American metal band Metallica has acquired a majority stake in Furnace Records, a Virginia-based vinyl pressing company that has been pressing records for the band for over a decade.
The iconic rockers behind it Sandman in And Puppeteer (which recently reached new audiences after being played on Netflix Stranger things) have had a stellar few years when it comes to record sales, with the band reportedly pressing over 900,000 individual vinyl pieces by 2022. According to Luminate (via Billboard (opens in new tab)) the quartet sold 387,000 albums in 2022, placing them at number six among the best-selling artists in the United States. They had sold 337,000 the previous year; puts them at number seven on the 2021 list. Considering they haven’t released a new album since 2016, those are pretty impressive numbers.
However, that’s all about to change, as their upcoming album is titled 72 seasons will launch on April 14 and we can expect a lot of vinyl stock thanks to this news. Singer/guitarist and Metallica co-founder James Hetfield says this partnership means fans will “continue to have access to high-quality records in the future.” We are already expecting a new high-quality pressing from Metallica, can we have new reference material on the way?
Founded in 1996, Furnace Records is one of the largest vinyl manufacturers in the US and is known for its high-quality pressings. It’s been constantly pressing Metallica records, keeping the band’s entire back catalog in stores, and even producing special and audiophile editions for enthusiasts. Last year they produced the remastered edition of The black albumincluding the ridiculous special edition box set containing:
“the album remastered on double LP and 180 gram CD, “Sad But True” picture disc, three live LPs, 14 CDs and six DVDs of unreleased content (live shows, rough mixes, demos, etc.), MP3- vinyl audio download card, four tour laminates, lanyard, three lithographs, three picks, lyrics folder and sheets, and a 120-page hardback book with never-before-seen photos + stories from those who attended.
Furnace Records also has a close industrial partnership with German press factory Pallas, who are also known for producing high-quality records and were brought in by the band’s management, Q Prime, as a way of getting some of the production to outsource to avoid potential delivery. chain issues. Furnace Records expects high demand for Metallica’s upcoming album as it has been printing copies since January of this year.
So what does this mean for the future of Furnace Records? CEO Eric Aster says not much will change as the factory will continue to work on projects for other artists and bands, as well as Metallica’s upcoming and past releases. Astor says this new partnership will allow Furnace Records to invest more while maintaining its values of independence and high-quality processes.
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