In response to 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 12 months.
In his authentic criticism, which was filed this previous July at Connecticut Superior Court docket 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” conduct 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 supposing the underlying relationship between the events was terminable at-will.”
In response to 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 supplied 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 keeping 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 report 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] could be an ‘equal co-owner’ and share within the Band’s income, royalties and rights. [Beattie‘s] criticism 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 criticism, he mentioned that “a Stay Nation safety guard on the venue falsely reported that Beattie had harassed her upon getting into the theater previous to his efficiency. These allegations had been patently unfaithful. Beattie by no means harassed any Stay Nation worker and extra doubtless, she mistook him for another person.”
In HATEBREED‘s movement, the band’s legal professional 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 ‘primarily based on unsupported and false allegations’ related to the Stay Nation incident which resulted in his ’emotional misery.’ Even when the Stay 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 related with the termination course of itself.”
The movement provides: “[Beattie] claims he supplied ‘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 primarily based merely on his prior contributions to the Band.”
In his lawsuit, Beattie claimed 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 stage of recognition and profitability.” He added that “the band functioned pursuant to a longstanding, implied settlement and understanding that Shanahan and Beattie had been equal co-owners within the band and entitled to their designated share of income, royalties, and mental property rights.”
In response to Beattie, he and different band members “had no perception into how the cash” from HATEBREED merchandise gross sales “was managed, and most frequently obtained cost by way of wire transfers. These transfers usually got here with no rationalization or breakdown of the quantity being transferred.”
The criticism 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, had been co-equal house owners within the band. As well as, the three, together with band supervisor Steve Ross, performed a crucial position in all main decision-making on behalf of the band. For instance, every of Shanahan, Beattie, Byrne and Ross had been answerable for and sometimes mentioned managerial choices equivalent to how a lot different band members had 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 apply that the three major band members be concerned in such decision-making and entitled to equal shares in income, sooner or later Shanahan turned 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 replicate his share of merchandise gross sales, these funds had 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.”
Beattie went on to say that the fallout from his “termination has had a major damaging 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 Might, Chris opened up about his departure from HATEBREED, telling Drew Stone of The New York Hardcore Chronicles Stay!: “Clearly, the final 12 months was the thirtieth anniversary of the band, so we had massive stuff happening for that, which was all utterly superb. We had a fantastic 12 months. Excursions, reveals had been profitable, after which we leap to proper now the place I am not within the band anymore.”
Chris went on to say that his exit from HATEBREED was “utterly sudden. We had simply celebrated 30 years,” he defined. “It was superior. Profitable tour. Left on a excessive observe. We did nice stuff. And like I mentioned earlier than publicly, it was not my choice 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: “Every part went very well that 12 months, however there was stuff happening behind the scenes, and it turned a chore to get in contact with anybody. And I used to be the center man, mainly, for bandmembers and crew members, and that turned a chore for me. And I had began asking plenty of questions, and it turned problematic. I turned an issue inside the [organization].”
Relating to the place he stood with HATEBREED proper now, Chris mentioned: “We’re making an attempt to work it out. There’s attorneys concerned now. They’re spending plenty of time having to take care of that and all the small print 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 could possibly be that man. I might come out right here and I might 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 onerous to be away from your loved ones while you’re touring. Everybody understands that. And the suggestions from individuals while you play, you encourage them, you contact their life, you may have a optimistic, lasting affect 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 would 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 the very best,” Chris added. “Hopefully we’ll be capable of kind this out. I do not need us to go down some shitty street. We have all seen bands do this, so hopefully it might finish on first rate phrases and be capable of 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 mentioned: “My time is finished with HATEBREED… It is achieved. My household comes first. I will depart 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 individuals know me from that band all over the place I am going. You’ll be able to’t shake that sort of shit. The id continues to be there. So it is good. It is onerous 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 a press release: “I simply wish to take the time to let everybody know that I’m doing simply high-quality and I sincerely admire everybody who has reached out.
“I used to be underneath the impression a joint announcement could be agreed upon prematurely, however since that was not the case I needed to handle 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 go away the band was not mine and that my departure was uncalled for and primarily based on deceptive and wrongful statements that will likely be topic to future actions.”
This previous July, HATEBREED launched its first new music in almost 5 years, “Make The Demons Obey”. The observe was the primary style of recent HATEBREED materials after the group’s “Weight Of The False Self” album which got here out in 2020.
Photograph credit score: Jeremy Saffer