In one of the oddest news stories from the ‘old metal’ world this year, former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent has announced that his new album, ‘Guitarmageddon’ will cost $2 million to purchase.
The guitarist and songwriter said that “the entire album will be offered in master format only for $2,000,000. This includes 10 songs mixed in master, final product format, all the master files of the artwork, related posters, and 10 separate vinyl and CD packaging art for each individual song”. The move comes three months after controversially deciding to release a single, ‘Ride The Serpent’, for $225. While speculation, it is possible that the news storm that whipped up contributed to this latest decision.
Vincent has said that the purchaser will be able to then release the album by their own accord through whatever means they choose, subject to the musician’s approval. “The price”, he said, “does not include any right, title, or interest in the copyrights and/or trademarks related to Vinnie Vincent or the product itself.” Crucially, he did not state the royalties he would expect if this was to happen. It is not, however, essential that the purchaser release the album, and it could be imagined that someone would want to keep the album for themselves.
The album is being released under the name of his post-KISS band, Vinnie Vincent Invasion, who released their eponymous first album in 1986, two years after leaving New York’s resident hard rock horror-men. The single ‘Boyz Are Gonna Rock’ became an MTV hit, and the follow-up album, ‘All Systems Go’, featured the single ‘Love Kills’. That song was included in 1988 slasher flick ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master’. The band has not released an album since then, having essentially split up when bassist Dana Strum and vocalist Mark Slaughter left in protest of Vincent’s controlling nature, forming Slaughter and having a double platinum hit with their debut, ‘Stick It to Ya’.
In case you were worried the album would be out of your price range, Vincent has announced a cheaper option. Individual tracks can be bought for merely a tenth of the overall price, with each song fetching a cool $200,000 a piece.
“I wish it was not this way”, Vincent said, “but I’m honoured that it is. It’s a double-edged sword for me, but I sincerely hope that when you think it through you will understand the dilemma I face.” The “situation” the guitarist is referring to is the “desire” for his music to see widespread release.
Previously when discussing the album, he said that “unless I get compensated for my work, the album stays unheard. The praise from a fanbase is pointless unless I’m compensated FIRST.” He even went as far as to claim that the new record “is one of the greatest rock albums of all time,” comparable to Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix.
Vincent has long attracted both praise and derision. His top notch songwriting contributions to KISS essentially revived their career on 1982’s metal classic ‘Creatures of the Night’, spawning enduring anthems like ‘I Love It Loud’ and the classic power ballad ‘I Still Love You’. Following in the wake of their iconic ‘Spaceman’, the late Ace Frehley, he took on an ‘Ankh Warrior’ war paint style.
The next album, ‘Lick It Up’, coincided with them taking off their makeup in public for the first time in 1983. The big hit of that album, the title track, was co-written by Vincent and the band’s long serving rhythm guitarist and ‘Starchild’, Paul Stanley. He left the band following that album in a flurry of contractual trouble, briefly returning to the fold in 1992 for songwriting credits on ‘Revenge’.
Since then, he has fought publicly with Stanley and bassist Gene Simmons, although in recent years he has begun performing with his original KISS makeup again.
