Metallica Buys Majority Interest In Vinyl Record Company

Metallica has bought a majority interest in Furnace Record Pressing, the Virginia company that has manufactured more than five million vinyl records for the band.

“We couldn’t be more happy to take our partnership with Furnace to the next level,” said Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, in a release. “Their indie spirit, the passion they have for their craft… culturally we’re kindred souls.”

Frontman James Hetfield added: “Furnace has been great to Metallica and more importantly to our fans. This deepened relationship between Metallica and Furnace ensures that fans of vinyl everywhere, particularly our Fifth Members, will have continued access to high quality records in the future.”

Furnace, which bills itself as one of the largest record pressing companies in the U.S., boasts 14 presses that allow it to produce more than 25,000 records a day. For Metallica, it has made editions of Kill ‘Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, …And Justice For All, Metallica (The Black Album) and S&M2. 

In a statement shared on Instagram, founder and CEO Eric Astor insisted “everything stays the same” under the deal. “Furnace and Metallica are committed to continuous improvement and growth,” he wrote.