Century Media Records has announced the signing of Dutch metal veterans Thanatos.

Thanatos is not only the Greek God of Death, but one of the oldest (if not the oldest) and longest-running extreme metal bands from the Netherlands. Founded in 1984, Thanatos has released numerous highly acclaimed albums during their career. Be it the infamous debut album, "Emerging From The Netherworlds", the equally great second output, "Realm Of Ecstasy" (both re-released on Century Media Records on Cd and Lp in 2012) or the band's last studio work, "Justified Genocide", Thanatos has always managed to deliver high-class death metal laced with a lethal dose of thrash.

Already being in close connection with Thanatos' longtime guitarist Paul Baayens due to his involvement in Asphyx, Century Media got in touch with Thanatos in early 2012.

Philipp Schulte, A&R and product manager at Century Media, comments: "I remember talking with Stephan of Thanatos about the band's back catalogue. Back then, we simply wanted to work with the band on their previous albums, not really knowing they intended to record a new studio album. When Stephan and Paul visited the Century Media headquarters in Dortmund in autumn last year, they told us about their plans to record a new album which they'd like to release in 2014, the year of Thanatos' 30th anniversary. Of course, we wanted them to release it on Century Media.

"Thanatos is without a doubt of the most legendary bands from the heydays of the death metal scene and we strongly believe their sixth studio album will bolt you down with pure withering death/thrash metal violence."

Added Thanatos vocalist and guitarist Stephan Gebédi: "Even after being in 'the business' for so many years, we're really excited to become part of the Century Media family, which is without any doubt one of the best and most important labels for metal today.

"We can't wait to start working on new material and it's our intention to record an absolute death/thrash metal monster to coincide with our 30th anniversary in 2014!

"We come from an era when there was no strict boundaries between thrash and death metal which resulted in masterpieces like Dark Angel's 'Darkness Descends' and Possessed's 'Seven Churches', and it's our mission to transport the legacy of those albums to 2014 and beyond…�

Thanatos is:

Stephan Gebédi - Vocals, Guitar
Paul Baayens - Guitar
Marco De Bruin - Bass
Yuri Rinkel - Drums