In keeping with Billboard, HATEBREED has responded to founding bassist Chris Beattie‘s (pictured above) lawsuit, claiming that he has no authorized foundation to sue over his dismissal from the veteran Connecticut hardcore/metallic band final yr.
In his authentic grievance, which was filed this previous July at Connecticut Superior Courtroom in New Haven, Beattie insisted that he was the “driving power behind [HATEBREED‘s] sound and id till his sudden and baseless expulsion” from the group final November. He additionally accused 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 choice to chop Beattie off from his profession, followers, touring, and substantial anticipated income.”
On September 25, HATEBREED and Jasta filed a movement to strike a few of Beattie‘s claims, calling the break up between the events a “backyard selection band break-up case” and referring to Beattie as “a disgruntled former band member” who “erroneously asserts a proper to stay a everlasting member” of HATEBREED “in perpetuity even if the underlying relationship between the events was terminable at-will.”
In keeping with the movement, which has been obtained by BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Beattie, Jasta and HATEBREED drummer Matthew Byrne “entered right into a Band merchandise settlement on or about September 25, 2015, which offered the three would every be entitled to 25% of the gross sales income from Band merchandise and two different Band members would every obtain 12.5% of the remaining gross sales income.”
Beattie “was terminated from his position within the Band on November 15, 2024,” in accordance with the movement, which provides that “[Beattie] wholly fails to allege that any settlement was concluded with HATEBREED, or HATEBREED‘s members, or that [Beattie] has an possession curiosity within the Band’s identify. Nor does [Beattie] allege that he has not obtained file or publishing royalties in reference to recording tasks that he labored on. [Beattie] claims [Jasta] and [Beattie] maintained an ‘implied settlement’ from the Band’s inception that [Beattie] can be an ‘equal co-owner’ and share within the Band’s income, royalties and rights. [Beattie‘s] grievance is devoid of any allegation HATEBREED maintained an settlement with [Beattie] regarding his standing with the Band or his entitlement to Band revenues. With no written settlement with a time period, [Beattie‘s] relationship with the Band was terminable at-will.”
HATEBREED‘s movement additionally addressed Beattie‘s declare that Jasta fired Beattie after citing “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.” In Beattie‘s grievance, he stated that “a Dwell 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 Dwell Nation worker and extra probably, she mistook him for another person.”
In HATEBREED‘s movement, the band’s lawyer wrote: “[Beattie] doesn’t allege [HATEBREED and Jasta] dedicated any wrongful conduct throughout the technique of terminating [Beattie‘s] participation within the Band. [Beattie] merely alleges [HATEBREED and Jasta] ‘abruptly terminated’ [Beattie] from his position within the Band ‘based mostly on unsupported and false allegations’ linked to the Dwell Nation incident which resulted in his ’emotional misery.’ Even when the Dwell Nation incident was ‘cited’ as a ‘false narrative’ for his termination, [Beattie‘s] allegations don’t quantity to a cognizable declare as a result of the incident merely preceded his termination — it was not linked with the termination course of itself.”
The movement provides: “[Beattie] claims he offered ‘decades-long contributions’ to the Band, and his share of the Band’s income is now being inequitably withheld by [HATEBREED and Jasta] following his termination. [Beattie‘s] unjust enrichment declare is insufficiently pled as a result of [Beattie] fails to allege he’s entitled to Band income in perpetuity after termination based mostly merely on his prior contributions to the Band.”
In his lawsuit, Beattie claimed that he “contributed important 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 added 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 income, royalties, and mental property rights.”
In keeping with Beattie, he and different band members “had no perception into how the cash” from HATEBREED merchandise gross sales “was managed, and most frequently obtained fee by way of wire transfers. These transfers typically got here with no clarification or breakdown of the quantity being transferred.”
The grievance went 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 house owners within the band. As well as, the three, together with band supervisor Steve Ross, performed a important 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 infrequently mentioned managerial choices akin to 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 follow that the three major band members be concerned in such decision-making and entitled to equal shares in income, in some unspecified time in the future 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 below 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 info confirming that the portion of the proceeds he obtained constituted 25% of gross sales as promised.”
Beattie went on to say that the fallout from his “termination has had a big detrimental affect on his profession, fame, and well being and well-being.” He additionally accused HATEBREED of continuous “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.”
This previous Could, Chris opened up about his departure from HATEBREED, telling Drew Stone of The New York Hardcore Chronicles Dwell!: “Clearly, the final yr was the thirtieth anniversary of the band, so we had huge stuff occurring for that, which was all utterly superb. We had an awesome 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 “utterly 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 stated earlier than publicly, it was not my choice to depart the band. Somebody noticed a possibility to get me out of the image, and that is the place I’m now.”
Beattie continued: “Every little thing went very 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 numerous questions, and it grew to become problematic. I grew to become an issue inside the [organization].”
Concerning the place he stood with HATEBREED proper now, Chris stated: “We’re making an attempt to work it out. There’s attorneys concerned now. They’re spending numerous time having to take care of 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 set 30 years into one thing like that. However I do not wanna shit on the legacy of what I did. And I might 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 occasions collectively. Issues modified. Dynamics modified.
“It is laborious to be away from your loved ones once you’re touring. Everybody understands that. And the suggestions from individuals once you play, you encourage them, you contact their life, you’ve a constructive, lasting affect on somebody, that at all times stored me within the sport. And when shit wasn’t going proper within the band and whatnot, you have a look at that man that is the realest shit you would presumably get. Folks 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 the very best,” Chris added. “Hopefully we’ll have the ability to type this out. I do not need us to go down some shitty highway. We have all seen bands try this, so hopefully it may finish on respectable phrases and have the ability to transfer forward.”
Requested if he thought there was any probability of him having the ability to work issues out with HATEBREED and return to the band, Beattie stated: “My time is finished with HATEBREED… It is completed. My household comes first. I am going to depart it at that. I am unable to 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 individuals know me from that band in every single place I’m going. You possibly can’t shake that type of shit. The id continues to be there. So it is good. It is laborious to speak about too, however right here we’re. New doorways open.”
When Beattie went public together with his departure from HATEBREED seven months in the past, he wrote in an announcement: “I simply wish to take the time to let everybody know that I’m doing simply nice and I sincerely admire everybody who has reached out.
“I used to be below the impression a joint announcement can be agreed upon prematurely, however since that was not the case I needed to deal with your issues in my very own submit.
“Presently I’m unable to debate the specifics surrounding my departure from HATEBREED on November 13, 2024. Nonetheless, I wish to make clear that the choice to depart the band was not mine and that my departure was uncalled for and based mostly on deceptive and wrongful statements that will likely be topic to future actions.”
This previous July, HATEBREED launched its first new music in practically 5 years, “Make The Demons Obey”. The observe was the primary style of latest HATEBREED materials after the group’s “Weight Of The False Self” album which got here out in 2020.
Photograph credit score: Jeremy Saffer
