trouble in paradise

Yesterday evening, Hawthorne Heights issued this statement announcing their exodus from Victory Records and their impending lawsuit.

Big surprise.

Victory has had a long-standing reputation of treating their bands like crap and several of them such as Thursday, Taking Back Sunday and Student Rick have made their distaste for the label publicly known. But Hawthorne Heights is the first to sue the label for owed royalties and such. I'm curious to figure out why bands still sign to Victory when they've had a bad rap for nearly 10 years. Any dolt who reads the liner notes will notice that all the publishing is copyrighted to Another Victory Inc., Tony Brummel's publishing company.

Victory is one of many independent labels that has taken advantage of bands for years and hopefully this lawsuit will allow bands to retain artists' rights, then again, that's what lawyers are for.