After over 30 years with Hatebreed, founding bassist Chris Beattie was unexpectedly faraway from the band in late 2024. In February 2025, Hatebreed introduced that Shadows Fall guitarist Matt Bachand can be dealing with bass duties “for the foreseeable future.”
Shortly afterward, Beattie launched an announcement confirming that he had really left the band on November 13, 2024, and emphasized that it was not his decision. Now in a brand new interview with Cassius Morris, Hatebreed drummer Matt Byrne acknowledged Beattie‘s absence and confirmed that authorized issues are being addressed.
“I can not discuss an excessive amount of about it, ‘trigger there’s attorneys concerned and issues must be settled. Chris has been within the band since day one. I have been within the band with him for greater than half my life, so yeah, this can be a main change for me.”
Byrne additionally praised Matt Bachand, the longtime Shadows Fall guitarist now performing reside with Hatebreed on bass. “We’re jamming with Matt Bachand… He is an incredible participant. He proves it by being the guitar participant of a shreddy band like Shadows Fall, and he is leaping over to bass for us. His efficiency is unquestionable. We’re simply shifting on in a unique period of Hatebreed.”
Whereas either side stay cautious as a consequence of ongoing authorized proceedings, the departure of Chris Beattie marks a big chapter in Hatebreed‘s historical past — and opens a brand new, unsure period for the Connecticut-based metalcore pioneers. Beattie additionally advised his facet of the story in an interview with New York Hardcore Chronicles Stay!, primarily saying the identical factor when it comes to attorneys being concerned.
“We’re attempting 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 backwards and forwards.
“Clearly, when one thing like that occurs, you are upset. 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 every kind of shit, however I do not need [to]… I do not wanna be that man. We made good music. We had nice instances collectively. Issues modified. Dynamics modified.
“It is onerous 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 may have a optimistic, lasting impression on somebody, that at all times saved 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 possibly can probably 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 perfect. Hopefully we’ll have the ability to 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 have the ability to transfer forward.”
And no – there’s actually no likelihood that Beattie goes again to Hatebreed. Or a minimum of that is how he feels about issues proper now: “My time is completed with Hatebreed… It is carried out. My household comes first. I will go away 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 in every single place I am going. You’ll be able to’t shake that form of shit. The identification continues to be there. So it is good. It is onerous to speak about too, however right here we’re. New doorways open.”
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