The rise of limited-time digital bonus tracks is quickly becoming metal’s latest marketing play, and Black Label Society are the newest band to lean into the trend with their upcoming album Engines Of Demolition.
The band’s digital deluxe edition includes two exclusive cuts “Broken Pieces (Unblackened)” and “Back To Me (Unblackened)” – but there’s a catch: the version is only available to pre-order until 12:00am on March 26, just hours before the album’s official release on March 27.
It’s a move that mirrors a similar tactic recently employed by Lamb Of God, who offered the bonus track “Wire” tied to their Into Oblivion release. Which I’m not entirely sure the fans understood, as Lamb Of God had to issue a statement explaining the matter. Some comments on the Black Label Society bonus tracks include:
- Why are we only releasing extra tracks on digital? I own zero digital music. Physical is the only way to go. Come on make a cd or vinyl with the Bonus tracks. Lamb of god did the same thing only digital.
- Glad I f*ckin preordered the standard version because it was the only version available to preorder. NEVER AGAIN
Traditionally, bonus tracks were the domain of physical formats, often used to offset higher production costs or incentivize collectors. But in today’s streaming-first landscape, the strategy has shifted.
To their credit, Black Label Society haven’t ignored physical collectors. A limited vinyl edition of Engines Of Demolition includes a bonus 7″ featuring two different exclusives: “Name In Blood (Unblackened)” and “Lord Humungus (Unblackened).”
Still, that hasn’t stopped frustration from creeping in. Fans who shell out for premium vinyl packages often feel short-changed when separate digital editions offer additional content – especially when those extras are time-restricted. For many, the expectation is simple: buy the physical product, get the full experience.
And more importantly, I know it’s tough out there and everyone is trying to get by. But let’s not take the enshittification route and start to turn the format of albums (in the digital landscape, anyway – vinyl variants are a whole different thing) on its head just to turn a few bucks for a few artists, yeah?
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