Record Store Day—one of the few holidays that openly admits it’s all about buying things—is coming on April 16, and Metallica has been named the official ambassador of the day and its various festivities. Basically, that means Metallica is the Easter Bunny of Record Store Day this year, at least in terms of marketing. The band will be out there promoting record stores and putting its name on stuff, but sadly the members won’t be sneaking into your house at night and hiding brightly colored vinyl records everywhere. Well, they might, but not for Record Store Day.
As part of the celebration, Metallica and participating record stores will be partnering up with the Give For France charity to raise money for the victims of the November 13 terrorist attack in Paris, and the band will be releasing a special live album called Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité, Metallica! that was recorded at the Bataclan in 2003. Also, though it’s not officially tied to Record Store Day, Metallica will release remastered versions of Ride The Lightning and Kill ‘Em All on April 16, with both albums available on CD or vinyl and in ridiculous box sets that include demos, DVDs, lyric books, remixes, and live recordings.
Metallica’s Lars Ulrich wrote an essay on the importance of record stores that you can read here, and the whole band appeared in a video discussing Record Store Day and record stores in general that sits right on the line between “endearingly awkward” and “painfully awkward.” You can see that video below.
RSD 2016 Ambassador: Metallica from Record Store Day on Vimeo.