Hawthorne Heights Drops Lawsuit

The bitter, two-year legal battle between Hawthorne Heights and Victory Records has come to an end, with the band apologizing for its actions and announcing the release of its next album.

Drummer Eron Bucciarelli-Tieger said in a statement that he and his bandmates regret the animosity that developed between themselves and Victory Records chief Tony Brummel.

"We now regret having begun the lawsuit we filed in 2006. We should not have listened to those, who, for whatever reasons, were then advising us to pursue this strategy. We are sorry for having put Victory Records and Tony Brummel through this ordeal, and regret any negative publicity that may have resulted," Bucciarelli said.

"Many false, hurtful and incorrect statements were made, especially on the Internet, none of which were true. Tony Brummel and Victory gave us our start, and did an unprecedented job with our first two albums. Unfortunately, we cannot change the past, but we’re now taking steps to heal the wounds and start fresh."

In the same statement, Brummel expressed excitement regarding the release of Hawthorne Heights’ third album and said it’s time to bury the past.

"Everything happens for a reason and there is tremendous positivity in the air. We have lived in a reality of petty disputes, unresolved misunderstandings, unhealthy friction and negative sensationalism for too long. Forgiveness and the ability to reunite are powerful gifts," Brummel said. "You cannot change the past but you can affect the future.

"There is a bigger lesson and story here than just releasing a new album. Victory, and I know Hawthorne Heights, are thankful to be part of that."

The bitter dispute began when band members Bucciarelli-Tieger, Micah Carli, Matt Ridenour, JT Woodruff and the late Casey Calvert filed suit in 2006 against Victory and Brummel claiming the label filed false copyrights, issued fraudulent royalty statements, sabotaged a deal between the band and Hot Topic and hadn’t paid the band any royalties, among other claims.

Victory and Brummel then sued Virgin Records and its parent company, EMI, claiming Virgin executives poached its flagship act before Hawthorne Heights had fulfilled its contract.

A representative for Virgin/EMI was not available for comment at press time.