Vinnie Vincent has adjusted the price of his limited-edition 'Ride the Serpent' CD single to $225 for US buyers—down from an initial $300—while defending the cost as essential protection against piracy. Describing the 500 copies as exclusive 'collection pieces' with handwritten autographs, he likens the release to caviar or fine art amid ongoing fan criticism.
Following the December 1 announcement of 'Ride the Serpent'—his first original music in over 20 years as part of the Vinnie Vincent Invasion and upcoming album Judgement Day Guitarmageddon—Vincent has updated the pricing and sales model for the 500 limited-edition CDs, each numbered and autographed by hand. Originally positioned as a preorder requiring full sell-out of 1,000 units, the US price is now $225 and the single is available for purchase immediately.
Addressing backlash in a new statement, Vincent reiterated that high pricing is a 'double-edged sword' necessitated by his music's desirability: 'My situation is as such that my music is so desired that it will be targeted and taken from me immediately, which I cannot/will not allow.' He dismissed 'fair market price' concerns as outdated in a 'Mad Max wasteland' music industry plagued by inflation, theft, and lack of artist protections, insisting creators set their own standards.
Vincent called the release 'the best designer drug on the market,' worth 'every fucking penny,' and honored by its covetability. The controversy echoes his earlier sharp responses to fans urging them to 'grow the fuck up.'
Separately, Vincent's ex-KISS bandmates received Kennedy Center Honors from Donald Trump, with Gene Simmons testifying on low royalties for musicians.