For whatever reason, music and gaming seem inextricably linked – especially in 2024. Just look at Fortnite – which has artists from J Balvin to Travis Scott as playable characters – or Call of Duty: Warzone – which recently began allowing players to drop into the battlefield as Nicki Minaj.

It shouldn’t be that surprising, then, that bands are beginning to take a leaf out of the gaming playbook in turn.

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Case in point: Huntington Beach metal titans Avenged Sevenfold have just introduced Season Pass – a direct-to-fan loyalty platform which offers the band’s most devoted fans certain perks. How does it work? Just think of the Battle Passes in Fortnite and Call of Duty

Not a gamer? The idea is that by “participating” in the band’s ecosystem – via attending concerts, streaming music and buying merch, for example – fans are rewarded with points that can be used to unlock tiered rewards including collectibles, merchandise, unreleased music and real-life experiences.

And to take it a step further – in a web3-style approach – once fans unlock these rewards, they fully own them, meaning they are free to trade, sell or redeem them as they wish. In terms of how this could work in practice, if a fan earns the chance to attend a meet and greet with the band but can’t attend, they can sell that opportunity to someone who can.

There are 25 levels of rewards in the programme, with everything from digital collectibles in the lower tiers to free tickets, meet and greets and even the chance to  hear unreleased music in the higher tiers. Points earned add up as fans advance through the levels.

Season Pass launches tomorrow (6 March) – as Avenged Sevenfold begin the second leg of their Life Is But A Dream… tour, and fans can begin earning points via NFC chips included in merch packages, and Ticketmaster digital stubs.

To sign up, download any digital wallet (Metamask, Coinbase, for example), and connect the wallet and opt in at avengedsevenfold.io. From here, you can begin collecting points.

This is the next big move by Avenged Sevenfold in using the blockchain to nurture a stronger bond between the band and its fanbase. Back in 2021, they launched the Deathbats Club, an NFT-based community where digital collectible holders can access real-world utility, like free tickets, meet and greets and more.

In other news, the band recently launched Looking Inside, a VR concert experience powered by AmazeVR for Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest. Placing fans directly in the room with the band, the 26-minute virtual reality concert features some of the band’s biggest hits, Hail to the King and Nightmare, as well as cuts from their new record, Nobody, (D)eath, and Mattel.

​​“We’re giving Avenged Sevenfold fans a perfect moment frozen in time,” says Steve Lee, AmazeVR CEO and Co-Founder. “Our technology allows app goers to preserve and experience the highest quality and detailed performance over and over again. We knew that Avenged Sevenfold was the perfect choice to debut our rock genre, they are constantly challenging the norm, experimenting with new technology, all to prioritise connecting with their fans.”

“Being able to combine the best aspects of what a live show and technology offers is what excites us the most about our VR concert, and what we’ve created with the two is pretty compelling,” adds M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold. “Lots of our fans already know the intricacies of our performances, but I think they’re going to be blown away when they can get closer than ever before.”

Check out the trailer for Looking Inside below:

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