ANNOUNCEMENT

Avenged Sevenfold Regains Master Recordings And Rights

May 20, 2026 at 1:18 pm · 2 min read

THE ANNOUNCEMENT

Avenged Sevenfold bought back the masters to *The Stage* from Capitol Records and walked away from Warner after 26 years ^*. They're fully independent now — no label overhead, no corporate interference, and full control over an album that tackled AI and simulation theory back in 2016 when most bands were still writing breakup songs ^*. The timing matters: *The Stage* turns ten this year, and the themes hit harder in 2026 than they did at release ^*.

THE DETAILS

Purchased master recordings and rights to *The Stage*, *The Stage Deluxe Edition*, and *Live At The Grammy Museum* from Capitol ^*^†
Completed their Warner deal with *Life Is But A Dream* in June 2023 ^*
*The Stage Deluxe Edition* now includes a four-song Live From Capitol Records Rooftop performance ^*
Warner sued the band for $5–10 million in late 2015 after they invoked California's seven-year labor rule; legal fees hit $1.5 million by 2018 ^*
Capitol surprise-released *The Stage* in October 2016 with a rooftop concert; it debuted at number four with 76,000 copies sold — their lowest first-week sales in eleven years ^*

WHY IT MATTERS

COMEBACK. M. Shadows said Warner stopped caring during *Hail To The King* — "everyone's on their phone" at playbacks — and they're the only band who released an album mid-litigation over that seven-year clause ^*. Buying back masters is rare for a metal band at this level, and doing it while the album's themes about AI and simulation are more relevant than ever makes this more than a business move.

Source Articles:
^* AVENGED SEVENFOLD Is Now 'A Fully Independent Band' — Blabbermouth, Blabbermouth, 2026-05-19T20:01:55+00:00 — https://blabbermouth.net/news/avenged-sevenfold-is-now-a-fully-independent-band
^† Avenged Sevenfold regain master recordings and rights to “The Stage” and “Live At The Grammy Museum' — Lambgoat, 2026-05-20T07:06:00+00:00 — https://lambgoat.com/news/53149/avenged-sevenfold-regain-master-recordings-and-rights-to-the-stage-and-live-at-the-grammy-museum/