Trustkill Data founder Josh Grabelle has been accused of “hijacking” the identify of the ‘Hellfest‘ pageant for his upcoming ‘Hellphyra‘ pageant set to happen this weekend in New Jersey. The accusations of wrongdoing seem to return from Keith Allen, a musician/promoter who was served as a founder for the pageant again within the late 90s, with Trustkill Data later approaching as a sponsor.
That incarnation of the pageant has primarily laid dormant since 2005, when its deliberate version was controversially canceled simply days forward of its kickoff. Outcry over lack of refunds and alleged monetary misdeeds ensued, with the pageant coming to an finish amid authorized proceedings.
In a brand new assertion shared through Reddit being attributed to Allen, the latter alleges that Grabelle wrested management of the occasion from him for this new relaunch, after he and Grabelle first started discussing bringing again the occasion final summer season. That assertion reads as follows:
“Relating to HELLFEST(OG)
Official Assertion Relating to HELLFEST V 1.0 6/25
To those that care,
I started talking with Josh Trustkill in June of 2024 about bringing again Hellfest for 2025. I defined that it was one thing that I had already been enthusiastic about doing in Syracuse because it was developing on the 20 years of it coming to its abrupt finish in 2005. I very explicitly defined to him my considerations for what it will appear to be to carry the fest again from the lifeless after 2 many years. With right now’s music fest setting it will should be carried out with tact and planning and most significantly it needed to stay true to what the pageant was at all times about. It might NOT simply be a dumbed down low-cost money seize. The Hellfest model has numerous heft, it’s fairly infamous and fairly rapidly it might get that nostalgia and notoriety monetized and served up. I used to be very adamant that if Hellfest did make a return of types that some kind of a nod have to be made in Syracuse. Its a smaller market than the place we had it in 04(and would of in 05) in NJ, however there wanted to be a large present or fest in Syracuse to honor the place all of it started. In our talks we thought there is likely to be a number of occasions over the summer season across the northeast, it was all hypothesis and risk.
Trustkill Data was one of many larger and well-known sponsors of Hellfest over time. As a consequence of mutual branding, friendships, band relationships and a myriad of different issues it made good sense to crew up. I expressly instructed Josh that just about everybody else that had ever labored with or for Hellfest prior to now had ripped it off, stolen from it, taken benefit of it, used it to their very own ends and helped trigger it to have a ton of issues. So I had critical belief points, however since I had over time by no means had something however an excellent relationship with him I used to be fairly assured that we might work one thing out. Haha! Whoops.
There have been some points attempting to get the Hellfest area again. Some man had it and needed some huge cash for it, Josh tried negotiating with the man for it, he finally settled for a number of thousand {dollars}. I provided at one level to simply cut up the associated fee with Josh simply to get it however he refused. The truth is when he procured the area and so forth, i used to be unaware and that was very clearly intentional.
With the Hellfest namesake up within the air , the very apparent Hellphyra fest was began in its stead. The branding, emblem, and hybrid identify are/had been a placeholder till Hellfest was procured. I assume if Hellfest.com was by no means made out there then it will have simply stayed Hellphyra, However as quickly as Hellfest.com was out there, the 2 manufacturers began for use interchangeably. A lot in order that now by some means the primary day of the three day Hellphyra fest is the truth is, Hellfest.
I attempted to become involved with Hellphyra present and once I requested for my band to play, I used to be denied. I used to be, nevertheless, requested for one in all my previous bands, Discovered Useless Hanging to do a reunion present. We couldn’t make it work that weekend. (Although possibly we must always have, as a result of I didnt even get provided a fucking ticket to a present referred to as Hellfest, although I believe the HF tattoo may get me in) Sooner or later a number of months in the past communication with Trustkill turned erratic and pointless. After numerous refusals to reply questions and clarify what the hell he was doing it turned obvious that he had gone utterly rogue.
I outright requested him if his intentions had been to attempt to straight up steal the hardcore pageant that i created and simply act like as a result of he purchased a website identify that it was going to fly and he simply ignored me. However I assume that’s what’s occurring, so right here we’re, as a result of cash ruins every part. This isn’t the primary time Hellfest has been hijacked. When the France HF guys requested to make use of the identify within the early 2000s and I declined, they simply did it anyway. I assume it labored out fairly good for them, however they straight up stole the identify. There was no deal, no sale, no rights, simply good ole mental property theft and a fuck you. These dudes are killing it, however I imply, they’re French, so I assume it’s a wash.
Regardless of the hell is going on on July 4th 2025 in NJ is NOT Hellfest, it appears like a extremely cool present, nevertheless it’s simply not Hellfest. That’s not the way it works. You don’t hijack another person’s concept by setting them up, reducing them out, shopping for a website identify and simply ignoring the precise reality that you simply didn’t create the occasion. And the man who created the occasion didn’t log out on you simply taking his concept and cashing in on it with a Want model of a fest. The truth that Trustkill and whoever else concerned needed to go behind my again and lie and deceive individuals already sucks all of the integrity and belief out of your complete factor and simply proves that it’s 100% simply utilizing the identify and the model to money in, earn cash and get out.
There are/had been talks of a giant Hellfest in NJ in 2026, I’m fairly certain I received’t be concerned. And it’ll not be Hellfest. It is going to be a large money seize cash rip-off to make you assume you’ll seize a bit of the magic from the early 2000s. It’ll be lifeless inside, as a result of the center of Hellfest will likely be sitting in NY.
Hellfest was by no means concerning the cash, it was at all times about doing one thing fucking rad. It was about driving on the sting of chaos and hanging out with all your folks. Hellfest is notorious as a result of it tailored and overcame insurmountable odds and mountains of bullshit. By no means for cash or for scene cred or to promote information. It was a motive to satisfy up with all your folks and do one thing insane.
I nonetheless truly love hardcore, I play in a pair bands. I’m nonetheless Straight Edge and I name shit for what it’s. I misplaced every part in 2005 and right here I used to be 20 years later able to go once more, however nobody else appears to truly wanna do one thing rad. They only need to fuck individuals over and receives a commission.
To be clear, Trustkill didn’t begin or create Hellfest. Trustkill was an advocate and a sponsor of Hellfest for years. There was definitely mutual profit and really apparent cross promotions that tied the 2 entities collectively. Nevertheless they had been each utterly separate firms. Because of the excessive stage of branding and so forth, it’s very cheap to assume that Trustkill the truth is owned or managed Hellfest, that is merely not true. This couldn’t be evidenced any additional than when it acquired thrashed in 2005 and I alone was the one to spend 2 years finally shedding a lawsuit in opposition to the venue and its guardian firms.
I ought to have addressed this sooner however I hoped to work out an amicable resolution. I refuse to look at Hellfest come again from the lifeless and get exploited. I refuse to look at Syracuse get left behind. You’ll be able to imitate all you need nevertheless it’s only a low-cost carbon copy. You’ll be able to’t purchase authenticity. You cant go on a podcast and simply inform everybody that bringing again hellfest was your concept, as if it was yours to carry again within the first place. I imply what the fuck are we doing right here? Is that hardcore? Or is that simply enterprise? Its not the way in which I do shit. Nobody else has the true spirit of this silly pageant ingrained into them. It’s too huge part of my life to let another person simply steal it, fuck it up and fake every part is cool. Fuck you, its not cool.
There will likely be extra to return, KEITH IN HELL“
Grabelle himself has been accused of economic misdoing by numerous bands previously signed with the Trustkill label over time, with Bleeding By means of and Throwdown amongst those that publicly condemned the label and Grabelle for an alleged lack of royalties and extra.