Rock Era Magazine has been contacted directly by Malphas from Antiquus Infestus — an Italian extreme metal band whose self-titled album was released through Darkside Records on October 31, 2025 — with a detailed, documented account of their experience with the label and its representatives.
What the band describes as a promising collaboration has, by their account, deteriorated into a prolonged dispute involving undelivered and defective CDs, repeated failures in communication, contradictory information about manufacturing arrangements, a demand of €2,800 to release their contractual rights, and — most recently — serious questions about the identity of the individuals claiming to represent the label.
Antiquus Infestus has reached out not with unverified accusations, but with documented evidence they are making available for independent journalistic examination. They have noted, as many bands before them have noted in this publication, that they are not alone — and that other artists have reported similar difficulties with Darkside Records.
Below is a detailed account of what happened. If you do not have a lot of time to read a long mail to judge whether it’s worth investigating, please scroll to the bottom of this mail for a bullet point timeline summary. If the summary is interesting, the whole story will definitely appeal you.
1. The agreement and the album release
In 2025, Antiquus Infestus entered into a five-year agreement with Darkside Records for the release of our self-titled album.
The contract identified Darkside Records as a company headquartered in Tangier, Morocco, legally represented by Saïd Chebacheb.
The agreement covered one album and included commitments concerning production, distribution, promotion, physical copies, accounting, and other services.
Among the contractual obligations were:
- Delivery of 150 CDs to the band free of charge, with 100% of the revenue from those copies belonging to us.
- A promotional budget of $500, divided between digital advertising, traditional media outreach, and playlist placements.
- Provisions concerning recording, mixing, mastering, merchandise, and community management.
- Semiannual royalty accounting.
- A five-year contractual term, with a termination clause referring to 90 days’ notice and mutual agreement.
The album was released on 31 October 2025 and distributed digitally through CD Baby.
We acknowledge that Darkside Records performed certain activities, including arranging digital distribution and some promotional work. Our position is not that absolutely nothing was done.
The problem is that several important obligations were not fulfilled, and our attempts to obtain explanations and solutions repeatedly led to delays, contradictory information, or silence.
2. The physical CD problem
One of the clearest issues concerns the physical release.
Under our contract, Darkside Records was required to deliver 150 CDs to us.
We began following up on the physical copies as early as December 2025.
After months of waiting and several requests, on 9 March 2026 we finally received 50 CDs.
Unfortunately, those copies were defective. The songs had been burned in alphabetical order rather than in the correct album sequence.
For a concept album, where the track order is essential to the narrative, this made the copies unsuitable for sale as the intended release.
Darkside Records acknowledged the problem.
We were repeatedly assured that the situation would be resolved. At different stages, we were told that replacement copies were being arranged or that additional stock was available.
In particular, we were led to believe that another 50 CDs were ready or available through the manufacturer.
After weeks of getting no answers, we contacted CDClick, the manufacturing company involved in the production, to verify the situation.
According to the information CDClick provided to us, they could not confirm there was a corresponding stock of those additional copies or replacement order matching what we had been told.
This raised serious questions about the accuracy of the information we had received.
In subsequent correspondence, a representative of Darkside Records acknowledged that the replacement order had not been properly followed up.
The label later confirmed in writing that the physical production had not been handled properly and that the replacement process had not been completed.
As of 21 October 2026, we have received no usable contractual allocation of 150 CDs. All the CDs we’ve sold so far, were made out of our pocket, only the jewel box remained usable.
3. Our attempts to prevent unnecessary expenses
An important aspect of this story is that we never demanded Darkside Records to spend money on our project.
On several occasions, we actively tried to prevent unnecessary expenses and encouraged the label to verify arrangements before committing funds. We provided several screenshots proving this and if necessary, we can share our e-mails screenshots for verification.
We wanted the release to succeed, but we also wanted the label to avoid wasting money on unnecessary or poorly planned decisions.
Later, when Darkside Records claimed that our album was one of its most expensive projects, we sent a lengthy email addressing this issue.
That email included screenshots of earlier conversations showing instances in which we had tried to help the label save money, reconsider expenses, and make absolutely sure of arrangements before proceeding.
We considered these exchanges relevant because the label was now using its alleged investment as a justification for demanding money from us.
The response did not resolve our concerns. Instead, Darkside Records maintained that substantial resources had been committed to the project and disputed the conclusions we drew from the communication and production failures.
Regarding the replacement CD issue, the label explicitly acknowledged the existence of communications in which a member of its team had promised a replacement and subsequently admitted that the order had not been properly followed up.
Its response included the statement:
“We do not dispute that communication.”
However, the label disputed our conclusion that this failure demonstrated a broader lack of investment or contractual performance.
We do not deny that Darkside Records may have incurred legitimate expenses. Our objection is that we were being asked to accept substantial financial claims without receiving the supporting documentation we requested, despite having provided evidence of our own efforts to avoid unnecessary spending.
We can provide the original screenshots, and corresponding replies for independent examination.
4. Repeated communication failures
The CD problem was not an isolated incident.
Throughout the collaboration, we experienced repeated difficulties obtaining clear answers concerning production, contractual obligations, and the status of promised services.
Messages often went unanswered, deadlines passed without updates, and explanations changed.
At times, we were left waiting for information about matters that should have been straightforward, particularly the manufacturing and delivery of the CDs.
In April 2026, we first communicated our intention to end the contractual relationship.
Nevertheless, we continued attempting to find a workable solution.
During subsequent discussions, certain contractual conditions were revised or relaxed by written agreement (through chat), including provisions concerning international live booking exclusivity and promotional branding obligations.
Our intention was to give the collaboration another opportunity rather than immediately abandon it.
Unfortunately, the underlying problems concerning the CDs, communication, and transparency remained unresolved.
Eventually, the loss of trust became irreversible.
In September 2026, we formally reiterated our position that Darkside Records had failed to fulfill important contractual obligations and that we considered the agreement terminated on those grounds.
In the meantime, all the email addresses associated to the domain “darksiderecords.ma” and the personal gmail address of Mr Chebacheb, said.chebacheb@gmail.com became unavailable and non existant.
After the collecitive statement made on social media, a post from darkside records appeard on their facebok page, providing a new email address to communicate with “management@darksiderecords.site“
Despite our attempts to communicate with them through the new address, “Darkside Records” disputes the effectiveness of unilateral termination and maintains that the contractual provisions concerning the five-year term, mutual agreement, and recoupment remain applicable.
This disagreement has not been resolved.
5. The €2,800 demand and the changing explanation
Following our request to terminate the relationship and regain control over the album, we established correspondence from individuals writing on behalf of Darkside Records, through the new email address provided above (management@darksiderecords.site).
The label proposed an amicable separation but demanded €2,800 in exchange for the early release of our contractual rights.
Initially, this amount was explicitly justified as corresponding to costs and investments allegedly incurred by Darkside Records in connection with our project.
We therefore requested supporting documentation, including invoices, receipts, supplier orders, payment confirmations, and evidence demonstrating how the amount had been calculated.
We considered this a reasonable request.
If the label claimed to have spent €2,800 on our project and expected us to reimburse that amount, we wanted to understand exactly what had been paid, to whom, and for which services.
This was particularly relevant because we had already experienced contradictory information concerning CD manufacturing and had documented our own attempts to prevent unnecessary expenditure.
However, rather than receiving the requested financial breakdown, the explanation of the €2,800 demand shifted.
The amount was subsequently presented as the financial condition under which Darkside Records would agree to an early contractual exit and the transfer or reversion of the applicable rights.
The label expressly stated:
“This amount is not presented as a penalty.”
It explained that the figure represented the financial basis on which it was prepared to agree to an early termination, rather than requiring the parties to remain bound by the existing contractual term.
This distinction is central to our concerns.
The amount was first justified by reference to expenses and investments allegedly made in our project. When we asked for documentation supporting those expenses, the emphasis shifted toward a fixed amount required to obtain an agreed release from the contract.
The figure remained €2,800.
In its written position, Darkside Records also made the proposed separation conditional on a formal termination agreement and a public clarification concerning allegations made against the label.
The proposed resolution therefore involved payment, a written agreement, and a public statement concerning the dispute.
We have not agreed to those conditions.
Our position is that we should not have to pay to regain control over recordings when the dispute arose from obligations we believe the label failed to fulfill.
We also believe that financial claims should be supported by appropriate documentation, particularly when they are initially justified as reimbursement of expenses.
6. Other bands and the collective public statement
During September 2026, we became aware of other artists reporting problems in their dealings with Darkside Records.
Together with several other bands, we participated in a collective public statement describing concerns about the label’s management, communication, and contractual practices.
Our intention was to make our experiences known and encourage transparency, since the label was unresponsive and all email addresses were gone.
We can document our own experience directly. We do not claim to possess every contract or all the supporting evidence concerning the other bands.
In subsequent correspondence, Darkside Records requested that Antiquus Infestus publicly dissociate itself from allegations made by other artists that the label considered inaccurate or unverified.
We believe artists should be able to describe their documented experiences publicly, while allowing each case to be assessed independently.
7. Attempts to remove our recordings from streaming platforms
Following our decision to end the relationship, we began contacting the distributor and streaming platforms to request the removal of the recordings uploaded under the label’s distribution arrangements.
We contacted CD Baby repeatedly but did not receive a satisfactory resolution to our requests.
We also contacted Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
Spotify removed the recordings following our requests.
Apple Music directed us toward the distributor/provider process, while YouTube initiated copyright-removal procedures concerning the uploaded material.
Darkside Records has expressly opposed unilateral takedowns and maintains that it retains contractual rights until the parties reach an agreement or the relevant contractual provisions are otherwise resolved.
Our position remains that the label’s failures justify termination and that we should regain control over our recordings.
The dispute concerning those rights remains unresolved.
8. The disappearance of previous communication channels
Another concerning development occurred in September 2026.
The email addresses previously used to communicate with Darkside Records, including addresses associated with Saïd Chebacheb, were no longer functioning when we attempted to contact them.
We subsequently found a different address being used to communicate on behalf of the label:
management@darksiderecords.site
The messages were signed simply as “Darkside Records Legal Team.”
This raised an important question: who was actually communicating with us?
We had previously dealt with identifiable individuals, including Saïd Chebacheb and Nora El-Mansouri (a person we never actually talked to, only through chat).
Now, we were receiving formal contractual and financial demands from individuals who did not provide their names or professional capacities.
During our correspondence, the purported legal team indicated that we were not communicating with Saïd personally, but with individuals appointed to handle the matter.
We therefore requested their full names, professional capacities, and appropriate confirmation of their authority to represent Darkside Records.
We did not request confidential legal advice or privileged communications. We simply wanted to establish who was corresponding with us and whether those individuals were authorized to act on the company’s behalf.
9. The unanswered request for identification
On 13 October 2026, the individuals corresponding under the designation “Darkside Records Legal Team” acknowledged our request.
Their reply stated:
“Please allow us 5 business days to come back with the requested documentation.”
The five-business-day period expired on 20 October 2026.
As of 21 October, we have received neither the requested documentation nor any further explanation. A last email was sent to that address stating that there will be no further communication with anyone claiming to be associated, owner or appointed by Darkside records, since we cannot trust the legitimate actions of whomever is behing that address.
We consider this particularly concerning because the individuals involved have been discussing contractual rights and financial demands while their identities and authority remain unverified.
We want to make one point absolutely clear:
We are not claiming to have proven impersonation or fraud.
At present, we cannot independently establish whether the correspondence genuinely originates from authorized representatives of Darkside Records.
If the correspondence is genuine, the failure to provide identification is another example of the lack of transparency and cooperation we have experienced.
If it is not genuine, the circumstances raise a different concern: the possibility that someone has been communicating with us while misrepresenting their identity or authority.
We have therefore decided to stop direct correspondence and seek independent verification through appropriate channels, including official authorities and law enforcement where warranted.
Local authorities have been already warned and we are currently awaiting for a response on the matter.
10. Verification of the company’s identity
We have also begun examining publicly available Moroccan corporate records.
Our contract identifies Darkside Records using Moroccan business identification number ICE 003764433000013.
Public corporate information identifies a company named Darkside Records Maroc, registered in Tangier in August 2025.
The existence of a registered company is not, by itself, evidence of wrongdoing.
However, it is important to distinguish the existence of that company from the separate question of who is legally authorized to represent it.
The available information does not establish that the individuals currently corresponding with us are authorized representatives.
We have also made inquiries concerning the history of the label’s previous domain and communication channels.
Our purpose is to establish a reliable chain of identification and understand who has been communicating on the company’s behalf.
We do not intend to make accusations without evidence, and we believe independent verification is now preferable to continuing correspondence with unidentified individuals.
Furthermore, it is possible to use any Domain Name Owner Details Checker online to confirm that Mr. Chebacheb does not own the domain “darksiderecords.ma“.
The person owning the domain, claims to not being associated with Darkside records and when was proposed to join the company, decided to step out, because “things were not clear enough”.
11. Where the situation stands today
As of 21 October 2026, the situation is as follows:
- We have not received the 150 usable CDs promised under our agreement.
- Darkside Records has acknowledged that the physical production and replacement process were not handled properly.
- We dispute the label’s continued control over the recordings and maintain that its contractual failures justify termination.
- Darkside Records disputes our termination position.
- The label has demanded €2,800 for an agreed early release of rights, initially justifying the figure by reference to its expenses and investments.
- We requested supporting financial documentation but have not received a satisfactory breakdown.
- We provided screenshots documenting our attempts to help the label avoid unnecessary expenses.
- The identities and authority of the individuals currently claiming to represent Darkside Records remain unverified.
- We have decided to discontinue direct correspondence and pursue independent verification.
- The contractual and distribution dispute remains unresolved.
12. Why we are sharing this story
We are a small independent band.
We invested years of work in this album, and what should have been a straightforward release has turned into months of correspondence, unanswered questions, and attempts to recover control over our own recordings, possibly damaging our reputation.
The most frustrating part is that we repeatedly tried to resolve the situation.
We waited for the CDs, requested explanations, suggested solutions, tried to prevent unnecessary expenditure, accepted certain changes to the working arrangement, and continued communicating long after our trust in the label had been damaged.
Even when we decided to end the relationship, we continued asking for documentation and clarification rather than making unsupported accusations.
Now, we find ourselves in a situation where we cannot even verify the identities of the people corresponding with us on behalf of the label.
We believe this experience illustrates the difficulties independent musicians can face when contractual obligations become disputed, communication breaks down, and transparency disappears.
We would be willing to provide relevant documentation for your independent review, including:
- The signed agreement and relevant contractual provisions.
- Correspondence concerning the defective CDs and replacement arrangements.
- Communications with CDClick.
- Screenshots documenting our attempts to prevent unnecessary expenditure.
- Our termination notices and subsequent correspondence.
- The €2,800 proposal and our requests for supporting financial documentation.
- The subsequent correspondence concerning the identity and authority of the purported legal team.
Timeline of the main events
- August–September 2025: Antiquus Infestus signs a five-year agreement with Darkside Records for the release of one album. The contract includes the delivery of 150 CDs to the band.
- 31 October 2025: Our self-titled album is released through Darkside Records, with digital distribution handled by CD Baby.
- December 2025: We begin following up on the physical CDs, which have not yet been delivered.
- March 2026: We finally receive 50 CDs instead of the agreed 150. The tracks are burned in alphabetical order, making the copies unsuitable for sale as the intended concept album. Darkside records is immediately notified.
- March–April 2026: Darkside Records acknowledges the manufacturing error and promises a solution. We receive repeated assurances about replacement copies and additional stock, but no usable replacements arrive.
- 2026 – CDClick verification: After being told that additional CDs were available or being arranged, we contact CDClick directly. The manufacturer provides information inconsistent with the label’s assurances about stock and replacement orders.
- April 2026: Following continued problems and communication failures, we first notify Darkside Records of our intention to terminate the agreement.
- Following months of 2026: Despite our concerns, we attempt to preserve the collaboration under revised conditions. Certain booking and promotional obligations are relaxed by written agreement.
- August–September 2026: Antiquus Infestus joins other bands in publicly expressing concerns about Darkside Records’ management, communication, and contractual practices.
- September 2026: We discover that previous email addresses associated with Darkside Records are no longer functioning since July 2026. Correspondence continues through a new address, signed by an unidentified “Darkside Records Legal Team.”
- September 2026: We formally reiterate our position that Darkside Records has failed to fulfill important contractual obligations and that we consider the agreement terminated.
- Late September 2026: Darkside Records disputes our position and demands €2,800 for an agreed early release of the contractual rights, initially justifying the amount as reimbursement of expenses and investments. We send Darkside Records a detailed email, including screenshots of earlier conversations demonstrating that we repeatedly tried to prevent unnecessary expenditure and encouraged the label to verify arrangements before spending money.
- September–October 2026: We request invoices, receipts, supplier orders, and other evidence supporting the €2,800 figure. Rather than providing a satisfactory breakdown, the label emphasizes that the amount is the financial condition for an agreed early termination, expressly stating that it is not a penalty.
- September–October 2026: We contact CD Baby and streaming platforms to request removal of the recordings. Spotify and YouTube removed the music; requests involving other platforms remain under review or unresolved.
- 13 October 2026: We request identification and proof of authority from the individuals claiming to represent Darkside Records. They acknowledge the request and ask for five business days to provide the documentation.
- 20 October 2026: The five-business-day deadline expires without the requested documentation being provided.
- 21 October 2026: With the identity and authority of the correspondents still unverified, we decide to end direct communication and pursue independent verification through official channels.
Current situation: More than a year after the album’s release, we have received no usable allocation of the 150 contracted CDs. The €2,800 demand remains disputed, the contractual rights have not been resolved, and the identities of the individuals currently claiming to represent Darkside Records remain unverified.
Finally, we extend our special thanks to Antiquus Infestus for their trust in us.
We continue to stand in solidarity with every artist who has come forward — and we remain committed to giving documented evidence the platform it deserves.
