Renowned metal giant Relapse Records has announced a partnership with pay-what-you-want provocateur Moshpit Tragedy to release their very own sliding-payment download series.

The deal, which will see one title from the Relapse catalog released digitally with a print-ready sleeve each week for the next twenty-four weeks, is the first of it's kind for a label of it's stature.

The price tag? Between $2.99 and $9.99 at your discretion.

"I remember reading an old interview with Matt Jacobson (Relapse Founder) where he talks about his label being his outlet, and that business should be creative." says Moshpit Tragedy Founder Rayny Forster "I feel the same way and I commend their effort to try something different. I think it's time more labels started getting their feet wet when it comes to trying new ideas."

Not to ruin any suprises, the entire release schedule will not be published, instead each title will be announced one week before its download date - but to let the cat out of the bag, a few of the bands included will be JUCIFER, BUZZ*OVEN, DECEASED, LENG TCH'E, BONGZILLA and HEMDALE.

"I really hope the fans take advantage of this," says Forster, "because if it works out there will be more Relapse titles issued this way in the future, and probably from other labels too. Maybe one day you will even be able to get a good majority of your music at a price that you decide."

Pay-what-you-want downloading first came under public light on October 10th, 2007 when RADIOHEAD, having fulfilled their contract with EMI, released their album In Rainbows as a digital download that customers could order for whatever price they saw fit. Although the album was only available for two months before being taken down and physical formats of the album were released, and even though most people paid nothing for the download (the average price from those who did pay was around $6 USD), pre-release sales alone were more profitable than the total sales of their previous effort, 2003's Hail to the Thief. One year after it's physical release, In Rainbows had sold three million digital and physical copies. Frontman Thom Yorke told Time Magazine, "I like the people at our record company, but the time is at hand when you have to ask why anyone needs one. And, yes, it probably would give us some perverse pleasure to say 'fuck you' to this decaying business model."

Inspired by Radiohead's idea, Canada's Moshpit Tragedy Records became the first label to make the switch to a full pay-what-you-want download model, releasing their first 8 digital albums on December 14th, 2007. In the past three years since making the switch their current model, Moshpit Tragedy has been joined by over 75 of the hardest working bands involved in the underground scene; AFTER THE BOMBS, AGRIMONIA, LEPER, PREYING HANDS, SKARP, OROKU, BALLAST. Some of them even reach legendary status; EXTREME NOISE TERROR, PHOBIA, MISERY, TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION, HIS HERO IS GONE, TRAGEDY, FROM ASHES RISE and AMEBIX (although their Monolith album has since been taken down for legal reasons).

Now entering it's fourth year of pay-what-you-want downloading, Moshpit Tragedy continues to release music on it's own imprint, as well as expanding to include entire catalogs from other choice labels as well. Also in the fold are Inimical Records and Feral Ward Records.

Relapse Records' Pay-What-You-Want Download Series officially begins August 5th with the digital issuing of This Comp Kills Fascists Vol. 1 which was originally released in 2008 and compiled by Scott Hull (PIG DESTROYER, AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED).

Clocking in at just under an hour, This Comp Kills Fascists Vol 1. features 51 songs from 14 grindcore/powerviolence bands including: AGENTS OF SATAN, WEEKEND NACHOS, KILL THE CLIENT, SPOONFUL OF VICODIN, MARUTA, INSECT WARFARE, SHITSTORM, MAN WILL DESTROY HIMSELF, Total Fucking Destruction, CHAINSAW TO THE FACE, MAGRUDERGRIND, WASTEOID and A.S.R.A. Also featured are the first four new tracks from BRUTAL TRUTH since their reforming in 2006.