I’m not the biggest Avenged Sevenfold guy — but Nightmare is a killer album, and I respect what they’ve done for metal’s reach. More to the point: I run an independent metal site. So when a prominent metal band finally owns their own music after 26 years in the industry, I’m posting it.
On May 19, A7X announced they’ve purchased back the master recordings and rights to The Stage, The Stage (Deluxe Edition), and Live at the Grammy Museum from Capitol Records. Combined with the completion of their Warner deal — wrapped when Life Is But A Dream… came out in 2023 — the band is now fully independent. For the first time in their existence, they own everything.
Think about what that actually means. To get big in this industry, you sign away the rights to your own creative output. That’s the deal. And most artists — most bands — never make it back to the other side. The catalog sits with the label forever. A7X spent years under Warner, sued their way out via California’s seven-year rule, put The Stage out through Capitol, went back to Warner to finish the contract, and finally — after all of it — clawed their way to full ownership. That’s an almost unheard-of outcome. The music that made them is actually theirs now.
If you’ve got The Stage saved in any playlists, the band flagged it may need to be re-added as the rights transfer takes effect across streaming platforms.
It shouldn’t be this hard to own your own work. Good for them.
Source: Blabbermouth