November 30, 2012, could prove to be a historic day for Metallica. Today, the veteran rock band announced it had reached a deal with Warner Music Group to take back ownership of all their master recordings.
"We would like to thank everyone at the Warner Music Group for 28 years of a fantastic relationship, particularly since 1994 where we truly felt we had partners in every aspect of our business in North America," stated the band's frontman James Hetfield.
Coinciding with the transfer in ownership of the masters, Metallica has also announced the launch of their own record label, Blackend Recordings. The new label will serve as a home for all the group's recordings.
"It's always been about control for us as a band," said Metallica's Lars Ulrich. "Forming Blackened Recordings is the ultimate in independence, giving us 100% control and putting us in the driver's seat of our own creative destiny."
The first release from the label will be the concert DVD, Quebec Magnetic set for release on Dec. 10.