Years after kneecapping his own effort at a comeback, Vinnie Vincent has resurfaced touting a revelatory comeback album which will only be released if enough fans purchase the lead single, "Ride the Serpent," for $200 a unit, plus shipping.

The former KISS guitarist says he needs at least 1,000 pre-orders of the single to follow through with the release of his Guitarmageddon album. He will only ship the CDs once he has received 1,000 orders. Each release will be autographed and numbered by Vincent himself. Get more information here.

"Guitarmageddon is one of the greatest rock albums of all time," Vincent wrote via Facebook. "I lived thru Meet the Beatles, Led Zeppelin II, Hendrix Are You Experienced, Jeff Beck Truth, Cream Wheels of Fire, Pink Floyd, etc... Guitarmageddon is a classic."

The new new songs feature Vincent on guitars and bass, former Vinnie Vincent Invasion singer Robert Fleischman on vocals and Kearny Jordan on drums.

In a lengthy reply to a Facebook comment, Vincent described his strategy as a way to prevent "premature pirating," and he compared each track "caviar or fine art."

He fired back at complaints about the exorbitant cost of the record: "...[Y]ou bitches cry and whine like f---ing babies when VV sells something at a price you don't like. Grow the f--- up! My price protects me from people like 'you' who will buy cheap from the theft of bootleggers."

Vincent has shared no clips of music from the record. And while one of his comments justifies his steep pricing as a necessary response in the face of the rise of A.I. art, he's also shared no fewer than nine A.I.-generated videos to promote "Ride the Serpent."

Vincent has promised to issues refunds via PayPal if he does not reach 1,000 pre-orders by February 28, 2026. He says he will shelve the entire project, which includes at least 18 more releases, if his pre-order goal is not met.

"They're the ones who will lose out," he added, of his detractors.

Vincent is best known for his work with KISS in the '80s. He joined the band as an official member for 1983's Lick It Up album, but parted ways soon thereafter due to a contract dispute.

His Vinnie Vincent Invasion band earned a cult following in the late-'80s, but Vincent largely disappeared from public life in the '90s. Numerous lawsuits with Kiss over royalties seemed to sour Vincent on the music business in the 2000s.

Late last decade, Vincent appeared primed for a comeback, shocking fans by appearing at several meet-and-greet events. Vincent even scheduled comeback shows in Nashville but pulled the plug due to a disagreement with the promoter.

Drummer Carmine Appice, who was advertised as a member of Vincent's comeback band, said he felt the aborted comeback shows were Vincent's last chance at salvaging his reputation. "Nobody's gonna care anymore" if Vincent tried to run it back after the debacle, Appice said.

Russ "Whip" Rose

Whip Talks