Spinefarm Records is an international

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

. Founded in Finland in 1990, Spinefarm was acquired by

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

in 2002.

History

Spinefarm Records began as a mailorder distribution company, founded by Riku Pääkkönen. The company evolved into a record label for Finnish acts such as

Nightwish Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka Neval ...

Children of Bodom Children of Bodom was a Finnish melodic death metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993 as Inearthed, the final line-up of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of frontman Alexi Laiho, drummer Jaska Raatikainen, bassist Henkka Seppälä, ...

, and

Sonata Arctica Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current lineup c ...

. Since 2002, Spinefarm has been part of

, but operates as an independent business unit. Pääkkönen sold the original Ranka publishing catalog to Warner/Chappell Music in 2008, including several songs by Spinefarm acts like Children Of Bodom,

Finntroll Finntroll is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. They combine elements of black metal and death metal with a type of Finnish folk music called humppa. Finntroll's lyrics are mostly in Swedish, the only exception being the song "Madon Laulu" ...

, and Nightwish. Former

Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is a Dutch–American record label focused on Heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock music. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. Formerly seen as ...

President Jonas Nachsin was appointed Spinefarm's General Manager - Worldwide in 2013. Spinefarm/UMG acquired the English label

Candlelight Records Candlelight Records is a British record label based in London, founded by former Extreme Noise Terror bass guitarist Lee Barrett in 1993. The record label originally specialized in black metal, but quickly expanded to various other forms of hea ...

in late 2015. In 2017, Spinefarm Music Group announced the launch of the

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

, and

southern rock Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals. History 1950s and 1960s: origin ...

-oriented Snakefarm Records.

Bands

As of 2025, Spinefarm Music Group includes the Spinefarm, Candlelight, and Snakefarm labels.

Spinefarm

* 36 Crazyfists * Airbourne * Atreyu *

Billy Talent Billy Talent is a Canadian Rock music, rock band from Mississauga, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with lead vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D'Sa, bassist Jonathan Gallant, and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk. There have been no lineup change ...

* Black Map *

Black Spiders Black Spiders are an English rock band based in Sheffield, England. Their third studio album entered the UK Independent Albums Chart in early 2021, reaching no. 7. History The band formed in early 2008, originally playing a few shows under th ...

Black Veil Brides Black Veil Brides is an American rock band based in Hollywood, California. The group formed in 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is currently composed of lead vocalist Andy Biersack, multi instrumentalist Jinxx, lead guitarist Jake Pitts, dru ...

*BRKN Love *

The Browning The Browning is an American electronicore band formed in Kansas City, Missouri in 2005. The band's musical style is characterized by an eclectic blending of electronicore and deathcore. The group currently consists of vocalist Jonny McBee, dr ...

Bullet for My Valentine Bullet for My Valentine, often abbreviated as BFMV, are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is currently composed of Matthew Tuck (vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar), Jason Bowld (drums) and J ...

* Crown Lands * Creeper *

Cold Steel Cold Steel may refer to: * Cold-formed steel (CFS), the common term for products made by rolling or pressing thin gauges of sheet steel into goods * Cold Steel (company), marketer of knives, swords and other edged weapons and tools Media Fil ...

Dayseeker Dayseeker is an American post-hardcore band formed in Orange County, California, in 2012. The group consists of vocalist Rory Rodriguez, guitarist Gino Sgambelluri, bassist Ramone Valerio and drummer Zac Mayfield. They are currently signed to Sp ...

* D3dset *

Dead Poet Society Dead Poet Society is an American rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 2013 by Jack Underkofler (vocals, guitar), Jack Collins (guitar), Nick Taylor (bass guitar) and Will Goodroad (drums). Dylan Brenner replaced Nick Taylor on bass in 20 ...

Death from Above 1979 Death from Above 1979 (also known as Death from Above or DFA 1979) is a Canadian rock duo consisting of bassist Jesse F. Keeler and drummer and vocalist Sebastien Grainger from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2001. The band released their debut album ...

Electric Wizard Electric Wizard are an English stoner metal, stoner/doom metal band from Dorset. Formed in 1988 under the name Lord of Putrefaction, the band have recorded nine studio albums, two of which have been considered genre landmarks: ''Come My Fanati ...

* Employed to Serve * Gore. * Haunt The Woods *

He Is Legend He Is Legend is an American alternative metal band from Wilmington, North Carolina. It was founded in 2003 by high school friends. The band's current lineup is frontman Schuylar Croom, guitarist Adam Tanbouz, bassist Matty Williams, and drummer ...

* High Parasite * Hunter Oliveri * Hurtwave * Kid Kapichi *

Killing Joke Killing Joke were an English rock music, rock band formed in Notting Hill, London, in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (musician), Youth (bass). Their first album, ''Killing Joke ...

* Lowlives * Paradise Slaves *

Raging Speedhorn Raging Speedhorn are a British extreme metal band formed in Corby, Northamptonshire in 1998. Career Raging Speedhorn were formed in August 1998 from the merging of the bands Soulcellar and Box. The band quickly established itself as a maj ...

Refused Refused (also known as the Refused) is a Swedish hardcore punk band originating from Umeå and formed in 1991. Refused is composed of vocalist Dennis Lyxzén, guitarist Kristofer Steen, drummer David Sandström, and bassist Magnus Flagge. Guita ...

Royal Thunder Royal Thunder is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, founded in 2004 by guitarist Josh Weaver. Their style of hard rock takes its primary influences from classic rock and 1990s grunge with elements of progressive rock and psychedelic ro ...

* Saint Agnes * Saint Asonia *

Saul Saul (; , ; , ; ) was a monarch of ancient Israel and Judah and, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament, the first king of the United Monarchy, a polity of uncertain historicity. His reign, traditionally placed in the late eleventh c ...

Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...

* Shining (Nor) * Shining (Swe) * Stone Broken * VRSTY *VV (

Ville Valo Ville Hermanni Valo (; born 22 November 1976) is a Finnish singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the gothic rock band HIM (Finnish band), HIM. Born and raised in Helsinki to a Hungarian mother and Finnish fa ...

) *

While She Sleeps While She Sleeps are a British metalcore band from Sheffield. Formed in 2006, the group consists of vocalist Lawrence Taylor, guitarists Sean Long (guitarist), Sean Long and Mat Welsh, bassist Aaran McKenzie and drummer Adam Savage. They are ...

* Unprocessed

Candlelight

* Absu * Black Moth * Diablo Swing Orchestra *

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

Ihsahn Vegard Sverre Tveitan (born 10 October 1975), better known by his stage name Ihsahn ( ), is a Norwegian musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer who is best known for his work with the black metal band Emperor (Norwegian band ...

* Khors *

Limbonic Art Limbonic Art is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Sandefjord. History Limbonic Art was formed in 1993 by Daemon, and was originally a full band featuring 3 other members. Daemon got in touch with Morfeus after the demise of the first li ...

Orange Goblin Orange Goblin are an English heavy metal band from London. Formed in 1995, the band's lineup currently consists of singer Ben Ward, guitarist Joe Hoare, drummer Chris Turner, and bassist Harry Armstrong. Their most recent album '' Science, Not ...

* PSOTY * Shade Empire * Vision of Disorder * Voices * Winterfylleth * Zyklon

Snakefarm

* Austin Meade * Brothers Osborne * Chris Shiflett *

Eric Church Kenneth Eric Church (born May 3, 1977) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has released seven studio albums through Capitol Nashville since 2005. His debut album, 2006's '' Sinners Like Me'', produced three singles on the ''Billb ...

* Jon Pardi *

Kip Moore Kip Christian Moore (born April 1, 1980) is an American country music singer and songwriter signed to Virgin Music Group. Moore previously recorded for Universal Music Group Nashville, MCA Nashville, where he released five studio albums for th ...

* Marcus King *

Marty Stuart John Marty Stuart (born September 30, 1958) is an American country music, country and bluegrass music singer, songwriter, and musician. Active since 1968, Stuart initially toured with Lester Flatt, and then in Johnny Cash's road band before be ...

* The Temperance Movement (US & Canada) * Whiskey Myers

References

External links

* {{Authority control Finnish record labels Black metal record labels Death metal record labels Heavy metal record labels Labels distributed by Universal Music Group Record labels established in 1990