One word sums it up: ironic. Metallica fought an open war against the illegal download of its music online. It famously accused Napster of being pirates.
Now, Metallica is prohibiting the sale of its new DVD in stores and selling it only online. Français Pour Une Nuit (French For A Night) is an 18-song live concert DVD the group recorded in Nimes, France in 2009.
The irony is that the group has hailed music stores as saviours of the music industry for the last 10 years. Now the group is turning its back on them.
Music stores can sell the album, but only via their website. They can order the album for their inventory until midnight tonight. After that, only virtual stores will be able to do so.
This restriction is a condition in the deal signed between Metallica and UMGI (Universal Music Group International).