Simon Rushworth
Is nothing sacred in metal anymore?
Not so long ago Metallica were the bastions of tradition as they fought illegal downloads, file sharing and each other (but that’s another story).
Now, not content with throwing the record buying public completely out of kilter by choosing to release Death Magnetic on a Friday (!) it seems they’ve turned a blind eye to some of the UK’s biggest retailers shifting copies up to 48 hours in advance.
Now it’s all very well nailing Napster. But I doubt very much if Metallica’s management take a pop at HMV and Zavvi after both allegedly began selling the new album on Wednesday. It would be a classic case of biting the hand that feeds them, rather than biting the hand that was taking the food out of their mouths – or something along those lines.
For those of us who have been waiting with baited breath for Death Magnetic Day it’s just another slap in the face. It’s bad enough that the majority of Metallica’s new songs are available for streaming on official sites and have been for some time. It’s even worse that detailed reviews appeared weeks ago and if you don’t know the final track listing inside out by now then you must have been living on another planet.
Then to discover that any lingering expectation had been blown away by big stores selling the record well in advance of the publicised date – it’s all too much!
There was a time – albeit before the download revolution – when queues snaked around our fave independent record shops on a Monday morning as metal heads eagerly anticipated getting their hands on the latest release. The odd studio report, sketchy review or leaked cassette copy might have been doing the rounds but essentially you were about to step into the unknown.
It was a case of rushing home, slapping it on the turntable and enjoying the thrill of hearing it first at the same time as thousands of fans worldwide. Monday mornings were an event in themselves but those days are long gone.
Will I resist popping into those high street charlatans as I hit Nothumberland Street later this morning? Is there any point in prolonging my own sense of anticipation when Death Magnetic is doing the rounds just around the corner? Why should I wait when nobody else can be arsed to do the same? And why didn’t I push for the promo copy when I had the chance?
So many questions and so little time. And the time that is left between now and the ‘official’ release of Death Magnetic just doesn’t seem that special anymore.
This was supposed to be one of the most exciting 24 hour periods of my rock life. Instead I feel like I’ve just been asked to review Dire Straits….
Simon Rushworth
nb: an HMV spokesman has told rushonrock that they were forced to put Death Magnetic in stores from Wednesday after online firms broke sales embargos. He added: “We argued with Universal that they should allow us to do the same and they gave us permission.” Hmm. And that’s meant to make me feel better?