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White Collar Criminals

WHAT THE METALLICA CAMP REALLY THINKS ABOUT THE DEATH MAGNETIC LEAK

 Thursday, September 4th, 2008 at 12:54pm by

The inevitable happened on Tuesday night, when Death Magnetic hit the leak wire. The very next day, Lars responded on a radio show in California, claiming, “Listen, we’re ten days from release. I mean, from here, we’re golden. If this thing leaks all over the world today or tomorrow, happy days. Happy days. Trust me. Ten days out and it hasn’t quote-unquote fallen off the truck yet? Everybody’s happy. It’s 2008 and it’s part of how it is these days, so it’s fine. We’re happy.”

Pretty peachy response from a man who railed against Napster and Internet piracy a few years ago, no? You’d assume that the band, management and record label (Warner Bros.) couldn’t possibly be so cool and collected, right? You’d assume correctly; the indomitable Bob Lefsetz sent out an email blast with some kind of intercepted memo from Warner Bros.:

WE ARE NOT SERVICING METALLICA MUSIC !!!
We know it has leaked on some bit torrent sites. So what, that happens all the time and we are not changing our plan.
Please tell radio NOT to play other songs, even if they stole the record. We are vigorously fighting to get it off the internet the best we can.

They are our partners and we have a ton for them that could be in jeopardy if they play other music. ( other than My Apocalypse or Cyanide)
Am Ex spent a bunch of money in the majors, per our direction.
ATT spent a ton of money based on our direction.
Clear Channel has a “Sneak Peak”. All with CONTENT.
We have a premiere EXCLUSIVE for radio hosted by Dave Grohl and Taylor.
We have a tour and pre sale that many many stations are part of.
We have the biggest marketing plan for a record ever happening RIGHT NOW and they need to be our partner. Its that simple.
PS There are 2 other songs, My Apocalypse and Cyanide that are floating out there and on iTunes….
we are considering servicing those tomorrow morning to promote the premiere and also to let radio know we care about their needs… but for now PLEASE explain this as need be. Thanks.

Now that sounds a lot more like the Metallica we all know. Old world marketing meets new world Internet. Problems ensue.

-VN

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  • Sean

    This is like the TMZ of metal…can’t wait for the Ozzy upskirt shots. -1

  • Clark

    So because some warner bros exec wants the album off the internet immediately makes Metallica the bad guys? I guess it’s unpossible that a record company could act on something without consulting the band, or against the band’s wishes. This seems like a giant stretch just to get a Metallica bashing headline on here; why not bring us something worthwhile instead of spam bullshit like this.

  • http://www.myspace.com/grownfromthecold Luke

    I’m glad Lars has chilled since Napster. Personally, I think maybe it was just the sudden impact of the program that caused the band to overreact.

  • elvin

    Old rants from an old business model fag.

  • MylesH

    I love this site, and agree with most of what you guys write, but i gotta agree with Clark here. From the sounds of it, this has nothing to do with the band.

  • Anthony

    I’m sure Lars’s response was more of admitting that, even though he was so strongly against it in 2000, technology and the internet has basically taken over, and that 10 days in this day and age is really not that bad at all.

  • http://hookssobig.blogspot.com Wayne

    Either way…i have to say that i’m very pleasantly surprised with Death Magnetic. Now, if only the new Intronaut would leak!

  • John

    @ Vince: You are a fucking moron.

  • http://www.myspace.com/grownfromthecold Luke

    I think Death Magnetic was a huuuuuge step up from St. Anger. It’s got elements of ’80s and ’90s Metallica, and most of it is the good stuff. A few missteps, but I actually find myself enjoying it more than The Black Album. Also, anyone else think the cover looks like a hairy snatch?

  • kevin

    You guys are grasping for straws. There is nothing douchy on the part of metallica going on. Not saying they weren’t out of line with napster, but this a joke

    P.S. the album was so far above my expectations, can’t wait for the review here where you guys make up excuses not to like it!!

  • http://startlingmoniker.wordpress.com DaveX

    I agree with #1– while I doubt anyone in Metallica is thrilled to pieces about the album leaking, this little memo isn’t the same thing as Lars losing his shit and berating fans. That shit was a zillion years ago, and I bet it was surprising to them. I doubt that they’ll make that same mistake twice. This time around, fans will have a good chance to prove that some torrent-made publicity can translate into sales.

  • Sammy

    What the fuck did you expect Lars to say? He gets shredding for railing against the ILLEGAL theft of music (right message; wrong messenger, perhaps). So now he plays nice and —– gets shredded.

    Look, I think Lars may very well be a little prick, but not over this issue. Napster deserved what it got. That company facilitated the theft of intellectual property. If a company somehow figured out how to open the doors of Home Depot after hours to let people come in and take what they wanted for free, what would happen to that company?

    Just because a bunch of bratty 14-year-olds grew up to believe they had some inherent right to free copyrighted material doesn’t make it any less illegal and ridiculous.

  • vance almighty

    ok, now you guys are starting to get pathetic.

    the band is happy about it, the management is not… how exactly did this make news here?

  • http://www.wvvy.org ezra

    @ Clark
    Unpossible?!?!

    You better be a Simpsons fan

  • jonowev

    I just feel even more proud of ripping them off now!!

  • jimflames

    This constant Metallica bashing has grown so tiresome so quickly. It’s amazing that Metallica have put out a great album, their first truly great album in years, and you’re taking every opportunity to disregard it to the point that it wouldn’t surprise me to see a post bitching about the album booklet not being printed on recycled paper.

  • jimflames

    Oh yeah and good job ignoring the cool stuff like the radio show they’re doing, the fact that they’re releasing four tracks online in advance of the release, the cheap shows and the amazing tour they’ve got sorted.

  • Sammy

    Prediction: Because liking Metallica moved from the unhip to hip in the mid-90s and caused a huge backlash early this century, and because it’s now become extremely hip to hate them, that the double back backlash will cause there to be a new “hip minority” that will love them again.

    I have no idea what I wrote, even though I understand it in my twisted mind.

  • ArchAngel

    Well, the whole “Lars is cool with it” thing just seems a little off. Like he’s just trying to not look like a jackass 10 days before the release. Just the same as the “We didn’t know about the blog review thing because we were in Europe…. Where there is no news or internet.”

    At least they made a halfway decent album this time. I’m on my second listen through, which means I have listened to it more than St. Anger already.

  • http://www.pro-jikts.com Nickmeister

    From purely a business perspective, I’ve been involved in product launches as I do sales and marketing (although in the healthcare industry), reading that email I completely understand the guy. Initiatives are put in place for a reason… Regardless of what you may think an industry is an industry… Music isn’t a ‘scene’. Where there’s product to be sold, you have a market, and in a competitive environment that constitutes an industry. I’m leaving Metallica out of this, speaking purely from the email and working in corporate organisations… It’s shitty that when you put the effort to achieve something, people just fuck you over…

    Anyhow, I’m off to bed.

  • nrich

    metalsucks.net does indeed fucking suck

    i like how some people will never give certain bands a fighting chance because of some slip-ups in the past

    the recent attitudes from the guys in metallica have never been better and for the first time in a long time, i feel like i can level with them and respect the musicians they really are

    death magnetic is not master of puppets but for a band that hasn’t written a thrash record in two decades, they rose above most expectations and wrote a great fucking album

    if being bias constantly towards a band disables you from enjoying the music they strive to make, it’s your fucking loss to shun a band that still matters and still tries in the modern music world

  • RaZZo

    Saying: “I’m happy.”

    is not the same as saying:

    “Well, I’ve finally realized there’s actually NOTHING I can do about it, no matter how much I yell and cry and stomp my little feet (out of time, no less), no many how many government agencies I use my wealth to pressure into LITIGATING my own fans & families into financial ruin, there’s just NOTHING I can do about it. Goshdarnit! No matter how hard I try, I just can’t stop this whole “new-fangled Inter-web/ digital music industry paradigm shift” my manager keeps trying to explain to me. No matter how much I sue it. There I said it. So instead of looking like an EVEN BIGGER DOUCHE than I have been since I found out about this whole ‘intertube’ thing, the best thing to do is to say, ‘I’m happy.’”

    Note to managment re: “We are vigorously fighting to get it off the internet the best we can.”

    Uh…yeah. Good luck with that…..

  • Blackthorned

    I like the idea of a double backlash personally – it means there’s a reason for it rather than cattycore remarks. Metallica put out a decent album and take the leak in their strike – so how are they the bad guys in all of this?

  • Carter

    @nrich
    “metalsucks.net does indeed fucking suck
    i like how some people will never give certain bands a fighting chance because of some slip-ups in the past”

    Hahaha “some slip ups?” You mean fifteen years of shitty hard-rock from a band called METALlica? Fucktard.

  • http://www.thecontrarianmedia.com The Contrarian

    The first two songs on DM are really good, and there are a few bright moments throughout the rest of the record.

    One other thing: The last time there was a halfway listenable ‘Tallicker there was a Democrat in the White House. Coincidence?

  • http://countshockula.blogspot.com ezra

    Ummmm sorry guys, it sucks. Not because it’s “cool” to bash on Metallica, but because it sucks. Not because the the Black Album was the last good thing they ever did, ’cause it wasn’t, it sucked too. I bought it the same day i bought “please hammer, don’t hurt ‘em” ’nuff said. It’s just tepid, Hetfeild still sounds like Reverend Lovejoy, and Lars sucks worse than ever. I tried, I really did. poor Robert, maybe there will be a Lights, Camera, Revolution era ST reunion so he can shred again.

  • Peter

    “Metallica camp” = Guilt by association. Lump Lars and Warner Brothers together and make Lars sound like an asshole. He usually doesn’t need help with that, but I have to say that this time it seems as though it’s the RECORD COMPANY that’s complaining. Get it? Metallica – Warner Brothers = Not the same thing.