[21]

• I See Stars
• Jonathan Davis
• Juliet Simms AKA Lilith Czar ^[22]
• Meg Myers
• Night Riots
• Nita Strauss
• Oceano
• Palaye Royale
• Poppy
• Slaughter to Prevail
• Sleeping with Sirens
• Smashing Pumpkins
• Soreption
• Starbenders
• Through Fire
• Thomas Giles
• Veil of Maya

Artists formerly with label[]

• Asking Alexandria (on Better Noise Music)
• Bizzy Bone (Active)
• Blackguard (Victory Records)
• Body Count (on Century Media Records)
• Borgore
• Capture the Crown (name changed to "Capture", on Artery Recordings)
• Circa Survive (Active, Hopeless Records)
• Circle of Contempt (Active, Unsigned)
• Conducting From The Grave (Disbanded)
• Crosses (Unsigned, inactive since 2016)
• Danny Worsnop (on Better Noise Music)
• Darkest Hour (on Southern Lord)
• Dayshell (Active, Independent)
• Dead Letter Circus (on The End Records)
• The Dillinger Escape Plan (Disbanded)
• ERRA (on UNFD)
• Fellsilent (Disbanded)
• I, the Breather (Disbanded)
• The Kindred (Disbanded)
• Lower Than Atlantis (on Island Records)
• Make Me Famous (Disbanded)
• Periphery (on 3DOT Recordings)
• Sea of Treachery (Active, Unsigned)
• September Mourning
• Stick to Your Guns (on Pure Noise Records)
• Stray from the Path (on UNFD)
• Structures (Active, Unsigned)
• Upon a Burning Body (Active, Seek And Strike Records)

Releases[]

Achievements and awards[]

In 2010, The Grammy Museum at LA Live had a “Golden Gods: History of Heavy Metal” Exhibit where the original, band sticker covered Sony Vaio laptop that founder Ash Avildsen started the label on was displayed as a historical item.^[23]

In 2014, Sumerian reunited Grammy-winning^[24] actor/rapper Ice-T's Body Count^[25] and released their highest selling album in 20+ years “Manslaughter” ^[26]

In 2017, Sumerian received its first Grammy nomination for “Best Metal Performance” for Periphery.^[27][28] That year saw Sumerian also have their first box office theatrical film release in American Satan,^[29][30] which debuted in select AMC theatres across the country^[31] and went top 20 in its opening weekend on box office mojo.^[32] The movie was picked up by Miramax for distribution^[33][34] and Showtime for first window domestic SVOD^[35] in the US and SKY in the UK.^[36][37]

In 2018, Sumerian won the “best independent label” award at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods in the UK and accepted the award on stage at the O2 in London.^[38][39]

That same year they released the first true solo album for Jonathan Davis, lead singer of Grammy-winning and timeless influential juggernaut band KoRn.^[40][41] The lead single for Jonathan’s album “What It Is”^[42] went Top 5 at Rock Radio which was a first for Jonathan outside of KoRn.^[43][44]

In 2019, they received another “Best Metal Performance” Grammy nomination for Between The Buried And Me.^[45][46] In 2019, Guitar World listed two Sumerian artists in the top 4 guitarists of the decade, Tosin Abasi of Animals as Leaders and female solo artist Nita Strauss,^[47] who in addition to her solo career and being Alice Cooper’s guitarist,^[48] also plays the national anthem for the home games for the LA Rams at Sofi Stadium^[49] and for WWE,^[50] most recently at WrestleMania 37.^[51]

In 2020, they received their first “Best Rock Performance” Grammy nomination for Bones UK.^[52][53]

In 2021, Sumerian received the first-ever Grammy nomination in the history of the Recording Academy for a female solo artist in the “Best Metal Performance” for Poppy,^[54][55] who also performed at the premiere ceremony.^[56]

References[]

External links[]

• Official website