Around 12 Media in Denmark send an open letter to Volbeat explaining their decision to boycote the band’s new album. This came as a result of Volbeat refusing to to accredit Ekstra Bladet and Devilution for the band’s homecoming Copenhagen concert in Telia Parken in August 2017, while all the other media of the country were covering the specific show. There was no explanation for that ban but both of these outlets had previously written negative reviews of the group. Volbeat then allegedly blocked the same two publications when the band performed in Denmark this past June. Again, no reason was given for the move. Adding to that the band asked its record company, Universal, to refrain from sending out promotional copies of “Rewind, Replay, Rebound” to the same two media outlets.
As a result, nine publications — Devilution, Ekstra Bladet, Information, Politiken, Berlingske, Jyllands-Posten, Poplish, Blastbeat and Gaffa — have chosen not to cover the album. Together, they have written an open letter to Volbeat, explaining that the Danish media will not tolerate the band’s apparent lack of respect for a free and independent pressand that none of these media outlets will write about the band again until either the group, its record label, promoter Live Nation or management Q Prime lifts this perceived press ban. In the letter they quote Lars Ulrich, who once said that Metallica has always intivited the media to review the group’s albums and concerts and that he and his bandmates have never tried to interfere with what has been written about them.
