More Metallica mayham..

Given all that Metallica has done, said, and been through in the last 20 years, what could they still do that would lead bloggers to ask, "What the hell is wrong with Metallica?" In this case, the answer is fairly pedestrian but still dumb: censor bloggers.

Here's the scenario: internationally known heavy metal band with long history in the business invites music critics in London to listen to six tracks off the band's forthcoming album. Those critics then write reviews based on what they've heard. Despite the total lack of any non-disclosure agreements and the fact that the band must have known what it was doing, its management then contacted the blogs in question and asked them to take down the reviews.

Metallica Album Preview Cover-up?

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:38:28 GMT

Yesterday UK bloggers The Quietus posted a preview of the new Metallica album after hearing it at an invite-only session in London. Their coverage -- which you can still find here -- is a relatively fair piece that discusses the hardship of being a Metallica fan some twenty years after their epic, "...And Justice for All."

The Quietus contributor "Bob Mulhouse" is circumspect about the album's prospects, saying, "This album could be good, or it could be mediocre – too much depends on the other four songs to make a call at this point." Nothing out of the ordinary for a record review after a one-time listen.

It came as something of a surprise then to find that the internet had been expunged of any coverage of the event. We emailed The Quietus editor Luke Turner about what happened. He gave this response:

The story behind the removal of the article runs as follows: Metallica held an album listening party for selected music journalists in London this Wednesday past. One of the writers was kind enough to write a piece about the album which, if you were lucky enough to read it before it was taken down, was full of praise about a return to form. At no point was the writer ask[ed] to sign a non-disclosure agreement. The Quietus and other websites ran pieces on the album, but were quickly contacted by Metallica’s management via a third party and told to remove the articles. The Quietus kept our article up the longest and, as no non-disclosure agreement had been signed, [was] not prepared to remove it merely due to the demands of Metallica’s management. We only eventually removed the article earlier today to protect the professional interests of the writer concerned (the piece was written anonymously). Seems Metallica’s fear of the internet shows no sign of abating.

Interesting, huh? We're still waiting for comment from Metallica's camp, and will post their response when we receive it. Developing...

...unless this is all a genius move to keep Metallica's name in the news and drum up buzz for a new album that I, for one, had no idea was even in the works