Former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent is doubling down on his controversial pricing strategy for new music, this time by putting a US$500 price tag on each upcoming CD single.
Per Rolling Stone, Vincent – who played with KISS in the early ’80s and later formed Vinnie Vincent Invasion – recently responded to fan gripes over the steep cost of his limited-release disc Ride the Serpent (originally released at around US$200 plus $25 shipping).
He announced on social media that more singles are on the way under what he’s calling the MASTER SERIES. These releases include tracks like “Forbidden” (with Vincent on vocals), “Gypsy in Her Eyes” (a new take with rewritten lyrics), “Back on the Streets”, and “Unconditional”.
Each will be issued as a CD single, with prices set at up to $500 for both US and international buyers – a move he claims helps protect the music from piracy.
The approach hasn’t exactly soothed critics. Fans balked at the high prices for the first single, prompting Vincent to defend himself fiercely online, saying that if they value his work they should be prepared to pay for it, dismissing complaints from those who think the cost is unfair.
All of these songs are slated to be part of the long-teased Judgment Day Guitarmageddon album – his first full-length project since the 1996 Euphoria EP.
But Vincent’s own comments suggest the project may never see a traditional release if fan backing isn’t strong enough. He’s repeatedly said he may scrap the album entirely rather than bend on how he wants to sell it.
Vincent has also made it clear he has no plans for digital streaming, insisting his music will only be available on CD and vinyl, and has criticised fans who have shared leaked demos of Guitarmageddon material over the years.
After his time with KISS, where he took on the “Ankh Warrior” persona, Vincent kept mostly out of the public eye until re-emerging at the Atlanta KISS Expo in 2018.
