In accordance with Billboard and Law360, HATEBREED‘s founding bassist Chris Beattie has filed a lawsuit in opposition to the band, claiming he was the “driving power behind [HATEBREED‘s] sound and identification till his sudden and baseless expulsion” from the group final November.
The grievance, which was filed at Connecticut Superior Court docket in New Haven and which has been obtained by BLABBERMOUTH.NET, additionally accuses HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta (actual identify: James Shanahan) of displaying “more and more erratic” habits within the months main as much as Chris‘s “abrupt termination”, “culminating in a unilateral determination to chop Beattie off from his profession, followers, touring, and substantial anticipated income.”
Within the lawsuit, Beattie claims that he “contributed vital labor, musical expertise, recording and administration duties, promotion, and monetary assets, with out which HATEBREED wouldn’t and couldn’t have achieved its present degree of recognition and profitability.” He provides that “the band functioned pursuant to a longstanding, implied settlement and understanding that Shanahan and Beattie have been equal co-owners within the band and entitled to their designated share of earnings, royalties, and mental property rights.”
In September 2015, Shanahan, Beattie and drummer Matthew Byrne entered into an settlement in regards to the distribution of proceeds from the sale of HATEBREED merchandise, in keeping with the grievance. Underneath the merchandise settlement, “Beattie, Byrne, and Shanahan agreed they have been every entitled to 25% of the gross sales and income from merchandise whereas the opposite two members of the band obtained 12.5%, accounting for the remaining 25% of gross sales,” the lawsuit reads. “Shanahan and/or band supervisor Steve Ross maintained a particular HATEBREED checking account and managed the band’s revenue and distributions to different members, together with Beattie.”
In accordance with Beattie, he and different band members “had no perception into how the cash was managed, and most frequently obtained cost through wire transfers. These transfers usually got here with no clarification or breakdown of the quantity being transferred.”
The grievance goes on to say that “HATEBREED continued to function in accordance with the longstanding implied settlement and understanding the first members, together with Shanahan, Beattie, and Byrne, have been co-equal homeowners within the band. As well as, the three, together with band supervisor Steve Ross, performed a vital position in all main decision-making on behalf of the band. For instance, every of Shanahan, Beattie, Byrne and Ross have been accountable for and sometimes mentioned managerial selections resembling how a lot different band members have been paid for sure reveals, reserving and scheduling, distribution, and the band’s public picture and branding, amongst different issues. Regardless of this understanding and observe that the three main band members be concerned in such decision-making and entitled to equal shares in earnings, sooner or later Shanahan grew to become extra secretive with respect to decision-making and the band’s funds.”
Previous to his termination, Beattie claims that he “started to note that there have been substantial delays in receiving his share of merchandise gross sales following HATEBREED performances. When Beattie did obtain funds purporting to mirror his share of merchandise gross sales, these funds have been considerably decrease than what he anticipated underneath the merchandise settlement. Due to this, Beattie started requesting monetary details about the band from Shanahan. Regardless of his repeated requests in 2023 and 2024, Beattie by no means obtained any monetary data confirming that the portion of the proceeds he obtained constituted 25% of gross sales as promised.”
In accordance with Beattie, he was notified final November by Shanahan that he was “terminated” from his position as HATEBREED‘s bassist. “Beattie‘s termination adopted weeks of erratic habits by Shanahan, together with berating and belittling tour and street crew and publicly posting about being pressured, burned out, and customarily having an excessive amount of on his plate,” the lawsuit claims. “In terminating Beattie from the band, Shanahan cited to an alleged incident that occurred on or round November 9, 2024 simply previous to a HATEBREED live performance on the Toyota Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Connecticut. There, a Reside Nation safety guard on the venue falsely reported that Beattie had harassed her upon getting into the theater previous to his efficiency. These allegations have been patently unfaithful. Beattie by no means harassed any Reside Nation worker and extra probably, she mistook him for another person.
“Regardless of Beattie‘s denying the incident, Shanahan abruptly terminated Beattie from HATEBREED, regardless of his thirty-year tenure within the band and the implied settlement that he would stay a part of HATEBREED. Shanahan had no justified motive for Beattie‘s termination. Shanahan had structured a false narrative about Beattie — not supported by any proof — to different band members following the Oakdale present in an effort to discredit Beattie‘s status and persuade the opposite band members to justify Shanahan‘s need to kick Beattie out of the band.”
Beattie goes on to say that the fallout from his “termination has had a major destructive influence on his profession, status, and well being and well-being.” He additionally accuses HATEBREED of constant “to promote merchandise utilizing Beattie‘s likeness in its on-line retailer. HATEBREED and Shanahan additionally proceed to advertise the band utilizing Beattie‘s likeness. For instance, as of the date of this submitting Beattie remains to be featured prominently on HATEBREED‘s profile image for its Instagram account, and Beattie seems on HATEBREED‘s web site and social media pages.”
Beattie is in search of monetary damages from HATEBREED and Jasta — together with compensatory damages and damages for emotional misery — saying that he has been reduce off from touring earnings and has misplaced model offers since being ousted.
This previous Might, Chris opened up about his departure from HATEBREED, telling Drew Stone of The New York Hardcore Chronicles Reside!: “Clearly, the final yr was the thirtieth anniversary of the band, so we had large stuff occurring for that, which was all fully wonderful. We had an incredible yr. Excursions, reveals have been profitable, after which we soar to proper now the place I am not within the band anymore.”
Chris went on to say that his exit from HATEBREED was “fully surprising. We had simply celebrated 30 years,” he defined. “It was superior. Profitable tour. Left on a excessive notice. We did nice stuff. And like I mentioned earlier than publicly, it was not my determination to go away the band. Somebody noticed a chance to get me out of the image, and that is the place I’m now.”
Beattie continued: “All the things went rather well that yr, however there was stuff occurring behind the scenes, and it grew to become a chore to get in contact with anybody. And I used to be the center man, mainly, for bandmembers and crew members, and that grew to become a chore for me. And I had began asking a whole lot of questions, and it grew to become problematic. I grew to become an issue inside the [organization].”
Relating to the place he stood with HATEBREED proper now, Chris mentioned: “We’re attempting to work it out. There’s attorneys concerned now. They’re spending a whole lot of time having to cope with that and all the main points of that. And I’ve gone forwards and backwards.
“Clearly, when one thing like that occurs, you are upset,” he continued. “You undergo all these loopy feelings. You place 30 years into one thing like that. However I do not wanna shit on the legacy of what I did. And I could possibly be that man. I may come out right here and I may discuss all types of shit, however I do not need [to]… I do not wanna be that man. We made good music. We had nice instances collectively. Issues modified. Dynamics modified.
“It is exhausting to be away from your loved ones if you’re touring. Everybody understands that. And the suggestions from folks if you play, you encourage them, you contact their life, you may have a optimistic, lasting influence on somebody, that all the time saved me within the sport. And when shit wasn’t going proper within the band and whatnot, you take a look at that man that is the realest shit you could possibly presumably get. Individuals would come as much as us on a regular basis and be, like, ‘Man, I used to be able to kill myself. And your music modified me.’ How do you reply to that? It is actual deep shit.
“So I am simply hoping for one of the best,” Chris added. “Hopefully we’ll be capable to kind this out. I do not need us to go down some shitty street. We have all seen bands do this, so hopefully it may finish on respectable phrases and be capable to transfer forward.”
Requested if he thought there was any probability of him with the ability to work issues out with HATEBREED and return to the band, Beattie mentioned: “My time is finished with HATEBREED… It is achieved. My household comes first. I am going to go away it at that. I can not return to that. However there’s a legacy. With on a regular basis that I have not been within the band now, which, it is bizarre to say, however folks know me from that band all over the place I’m going. You may’t shake that form of shit. The identification remains to be there. So it is good. It is exhausting to speak about too, however right here we’re. New doorways open.”
When Beattie went public along with his departure from HATEBREED 5 months in the past, he wrote in an announcement: “I simply need to take the time to let everybody know that I’m doing simply positive and I sincerely admire everybody who has reached out.
“I used to be underneath the impression a joint announcement can be agreed upon prematurely, however since that was not the case I needed to handle your considerations in my very own put up.
“At the moment I’m unable to debate the specifics surrounding my departure from HATEBREED on November 13, 2024. Nevertheless, I need to make clear that the choice to go away the band was not mine and that my departure was uncalled for and primarily based on deceptive and wrongful statements that will probably be topic to future actions.”
Earlier this month, HATEBREED launched its first new music in practically 5 years, “Make The Demons Obey”. The monitor was the primary style of recent HATEBREED materials after the group’s “Weight Of The False Self” album which got here out in 2020.
This previous April, HATEBREED introduced it was resurrecting the annual “Summer season Slaughter” tour for 2025, which kicked off on July 8 in St. Petersburg, Florida and ran by July 28 in Grand Rapids.
Final month, HATEBREED guitarist Wayne Lozinak left the band’s European tour following a mind tumor prognosis. He’ll endure a craniotomy — a surgical process that includes opening the cranium to entry the mind — on August 4.
Within the meantime, HATEBREED has continued its European and American excursions, with touring bassist Matt Bachand of SHADOWS FALL stepping in on guitar, and Carl Schwartz of FIRST BLOOD and TERROR becoming a member of the group on bass duties.
Lozinak has been a key a part of HATEBREED‘s sound since rejoining the band in 2009.
Photograph credit score: Jeremy Saffer
