Hall of Sermon

Hall of Sermon is a Swiss independent record label founded in 1991 by Tilo Wolff, the driving force behind the gothic metal band Lacrimosa. Based in Rheinfelden in the canton of Aargau, with a legal address in Basel, the label was created primarily as a vehicle for Lacrimosa's releases and quickly became a notable imprint within the gothic metal and broader gothic music scene. Its catalogue has included acts such as Lacrimosa, Artrosis, Dreams of Sanity, Snakeskin, The Breath of Life, Evergrey, Girls Under Glass, and Love Like Blood. In its early years, Hall of Sermon signed a small roster of gothic and darkwave acts. By 1998, the label had contracts with only four groups: The Breath of Life, Dreams of Sanity, The Gallery, and the newly signed German band Love Like Blood. At that time the label itself did not generate revenue, but profits from Lacrimosa's record sales allowed Wolff and his partner Anne Nurmi to invest in releasing and promoting the label's other artists. The label also assisted German band Girls Under Glass, who had lost their contract when Deathwish Office closed in late 1997; Hall of Sermon signed them in February 1998 and released their album Equilibrium on 21 June 1999 in Germany. By the summer of 2001, Wolff decided to stop releasing albums by other artists and to focus exclusively on Lacrimosa. The label's cooperation with other acts ended, and Wolff tried to help them sign with other labels. The decision had mixed consequences: Dreams of Sanity, whose contract was cancelled in January 2001, dissolved officially in July 2002. From 2007 onward, Hall of Sermon dealt exclusively with Lacrimosa, including licensing deals with partners such as the Russian label Irond to oversee Lacrimosa's releases worldwide. Wolff has continued to argue that a small label should remain small. In 2010 the label was doing well, though Wolff expressed dissatisfaction with the state of its operations in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis. In October 2023, the label released Lacrimosa's double live album Nachts. Today Hall of Sermon remains a private, independent label closely tied to Lacrimosa and Tilo Wolff, operating from Switzerland and serving as the primary outlet for Lacrimosa's music.

Hall of Sermon was founded in 1991 by Tilo Wolff, the founder and principal songwriter of the gothic metal band Lacrimosa. The label was established in Switzerland and is based in Rheinfelden, in the canton of Aargau, with a legal address in Basel. From its inception, it served as the primary outlet for Lacrimosa's albums, and Lacrimosa remains its most important act. In the 1990s, the label expanded its roster to include several gothic and darkwave bands. By 1998, Hall of Sermon had contracts with only four groups: The Breath of Life, Dreams of Sanity, The Gallery, and the German band Love Like Blood, which had just been signed. At that time, the label itself did not generate revenue, but profits from Lacrimosa's record sales allowed Wolff and Anne Nurmi to invest in releasing and promoting the label's other artists. A notable episode involved the German band Girls Under Glass, who found themselves without a label after Deathwish Office, a sub-label of Nuclear Blast, closed at the end of 1997. The band had already recorded a new album, Equilibrium, in early 1998 and had approached Nuclear Blast directly, but were turned down because Nuclear Blast did not release that type of music. Seeking another label for the German release of Equilibrium, the band turned to Wolff. Wolff, already familiar with their work, signed them in February 1998. Hall of Sermon also helped with the album artwork, with the cover drawn by a HoS employee. Equilibrium was released on 21 June 1999 in Germany. The contract originally included an option for a second album, but as the band's style changed, a further release was no longer in the interest of Wolff and the label. Consequently, Girls Under Glass released their next album, Minddriver, on their own label Aragon Records in 2001. By the summer of 2001, Wolff decided to stop releasing albums by other artists and to focus exclusively on Lacrimosa. The label's cooperation with other acts ended, and Wolff attempted to help them sign with other labels; according to Wolff, most of them succeeded fairly quickly. However, the transition did not end well for all. When Wolff announced the cancellation of Dreams of Sanity's contract in January 2001, it became the catalyst for the band's demise; they began to experience problems, some members left, and the band officially ceased to exist in July 2002. In an interview with Sounds Online, Wolff stated that after he announced his decision, Dreams of Sanity chose to dissolve rather than find another label, though Wolff admitted that the relationship between the label and the band had already deteriorated. From 2007 onward, Hall of Sermon dealt exclusively with Lacrimosa, including signing contracts (for example with the Russian label Irond) to oversee Lacrimosa's releases worldwide. Wolff continued to advocate that a small label should remain small. In 2010, the label was doing well, although Wolff was 'dissatisfied with the current state of the label's operations' due to the effects of the 2008 economic crisis. In October 2023, the label released Lacrimosa's double live album Nachts. Throughout its history, Hall of Sermon has been closely identified with Tilo Wolff and Lacrimosa, functioning as both a record label and a vehicle for Wolff's artistic and business vision.

• 2023

  Releases Lacrimosa's double live album Nachts in October.

• 2010

  Label reported to be doing well despite Wolff's dissatisfaction with operations amid economic crisis.

• 2007

  Label begins dealing exclusively with Lacrimosa, including worldwide licensing deals.

• 2002

  Dreams of Sanity officially dissolves in July following contract cancellation.

• 2001

  Cancels Dreams of Sanity's contract in January; ends cooperation with other artists by summer.

• 1999

  Releases Girls Under Glass album Equilibrium on 21 June in Germany.

• 1998

  Label signs German band Love Like Blood; roster includes four groups.

• 1998

  Signs Girls Under Glass in February after they lost their contract with Deathwish Office.

• 1991

  Hall of Sermon founded by Tilo Wolff in Switzerland.

Independent Swiss gothic metal label, primarily a vehicle for Lacrimosa and Tilo Wolff's artistic output.

• Lacrimosa albums

• Equilibrium by Girls Under Glass (1999)

• Nachts by Lacrimosa (2023)

1. 1Impressum | Lacrimosa - official pagelacrimosa.com
2. 2Hall of Sermon - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Hall of Sermon - Wikipedia (French)fr.wikipedia.org