Metallica Goes Off Against Bloggers: Don't Review Our Music

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 has acquired a reputation for hating the Internet, which isn't really true—the band does have a website and it did finally come to iTunes—but the band invited derision from fans with its stance against Napster back in the day. (As a metal band, Metallica of course has long stood up for the principles of fair play, buying your music at retail prices, and not being a rebel.) Surely, the band's handlers know that these sorts of things have long shelf lives, as evidenced in the new press coverage (Metallica's stance against Napster was mentioned every time), so it's pretty mysterious why they would continue to perpetuate the image of Metallica as the cranky curmudgeons of pre-Internet rock.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080610-metallica-to-bloggers-dont-review-our-music.html