Vinnie Vincent, who played guitar for Kiss from 1982 to 1984 and hasn’t released any new music in 30 years, says he’s completed a new album, Guitarmageddon. “It’s been a long time in the making,” he wrote on the website for his band, the Vinnie Vincent Invasion. “I am very proud of this very special album.” It’s so special, in fact, that hearing the album will cost you $2 million.
So what does a couple mil buy you? Apparently, the option to subsidize your purchase price by releasing the album. “[The price] includes 10 songs mixed in master, final product format, all the master files of the artwork, related posters, and 10 separate vinyl and CD packaging art for each individual song, should the buyer choose to release the album on a per-song basis,” he writes. “The buyer can choose to release the entire album in any format they desire … vinyl, CD, or any other configuration, in whole or in part, at their discretion.”
The caveat, though, is that Vincent maintains the right to approve marketing plans, and the purchaser doesn’t get any rights to his name or likeness. (But those rights are on the table for the right price.)
But if the cost of the whole thing is too expensive, Vincent is offering each of the 10 tracks pro rata. So if you wanted to own only, say, “Heavy Metal Poontang” or “Cockteazer,” they’re yours for $200,000 each. “All terms and conditions listed above regarding the album will apply to each song,” Vincent said.
Vincent accepts Paypal, and all sales are final. “Expect up to a four-week customs delay in delivery,” the site says, noting, “hard drive containing the ten masters will be shipped within two weeks of completion of the purchase.” Apparently, demand is high, because the store on Vincent’s website says there are “few left” copies of Guitarmageddon.
Last year, Vincent shocked fans by selling CD singles of a song called “Ride the Serpent” for $225 a pop. When fans balked at the price, Vincent shot back at them in Facebook comments. “If you like what I do, then support the artist,” he said. “You bitch because it’s one song? This one song is worth more than most entire albums. Consider yourself lucky that it’s only $200, and that it’s autographed yet. It was originally $300, but with the economy suffering as it is, I made it $200. If you don’t like it… That’s your problem, not mine.”
“Ride the Serpent” was Vincent’s first new music since he released an EP, Euphoria, in 1996. Around that time, Vincent also started hyping up Guitarmageddon. “GUITARMAGEDDON is escapism on steroids,” he wrote to fans. “So it comes down to this; if the fan support is not there which it does not appear to be, this record will not be released. Am I fine with that? Absolutely. 100%. It will be the greatest album of all time, never to be heard, never to be released.”
The musician played uncredited lead guitar on several tracks of Kiss’ 1982 album, Creatures of the Night, and officially assumed the six-string role for 1983’s Lick It Up album. He left the band the following year and embarked on a solo career.
Vincent’s $2 million price tag is the same amount that Martin Shrkelli paid for the Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin in 2015, but only half what a group called PleasrDAO paid for the same record in 2021. One big difference is, nobody was allowed to copy or distribute the Wu-Tang album.
Guitarmageddon Track List:
1. “Invincible”
2. “Heavy Metal Poontang”
3. “Cockteazer”
4. “Rocks on Fire”
5. “Youngblood”
6. “Euphoria”
7. “Full Shredd”
8. “Get the Led Out”
9. “Wild Child”
10. “Ride the Serpent”
Steve Cohen*
