AVENGED SEVENFOLD have announced they are now "a fully independent band" after completing their deal with Warner Bros. following 26 years in the music industry. The Southern California metal heavyweights have also repurchased the master recordings and rights to their 2016 album The Stage from Capitol Records, marking a complete break from major label infrastructure.
With the acquisition, the deluxe edition of The Stage now includes the previously unavailable Live From Capitol Records Rooftop four-song performance. Fans may need to re-add the album to streaming playlists during the platform transition.
The move has been long in the making. Frontman M. Shadows had previously stated the band's desire for creative freedom: "We wanna make music whenever we want, put it out, we wanna surprise-release" without label constraints. The path to independence involved complex negotiations with Warner Bros. over master recordings and a California Labor Code seven-year provision, ultimately resolved when new label leadership engaged with the group.
As a fully independent act, AVENGED SEVENFOLD can now partner directly with distributors or streaming platforms, retaining complete creative control over the timing and format of future releases. To celebrate, the band is activating double streaming points for Deathbat Rewards members and noted that The Stage — which tackled AI, simulation theory, and existentialism in 2016 — remains more relevant than ever.