Having already launched their own record label, whiskey, watches, ski gear, surfwear and more, Metallica have now announced their latest endeavor: the band’s official vinyl club. The new service — available only to members of Metallica’s Fifth Member fan club — offers subscribers a personalized membership card along with four 7-inch records featuring rarities, demos and rough mixes that have never been released on vinyl before. In some cases, “additional collectibles” will accompany the releases.
“It’s another first for us… our very own Vinyl Club!” the band commented in a joint statement. “As huge music fans ourselves, it’s been super exciting to see the resurgence of vinyl and how much enjoyment we all get collecting, exploring and connecting with other fans mining for lost treasures. Those of us who love the look, feel and sonic warmth of vinyl are sorta in our little exclusive club, so with that in mind, we thought it would be fun to start adding to our collections on a regular basis.
“The 2020 Vinyl Club Subscription will be available exclusively to Fifth Members and will bring you rare cuts, demos & rough mixes, and live rarities; who knows what we’ll dig up! …Obviously they’ll all be cuts that have never been released on vinyl before. Each subscription includes a personalized membership card, four 7” vinyl records, and select releases throughout the year will include additional collectibles; this could be anything from exclusive stickers to picks or even posters! Join the Vinyl Club now; membership sign-ups for our inaugural year are open through Tuesday, March 31st at 11:59 PM EDT. Don’t wait! New memberships won’t be open again until the 2021 subscription year.
“We’re excited to kick off this new endeavor, and whether you get the subscription for yourself or a friend (makes a great gift!), we hope you have a blast collecting some good-old-school vinyl!”
Memberships for the inaugural run of Metallica’s vinyl club — which will set you back $49.99 for a year-long subscription — are available now at the band’s website. The sign-up period closes on March 31st and will not reopen until 2021.
