Megadeth enters Web3 with “Rattleheads” NFT Collection
Iconic thrash metal band Megadeth have joined the Web3 world with the launch of a new NFT collection. The “Rattleheads” collection, based on Megadeth’s mascot Vic Rattlehead, encompasses the band’s rich 40-year history through generative themes and imagery.
Megadeth’s NFT collection inspired by the band’s mascot
Web3 has welcomed another recognized member from the music scene, Megadeth. The 40-year-old thrash metal band has joined “the future of the internet” by launching its own non-fungible token (NFT) generative art collection “Rattleheads”.
Created by Five to One Collective and Upper Echelon Studios, the collection was inspired by Megadeth’s popular Cyber Army fan club involving “mission deployment mechanics” and a wide range of additional tools expected to arrive in the future. The announcement came on the 61st birthday of the band’s frontman, Dave Mustain.
Rattleheads includes classic themes and imagery based on Megadeth’s 4-decade history as one of the most influential metal bands in the world. The collection is named after Megadeth’s skeleton mascot Vic Rattlehead.
But Megadeth’s foray into the Web3 world shouldn’t come as a surprise given that the band has often tried to use technology to promote its music. The band sees NFTs as a unique opportunity to strengthen the relationship with the fans.
“For as long as Megadeth has been a band, I’ve made sure we led the charge. Our first album set the standard for thrash metal. We were the first band to have a website. Our Cyber Army fan club was started in 1994. Our 2016 album Dystopia came with a full Virtual Reality experience.”
– Dave Mustaine
The rise of Web3 technology represents a “perfect” moment for Megadeth to “connect directly with our fans,” Mustaine added. The band’s new album “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!” sold 48,000 album copies in the US in its first week, ranking it at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.
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Celebrities continue to bet on NFTs despite market downturn
With the launch of Rattleheads, Megadeth becomes the latest music figure to join the NFT space. Earlier this year, the singer-songwriter became chief brand officer for NFT project Doodles, which was valued at $704 million this week after raising $54 million in a Series A funding round.
In April, hip-hop superstar Snoop Dogg dropped Death Row Session: Vol. 2 as an NFT. All 1,000 copies included in the release sold for around 100 Ether, which was worth more than $300,000 at the time.
The NFT market has seen a significant decline in activity this year due to a steep selloff in the broader crypto market. However, the industry continues to attract interest from celebrities and institutional investors, betting on the market’s long-term potential.
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What is your favorite music-themed NFT collection? Let us know in the comments below.
About the author
Tim Fries is the co-founder of The Tokenist. He has a B. Sc. in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Tim served as a Senior Associate in the investment team at RW Baird’s US Private Equity division and is also a co-founder of Protective Technologies Capital, an investment firm specializing in sensing, protection and control solutions.
