Sumerian Records

In early 2022, the company acquired Behemoth Entertainment, a comic book and video game publisher, in order to increase their merchandise options and further expand the brand.

• Name — Sumerian Records • Founder — Ash Avildsen • Distributor — Virgin Music Group • Genre — * Metalcore • post-hardcore • electronicore • heavy metal • progressive rock • electronica • alternative rock • country • Country — United States • Location — Nashville, Tennessee • Website — https: sumerianrecords.com

Founded in 2006 in his Venice Beach apartment, Sumerian Records founder Ash Avildsen first released the records Akeldama by The Faceless and For What It's Worth by Stick to Your Guns in order to let people know the label would be dedicated to underground music but also to diversify the genres of the label, as the former falls under deathcore while the latter is typically described as melodic hardcore. After waiting a year to release another record, in order to ensure a third band on their label was "totally doing their own thing independent from everything else going on in the scene", Sumerian released The New Reign by Born of Osiris. Ash later commented on this release in a 2012 interview with Lambgoat by stating, "There is something to be said for not putting out too many records each year to where we're able to give focused energy to each band and album rather than always having several releases come out each month". Sumerian has continued to follow this philosophy throughout its near two decade tenure, never surpassing more than thirty artists on the label at one time and typically following a one record a month release schedule. Since its inauguration, Sumerian has had several seminal artists in the rock, emo, and alternative genres perform on late night television, such as Asking Alexandria, I See Stars, Crosses(†††), and Poppy on Jimmy Kimmel, Bones UK on Seth Meyers, and The Smashing Pumpkins on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

• After the Burial • Ando San • Animals as Leaders • Bad Omens • Bones UK • Born of Osiris • Boundaries • Carnifex • Des Rocs • Diamante • The Faceless • Face Yourself • Gideon • Holding Absence • Hollywood Undead • Imminence • I See Stars • Kittie • Meg Myers • Nita Strauss • Palaye Royale • Poppy • Saosin • Seven Hours After Violet • Slaughter to Prevail • Starbenders • Static Dress • The Pretty Wild • Roman Candle • Through Fire • Vana • Veil of Maya • Youth Code

Sumerian has garnered three RIAA certified gold records. Their first two awards originated from two singles on Asking Alexandria's debut album Stand Up and Scream (2009): "The Final Episode" and "Not The American Average". Their third was Bad Omens' breakthrough single, "Just Pretend" (2022). In 2014, Sumerian reunited Grammy-winning actor/rapper Ice-T's Body Count and released its highest-selling album in 20+ years, Manslaughter. In 2018, they released the first true solo album for Jonathan Davis, lead singer of Korn. The lead single for Jonathan's album "What It Is" went Top 5 at Rock Radio which was a first for Jonathan outside of KoRn.

In 2025, Sumerian began distributing films through their new Sumerian Pictures label. Their first release was Queen of the Ring, which was widely released on March 7, 2025. In February 2026, Sumerian Pictures generated headlines when they acquired the U.S. rights to director Beth de Araújo's sophomore feature Josephine, which had garnered universal critical acclaim and won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Sumerian plans to give the film a major theatrical release and an awards campaign.

• Release date — Title — Notes • Broken Voices — U.S. distribution • The Wolf, the Fox, and the Leopard • Low Expectations • Chili Finger • My New Friend Jim