No matter how much you think music is overpriced, there’s no going past Tool, who are selling copies of their latest album on vinyl for close to $1,000.
What’s the most you’ve ever spent on an album? Back in 2007, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor urged fans to steal his Year Zero album after he discovered that Aussie retailers were flogging it for over $30. Compared to the fact that copies of Prince’s unreleased The Black Album once went for over $42,000, that’s pretty much small potatoes.
However, the ire of high prices has now been focused towards US prog-metal icons Tool, who have received backlash from fans for the high price of their latest album.
Firstly, some backstory is relevant. It was in 2019 that Tool released Fear Inoculum, their first new record in 13 years. A powerful return to form, it was soon paired with a physical release which saw video screens being implemented alongside the CD version of the album. But – like their 10,000 Days album from 2006 – no vinyl version of the album was announced either.
Though they did promise vinyl was coming some time, it was only this week that fans were given an update, with Tool taking to Facebook for a rare message to fans in which they announced a limited release of the vinyl edition of their new record.
According to the message, the band themselves received a personal allotment of the ‘Ultra Deluxe’ version of Fear Inoculum, and decided to make them available to VIP ticketholders on their current US tour. Adding excitement to the mix, these special edition records are a 5xLP set, pressed onto single-sided vinyl (with an etching on the reverse of each), and autographed by the band.
Sounds great, right? How much would you expect to pay for a deal like this? $100? $150? $400? Try $810.
Love Metal?
Get the latest Metal news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
According to folks over on the Tool subreddit, the group are selling the record for $810 USD, with copies already making their way over to eBay and similar sites and selling for $2,000 USD.
Though many fans have been expressing their disappointment at the group for what seems like such a money grab, others are more understanding, explaining that it makes sense to have such a high price barrier for a limited edition, exclusive item, so as to (hopefully) deter scalpers and such.
Meanwhile, others still have simply said they’re planning to wait until April, when the projected release of the standard (and ostensibly, more affordable) version of the album is set to receive a global release.
In hindsight though, fans can’t really be too surprised by such a revelation in the world of Tool. After all, the band have been relatively transparent about making money in the past, and considering their current tour brought the inclusion of ‘Hooker With A Penis’ back into the setlist (complete with the lyrics: “Shut up and buy my new record/Send more money/Fuck you, buddy“), it should be no surprise at all.
Check out ‘Fear Inoculum’ by Tool:
