illness

Oliver Withöft, co-owner of one of the most prominent heavy music labels in the world, has passed away at the age of 49. He had been fighting a serious illness that forced him to withdraw himself from daily management duties at Century Media Records.

Withöft has been memorialized by many industry veterans along with musicians such as Nachtmystium‘s Blake Judd, who called Withöft’s death “a real tragedy” and that he was “way too young.” Øystein G. Brun of Borknagar also paid tribute by writing:

This is a utterly sad day for everyone assosiated to the Century Family and it is a day of great loss for the music business in general, but first and foremost we want to express our deepest condolences to his closest family! A great man has fallen!

The label is known throughout the world as the one responsible for the success of acts like Iced Earth, Nevermore, Shadows Fall and Lacuna Coil since its establishment in 1988 by Robert Kampf. Withöft joined the label a year and a half later. He is survived by his wife Judith and his three daughters.

Headbangers India and the Indian metal community would like to express their deepest condolences to them and to the entire Century Media Records family for suffering such a great loss.