Up until now, Metallica is still one of the best selling bands. The anticipation for every new Metallica album and record has intensified following the band's reintroduction to younger audiences.
Last year, Metallica had a surge in streaming and album purchases as Netflix's "Stranger Things" featured "Masters of Puppets" in a now-iconic television moment.
Since then, the demand for Metallica vinyl albums has reached a new peak. Now, the band and their estate has acquired one of the biggest vinyl-manufacturing companies in the country.
Metallica Acquires Furnace for Vinyl Production
According to Variety, Furnace Record Pressing, the leading provider of high-quality vinyl records in the United States was acquired by Metallica.
The two entities weren't exactly new to each other as it has been a result of their longstanding relationship with each other, rather a formalization, as they have been producing over five million pieces of Metallica vinyl records since 2014.
Among the projects they have worked with in the past were "Masters of Puppets," "Kill Em Al," "Ride The Lightning," "S&M2," and "And Justice For All," among many others.
"Their indie spirit, the passion they have for their craft... culturally we're kindred souls. Furnace has been great to Metallica and more importantly to our fans," founder James Hetfield said in a statement. This deepened relationship between Metallica and Furnace ensures that fans of vinyl everywhere, particularly our Fifth Members, will have continued access to high quality records in the future."
READ ALSO: Metallica Finally Reacts to Stranger Things Using Their Song on Season 4 Finale
It should be noted that Metallica would not be managing Furnace as a business, its CEO, COO, and VP for Operations shall be continuing their leadership roles for the company.
The company is grateful with the acquisition as they believe that their long-term future is secured with the growth of the company.
Vinyl Production Increases During Streaming Era
Although streaming is the go-to channel for music enjoyers and listeners worldwide, the demand for vinyl has concurrently and exponentially grown throughout the years.
The Recording Industry Association of America reported that vinyl sales have grown for 16 years.
Just in 2022 alone, it increased to 17%, and accounted for 71% of the total physical format sales. 2022 also recorded the first time since 1987 that vinyl albums outsold CDs with 41 million and 33 million in sales, respectively.
READ ALSO: Metallica Reaches New Milestone, Beats Miley Cyrus on Music Chart with New Single
