“We confirm a full buy-out of Las Vegas based, Itchy Metal Entertainment after a year of close evaluation,” states Harley Cantrell, Chief Marketing Officer for Heavy Metal-World.Heavy Metal-World is a new media agency based in Los Angeles, CA comprised of industry experts and developed in early 2008 as an innovative way to market, manage, promote and distribute new media and independent music by leveraging emerging platforms and partners. HMW set out to find a “secret recipe for success” amongst indie outfits. After much exploration within traditional record label marketing environments, the company took an interest in Itchy Metal Entertainment after a recommendation to investigate the increasing success of the band “Control the Chaos” by an industry tastemaker.
“What we found was a fascinating story. Itchy Metal was able to take four teenagers from obscurity to notoriety in less than 48 months. Their team made a sudden impact and the industry took notice. They’ve accomplished some very unique things as an independent and we became very intrigued by their formula,” added HMW’s company rep. “We felt this aligned with the new models we’ve been researching and considered IME a very solid investment.”
Established in 2008, Vegas-based Itchy Metal Entertainment is led by Ed Fassio, a tech veteran with over 20 years of professional experience helping break service and revenue records at companies like Adobe Systems, Microsoft Corporation and Apple Computer. “It started out with the simple, self-realization that if I could contribute to the massive success of some of the largest companies in the world, then I should be able to do the same for my own projects. The next day, IME was born,” explains Fassio.
Initially a PR company, Fassio began expanding the capabilities of Itchy Metal Entertainment to support and accelerate the growth of the family music project “Control the Chaos” a young, heavy metal band with notable momentum across the west coast indie music scene.
“Everyone knows that CTC is a literal family. They are all brothers and we all live together. Angie and I spend all of our time with the boys and along with a ton of blessings, that’s some of the magic that makes it all work,” says Fassio.
But Itchy Metal Entertainment quickly became more than just a promo resource. As the band grew, so did the possibilities for IME. “We needed things, we needed more. With big dreams and limited resources, we learned to do everything ourselves. All the artist dev, promoting, booking and merchandising, even the recording and internet strategy, and the tour – it was all from our own resources and relationships. We have an incredible team,” said Angelica Hyder, co-manager of Control the Chaos.
“The terms are confidential, but I can say that we’re extremely pleased with the proposal,” says Fassio.
He continues: “My intention is to remain in an executive capacity post-acquisition and transition the primary management duties of CTC. There are a lot of moving parts. IME will extend the capabilities of a traditional record label by leveraging new, developing platforms allowing us to take full advantage of the digital marketplace. I’m also extremely proud to announce that “Control the Chaos” will be the first heavy metal artist signed to HMW. Right now, we are actively scouting unique talent for new projects – and not just metal. Heavy Metal World will concentrate on a more aggressive catalog, while Itchy Metal will re-brand into IME Records, serving all genres.”
IME plans to concentrate on the artist development, artist relations, talent scouting and management aspects of the business. HMW will focus attention on promotion, marketing, distribution and merchandising channels. The combined entity will continue to explore new product and service models along with seeking out additional partnerships to enhance and expand resources and offerings.
