Some Kind of Backtracking | Oh so quietly, anti-MP3ers Metallica have snuck their entire catalog onto iTunes. Although their full albums were already downloadable through other outlets, the band has suddenly reversed its position on not "contribut[ing] to the demise of the album format" and made individual songs available for purchase, too.

Some Kind of Backtracking | Oh so quietly, anti-MP3ers Metallica have snuck their entire catalog onto iTunes. Although their full albums were already downloadable through other outlets, the band has suddenly reversed its position on not "contribut[ing] to the demise of the album format" and made individual songs available for purchase, too. Perhaps when they realized that no one was going to spring for Load in its entirety. Ahh, this sure takes us back to the heady early '00s, when those retarded bastards not only made themselves the faces of the scary and vengeful music industry by suing Napster, but thought it was pretty savvy to let pee-wee drama queen Lars Ulrich report the names of 10,000 Napster users to a California court-a move that will forever peg him as the douchiest of drumming douchebags (even trumping the guy from No Doubt). Thus, the fun version of Napster died, and our acquisition of the entire James Brown catalog was halted before we made it to the Scottie Bros. recordings (we certainly aren't going to pay for that nutty shit). On the bright side, Metallica was able to keep raking in millions and treat themselves to pricey therapy/rehab and tacky artwork (because Ulrich's shitter simply wouldn't be complete without that third Basquiat). Of course, no Metallica item can end without a final whimper from the boys-their music will not be sold on iTunes outside of the States and Canada "due to the fact that our record company overseas doesn't seem to want to play ball with us on this at the moment." Aww boohoohoo, why don't you gripe about it to a Congressional panel, sniff sniff? Helpful hint: Imply that the record company is run by Saudis who are also gay and they'll take care of that shit for you ASAP. | Kimberly Faulhaber & Sarah Lenzini