Lars: Digital-Music Is The Future. Wait, What?

Lars said in a recent interview with the L.A. Times that Metallica might follow the footsteps of other bands who have dropped their corporate record labels, such as NIN and Radiohead, and become completely independent, because record labels such as Warner Music Group act like a bank and Metallica doesn't need them anymore because they're so damn successful. I'm damn skippy he knows going independent includes ditributing their music online.

This next comment I found interesting... at first. Then I remembered Lars Ulrich and Metallica have made a career of saying something and then doing the complete opposite. Referring to the Ticketmaster-Live nation merger, he said:

"...monopolizing business practices of some of these companies I do find despicable, but I'm happy to say we sort of circumvent as much as we can." -- From the L.A. Times video interview.

Really, Lars? How about your YouTube video, and your fans' renditions being taken off YouTube by your monopolizing label, WMG, not to mention your own music videos?

Death Magnetic was the last album Metallica did under contract with Warner Music Group, and according to him, Metallica will go a different way for future efforts. We'll see what kind of way that is. My money's on whatever that way it is, it'll work fantastic for making the Metallica wallets even fatter.

Greg Sandoval's article "Is Reznor a digital-music visionary? Ask Lars Ulrich" for Cnet News.

Todd Martens' article "Metallica's Lars Ulrich on label future, Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger" for Los Angeles Times.