Is Metallica A Genius or Just an Internet Iddiot?
Heavy metal superstars Metallica are at it again. You should remember their battle with Napster in late 90’s, early 2000’s.
Well now they attempted to do it right. They had a listening party for a select few UK journalists, hoping to get opinions of the album. One writer posted a positive review and was asked by Metallica management to take it down.
I don’t know about you, but free press in this day and age is usually a good thing. Social Spark makes their living by inviting companies to have bloggers talk about their products and services.
I don’t need to rehash on how stupid I think the move is, but here are some side effects of this PR blunder:
Do a Google Blog search for Metallica. Here are the headlines:
Metallica Has Smoked Themselves Retarded
Metallica: One step forward, two steps…
Metallica to bloggers: don’t review our music
Metallica: you are insane (an open letter)
Metallica: Review Our Album, But Don’t Write About It
Metallica Have Screwed Themselves, Haven’t They?
These are much better headlines than say:
“Metallica launches best album in decades”
“I just got to listen to the new Metallica and it rocks”
And so on.
So there ya go Metallica. You got some extreme press and from some pretty major players, Mashable, Wired’s Listening Post, EMusicList and others.
I guess some bands are really still living in 1990. Bonus read, here is Trent Reznor talking about how giving away music is working and changing his life from the New York Times: Frustration and Fury. Take it. It’s Free.
-Greg Rollett
Chris
One thing I must point out is that the Mashable blog is incorrect. No copies of the album were sent ANYWHERE for review. These journalists were there for as listening session of unmixed tracks for their respective upcoming articles on the tracking of the album. If advance copies were sent and THEN the bands’ management nixed the blogs, that would be a tad different.
June 11th, 2008 at 1:09 pmGreg Rollett
That’s totally right Chris. There was no physical exchange. But there was an event which featured reporters, who were invited. Wouldn’t you want to talk, write, share about listening to the new Metallica album before anyone else? Especially if you were a reporter?
June 11th, 2008 at 1:30 pmChris
Yeah, absolutely! I do wonder if this was a decision of the management company or the band themselves. I have no doubt that Metallica is well below the curve when it comes to press, but this is pretty ridiculous.
June 11th, 2008 at 2:31 pmRachel
Metallica apologise, on behalf of their management, for killing early reviews!
http://drownedinsound.com/articles/3461200
http://www.metallica.com/index.asp?item=600942
June 12th, 2008 at 11:10 amChris
I am not surprised…no band with that much history can be that dumb.
June 12th, 2008 at 11:10 pm