SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE FUCK ARE METALLICA THINKING?
Friday, July 11th, 2008 at 4:13pm by Axl Rosenberg
Fact: the record industry is dying. And while Trent Reznor and Radiohead are rolling with the punches, giving albums away for free under cover of still being able to make millions from concert revenue and merch sales, Metallica are going the other way, trying to lure fans with a variety of steeply priced box set “special editions” of their forthcoming album, Death Magnetic. Depending on how delusional you’re feeling with regards to the ongoing quality (or, more accurately, lack thereof) of every Metallica release for nearly the last twenty years, you can purchase editions that will come with coffin cases, posters, flags, guitar picks, band photos, ringtones, a behind-the-scenes DVD, a “credit card” to allow you to download some future shows, and, oh yeah, a $25 digital download of the album.
Um… huh?!?!
Look, just speaking for myself personally, paying more than ten bucks for any album that doesn’t come with a free blowjoy (”It’s certainly not a job!”) from Cristina Scabbia strikes me as, um, silly at best. But if I was gonna pay some outrageous amount of cash for an album, it wouldn’t be one by Metallica; I know some people come to this site and think we give Metallica too much shit, but keep in mind that they’ve been asking fans to bend over and grab their ankles for years now. St. Anger was insanely offensive, but then, so were Load and Re-load and “I Disappear;” in other words, lack of faith in this once great outfit comes from years of being fed crap, not just one single incident or misstep.
And really, these “special editions” strike me as manifested greed, pure and simple. Demos of a shitty album will just be shittier version of already shitty songs; we’ve already seen behind-the-scenes footage of Metallica making something terrible in the form of Some Kind of Monster; if I want a Metallica poster, I’ll rip one out of an issue of Metal Edge (which I routinely keep around for use as toilet paper, ’cause the glossy pages are soothing to my ‘roids); if I want to download a Metallica show, I’ll download an old one from when Cliff Burton was alive and Lars could still kinda sorta play drums; and, oh yeah, I’m not afraid of Lars’ lawyers, so if I want to download the album, I’ll just do so for free and keep my twenty-five bucks, thank you (and after the hat trick of suckiness that was the band’s last three albums, I vowed I’d never pay for Metallica music again until I’d heard it front to back and could be 110% positive that the juice was worth the squeeze).
Metallica are out of touch; the abundance of recent media comparisons to Star Wars/Indiana Jones creator/destroyer George Lucas – a guy who is almost stubbornly unwilling to make a product worth giving a damn about – are all too apt. Normally I’d say “Hey, it’s your money, blow it however you want.” But in this case, I’d implore people to stay the fuck away from this thing, ’cause if it’s profitable, Metallica’ll just do it again in five years for their next album, You Put Our Kids Through College, We Fucked You in the Ass. Metallica will never learn unless their fans teach them.
-AR
You’re an idiot. If someone (me) wants to pay some money to get the album and some other stuff (that I think is cool) from the band that I’ve never given up on, then let it be. If you don’t want to, then don’t. Simple as that.
A special edition with a blowjob from Chirstina Scabbia…I think you’re on to something there. Somebody get the memo out to Lacuna Coil!
The coffin case was cool when the misfits did it and it was more fitting for them.
Brad?
You suck balls.
Simple as that.
$25 is too much money for their whole discography as a digital download. Who wants live recordings of them anyways?
Brad, you’re a bitch. Go back and listen to some Blink 182 and Angels with Airwaves or whatever it is, pansy ass bitch boy.
I have over 200 Metallica bootlegs in my music library – so I want live recordings of Metallica.
I will not buy the deluxe coffin edition of the album. As much as I love ‘em, I don’t throw my money around for music all that often. Two CDs in 2007 (As I Lay Dying, Beneath the Massacre) and so far two in 2008 (Children of Bodom, Arsis). I can guarantee that they’ll get my $100 as soon as they make a tour stop in Toronto though…
Just to be devils advocate, it was cool for Reznor to have various overpriced packages of his Ghost album but Metallica following his lead are being typical greedy fucks? Hmmmm…. The $25 digital download is retarded, but if someone buys that they deserve to have their money taken since they are too dumb to go buy a bottle of whiskey and steal the album.
Any last bit of respect I had for Metallica just hopped in its own coffin box.
Who the fuck is Metallica?
It’s not like this is the only option. It’s clearly for the collectors and uber-fans. There’s a market for this time of thing. Greedy? Sure. But they’ll likely sell enough of these to make it worth the effort, I’d imagine. Bands who become brands such as this one can get away with stuff like this. This still doesn’t come anywhere NEAR the merchandising oversaturation that KISS employs.
Brad had a good point, gang. This option is not for most of us (me included), but why not if you’re so inclined. The rest of us can pay 10 bucks on iTunes or download for free and go about our business.
I believe most people have respect for metallica and in homage to that, they will pay the $25 or so as their offerings to the now slothy gods…i will not be one of those people…although the new dethmagnetic will most likely be “some” new breath of fresh air compared to the constant shit clone scream-core “lets copy meshuggah” lame ass bands i wouldnt listen to if you paid me.
People want money for their product? The outrage!!! -1 MS
Am I the only person that actually kinda liked Reload?
Blowjoy? Did you think of that? I’m going to use that one.
Matt–I actually liked Re-Load (to be honest i was maybe 14 or so) and turned me on to other earlier Metallica albums
Asaruludu–I know you’re being a devil’s advocate, but let’s be honest here. It’d be a fair comparison to NIN if the Metallica album was FREE to fans and then offered the other paying options. They are “greedy” as fuck because they are still technically making people pay the money to hear the album.
With that being said, I’m probably going to buy the album and be disappointed again.
im pretty sure the albums gonna suck so i wont be buying it
im gonna download it…if by some very very slim chance the albums actually any good then i might go out and buy it.
i do buy albums if i think the band / artist is worth of my money but asfar as metallica go, theyre not worthy of a single penny i earn
[...] So Metallica is trying to charge $25 per download of its latest album, Death Magnetic? In my opinion: a [...]
I, for one, will be downloading the shit out of this new album. Suck it, Lars.
“In all seriousness” and “Deez Nutz”: thanks for the intelligent comments. It’s people like you that give metal heads a bad name. And I take back the “idiot” comment, not because I’ve changes my mind, but because everyone is intitled to their own opinion.
I discovered this site a few months ago and check it regularly for news and Axl’s and Vince’s comments, which I enjoy. I’ve actually checked out quite a few bands that I’ve never heard of before – some I liked, some not so much. I don’t normally get involved in the comments stuff but I thought metal-sucks readers were a little more educated than some of the other site followers. I’ve stopped looking at the comments on Blabbermouth because it’s just got ridiculous.
I grew up listening to Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Maiden and still faithfully follow them to this day. There’s been a lot of other bands that have came and went, but these guys are still pumping them out. Sure Metallica aren’t what they were pre-Black, and St. Anger was their weakest effort yet, but a lot of people (like me) are really excited about DM. This box set is going to make the guys even more rich (because, no matter what most of the people here think, it will sell) and if I want to fork out the cash to get the other stuff, then I will. Some will only buy the album, some will only download it for free. Everyone has got an option.
Now I’m off to bang out to Blink 182 and suck on my balls.
Maybe they should throw into the package, The James Hetfield beatnick buttrammer and the Lars Ulrich anal lube
I will say it’s sad to see all these bands doing this sort of thing, especially bands that were so influential. All this marketing just takes something away from it all…Hell, look at AC/DC only selling their album through Wal-Mart, and then there’s the recent idea of an AC/DC musical….
Does their career also come in this coffin- box?
The problem here is the Kiss-syndrom, the band has become the brand. So the name Metallica is worth way more than any artistic output. I was actually hoping for some kind of evolution(both music- and bizwise) for the release of this album, but “all hope is gone”!! Being a fan of metallica these days must feel very simular to a violent marriage.
I don’t see a problem there. If it cames with some special stuff and if you like them enough to expend that amount of money, then good for you.They are selling thei album in several formats and this happens to be one of them. If they don’t want to gie the album away like NIN or Radiohead, it’s their choice.
The fact that you think this is “greed” is silly. I’d never want you as a business partner if making money is greedy.
If I ever have a business and I figure out a way to put some items together and get people to buy the crap out of it for a ton more money – knowing that every single one that I put together will be bought – I would do it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, money is what makes this world go ’round so why do you blame Metallica for trying to make more of it?
You may not like Metallica but knocking them for trying to make money (and yes, I realize they have a ton already) just seems pretty silly.
You’re right, Brad…we are all INTITLED to our own opinions you grammatically challenged dickwad. It’s actually people like YOU that give metal a bad name…people like you and Lars, that is, who don’t know when to just FUCK OFF
Metal is for poor losers who can’t afford lap dances at titty bars. Fucking strokes. Hip Hop > Metal
Brad, you wouldn’t have to suck balls if you wouldn’t have been the first prick to get angry over the post… If you like Metallica, far be it from me to point out what shitty taste in music you have, but don’t get pissed when other people call the band out on their “digital media plan”… especially after they led the witch hunt on downloaders.
Fuck Metallica. They could put out the most brutal, metal, rape-your-face album ever conceived, and I would still say that.
Fuck Metallica, and all they stand for…
Damn. Its really not that big of a deal.
Some people enjoy collecting, and Metallica knows that. Does anyone think “Live Shit, Binge and Purge” was crap and greedy too?
I happen to think its a great live album.
All this arguying is pointless. If you dont like it, then dont buy it. Is Metallica Greedy? Yes, obviously, but aren’t we all? Can anyone here honestly say that were they in a band with such name recognition as Metallica, and they had the chance to make a couple extra bucks by putting together a ‘deluxe package’ for collectors, they wouldn’t do it for the sake of such a childish notion as ‘Metal Credibility’?
And calling people dickwads, fucktards, and retards for having their own opinion is immature and childish. C’mmon people, do we honestly want this great blog to become the next Blabbermouth?
This is why I read MS. The day you guys stop ripping on Metallica is the day I quit.
Stay the assholes you are and keep it brutally honest. \m/
Shit, Metalsucks must be getting popular! The mind-less are starting to creep into the comments.
But yeah, Metallica is just trying to make a buck and that’s fine. Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails also released special editions and box sets for their latest albums and made a shit-load from them too. Releasing free mp3’s didn’t seem to harm their sales one bit. Metallica just aren’t willing to take that risk (not surprisingly), which kinda sucks for us.. but not really because Demonoid still exists lol.
I say let them have their cash, they dedicated their entire lives to the band, and anybody who dedicates themselves like that to anything deserves to reap the benefits that come along with it. Simple as that. Shame that they can’t be a bit more charitable but I could really care less.
Take advantage of the advantages you have.
obviously they’re just trying to make a buck, and obviously it’s their right to package and price their stuff as they see fit.
the problem here is that these particular choices just seemed destined to push them further into irrelevance.
as far as i can tell, the situation here is that axl WANTS the album to be good. he wants it to be a return to form, and he kind of wants to relive the experience of listening to “lightning” for the first time. i can’t blame him — i want those things too. and it’s disappointing when all the decisions surrounding the release of an album you’re hoping against all odds will be great just seem to indicate otherwise.
I dont know how the release of a special edition box has any bearing on the quality of the music, or any bearing on the relevance (or irrelevance) of a band…
Personally I blame Guns N’ Roses. Guns N’ Roses was responsible for The Black Album and which was responsible for the decline of Metallica.
I think these special editions have nothing to do with their music. They can release all the special editions they want it doesn’t mean they have new shit to sell. When they come out with some new music, THATS when I’m judging Metallica
It will be fittingly ironic (& totally hilarious) how everyone will have already heard & dismissed this album weeks before they release the thing.
Meh. Half the whiny fuckers here saying “zomg metalica iz soooooo gready11!1″!1″1 would probably do the exact same fucking thing if they swapped places with the band.
And again, I think it’s hilarious that people instantly hop out and point fingers at the band MEMBERS for this sort of thing, instead of the record managers, label, etc. I seriously doubt Hetfield or Hammett had anything to do with how and what the album will be released with. Ulrich? He’s probably fisting his asshole in glee about the money he (might) make with this. Hell, he’s probably fisting his asshole just to do it, anyway.
I’ll wait until I actually hear the music (however I acquire it) to make any judgments on the actual band output. I don’t think anyone isn’t disappointed at how much of a clusterfuck things have been around the release of this album, and it just makes me think even more that Hetfield and Hammett need to leave, find a good bassist and drummer, and start a new band on their own label. Hell, thrash is coming back anyway, so it’d work.
It’s because they can. Simple as that. Supply and demand. Doesn’t make them greedy. It makes them smart businessmen, whether the album is good or bad. Socialists might find it “greedy”, but socialists wouldn’t understand commerce.
Sammy For President. :)
metallica used to be badass, USED TO BE. They used to stand for something. Thet used to care about there fans. But ever since that piece of shit black album came out, they just went downhill. Now there just greedy assholes, who fucked over there fans, majorly. Money has went to there heads.I wouldnt pay 25 cents for anything new by them.
Comparing NIN and Radiohead to this release is a bit pointless, because those albums were not released with the backing of a label (initially). Bands have contracts with their labels, so you can’t just decide to give it away for free when the label earns a cut on each copy sold.
I just find it hilarious that so many people get offended by a band selling their music – how dare they want remuneration for the money they invest in their work.
1 to Pharmer4 for actually spelling remuneration correctly (one of the most misspelled, mispronounced words ever). Not to mention making a salient point.
Since all kinds of people are jealous of METALLICA’S success and then they lie and spread evil reports about them, I’m hoping they make billions of dollars off of this new album and then give it to the kingdom of GOD in the name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. AMEN!
fuck you timothy cook
i fuck your lord jesus christ
fuck you!!
To Brad:Go suck a dick bitch boy and go listen to some cRap “music” while you’re doing it.If I see you in person I’m going to make you wish you were never born.
To Timothy Cook:Fuck you,fuck jesus,and fuck metallica.
To Brad again:Fuck you.I hope you die from the aids you got from gettting assfucked by niggers.
Considering Metallica was the first band to abuse the Digital Millenium Copyright Act by suing Napster, I think anyone has every last right to consider them greey bastards.
Most bands make the majority of their cash performing live. Record companies are just shitty middlemen that will be phased out in the upcomming years. Albums and recorded work are to spread a band’s art and help others eventually watch you live. By charging people for this recorded work, all you’re doing is limiting your influence while making a small profit selling plastic disks. Newer bands usually don’t mind their work being distributed, as they gain a following very quickly this way, wheras old farts who generally have enough money expect their old work in their prime years to pay for more vacation homes.
I personally really don’t like metal and prefer 30-40s jazz. I practice the organ regularly.