Metallica, Robert Plant, Mastodon offer Record Store Day specials

Metallica, Robert Plant and Mastodon are the latest acts to confirm special releases for this year’s Record Store Day.

The annual event takes place on April 18 and aims to offer additional reasons to visit independent retail outlets on the day.

Metallica will launch a reissues series with an exact replica of demo cassette tape No Life ’Til Leather, recorded in July 1982 and featuring frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich along with future Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine and bassist Ron McGovney. It carries six tracks including Hit The Lights, Seek & Destroy, Metal Militia and Phantom Lord.

Ulrich tells Rolling Stone: “It’s time for us to put out some next-level reissues and do the song and dance of the catalogue that everyone else has done. Instead of starting with Kill ‘Em All in 1983, we figured we’d go back another two years to when the band was formed.”

The RSD special will be followed by an expanded edition in the summer.

Led Zeppelin icon Plant has prepared a 10-inch vinyl EP containing three tracks recorded live during his world tour in support of solo album Lullaby And… The Ceaseless Roar. Entitled More Roar, it includes Turn It Up and Arbaden on the A side, with a medley of Poor Howard and Zep classic Whole Lotta Love on the B side.

Mastodon will release a picture-disc edition of their track Atlanta, previously only available via the Adult Swim Single Series. Featuring vocals by the Butthole Surfers’ Gibby Haynes, it’s backed by an instrumental version of the track which has not been released before.

In addition, Alligator Records will release a vinyl Johnny Winter album entitled It’s My Life Baby, featuring the best of the late bluesman’s works with the label during his tenure there from 1984 to 1986.

Slayer have already confirmed the launch of their single When Stillness Comes, while Stone Sour’s covers EP Meanwhile In Burbank… will also be made available on April 18. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl was last month confirmed as RSD’s ambassador.

Full details of the event’s specials will be confirmed on the official website in due course.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.