Former KISS Guitarist Vinnie Vincent Wants to Charge Fans $4,000 For His New Album

Being a fan of the extended KISS universe is an exhausting full-time job. Between Gene Simmons trying to trademark the air we breathe and Paul Stanley’s vocal cords actively protesting against him, there is never a dull moment. But just when you thought all the drama was reserved for the founders, former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent decided to enter the chat with a move so freakin’ bold, so audacious and so incredibly expensive that you have to laugh to keep from crying.

The Sticker Shock Behind Vinnie Vincent’s New Album

Here is the situation: The Ankh Warrior has returned, after not creating any original music for 20 years. However, (and that’s a huge however), entry to his world is going to cost you a literal arm and a leg. Wait. Huh?

Let’s rip the band-aid off. Vincent has released a new single titled “Ride the Serpent.” It is reportedly a cut from the mythical, long-awaited project “Judgement Day Guitarmageddon.” Naturally, fans are curious. It has been decades since the Vinnie Vincent Invasion made waves in 1996. The thirst for new material is there. However, if you want to actually own this song, you need to cough up $225. Right. 

What is the Cost?

Yes. You read that correctly. Your eyes didn’t deceive you. Two hundred and twenty-five American dollars. $225. For that price, you aren’t getting a vinyl box set, a meet-and-greet, a guitar pick, or even a lock of his hair. Nope. You are getting a one-track CD single. It comes in a plain envelope. Sure, it includes shipping and an autograph, but umm, that is a car payment for some people. An electric bill. That is a week’s worth of groceries for a family. It is objectively and abjectly wild behavior.

The 73-year old musician, citing modern problems with piracy and royalty payments, among other financial dilemmas, noted that each track’s price is justified. That’s $4050 for an 18-track release. When fans understandably pointed out that charging premium prices for a CD-R in an envelope is a bit rich, Vincent didn’t apologize. He doubled down.

Vinnie Vincent’s “Mad Max” Rant Against Fans

Vincent took to his message boards to defend the new album pricing with the energy of a man preparing for the apocalypse. He essentially argued that because we are living in a “Mad Max wasteland” of inflation and digital piracy, he has to charge exorbitant prices to protect his art.

According to Guitar Player, in a Facebook post, he indignantly stated in part: 

“There’s no money in record labels… they’re a dead end inside a dead end…AND THERE’S NO MONEY RELEASING A RECORD LIKE THIS with bootlegging thieves at my door. Unless I get compensated for my work, the album stays unheard. The praise from a fanbase is pointless unless I’m compensated FIRST.”

He accused modern fans of being “shoplifters” who want everything for free, claiming his music is so desired that it will be stolen immediately. While piracy is a legitimate issue for artists, preemptively punishing the people willing to buy your music seems like a backward strategy. He referred to fans as “whiners” and “b*tches” who spend money on influencer bathwater but won’t support a guitar legend. But hey, at least the whiners and b*tches are clean, right?

It is a bold strategy to insult the very people you want to open their wallets, but Vincent is standing his ground. He claims the song was originally going to be $300, so really, he is doing us a favor. A “discount” of sorts. Just wow. 

Is Vinnie Vincent’s New Album Worth It?

At the end of the day, an artist can charge whatever they want. It is actually their right. But as a consumer, you have the right to ask if the juice is worth the squeeze. Even if the oranges are solid gold. Vincent is a talented musician with a complicated legacy, but treating loyal fans like enemies because of “inflation” is a tough sell.

If the “Judgement Day Guitarmageddon” ever actually arrives in full, will the new album cost a mortgage? Or more than a mortgage? Only time will tell. For now, we will probably just stick to our Spotify playlists and save our cash for concert tickets, groceries and keeping the power and lights on.