It’s been a rough year for Mutiny Within. In addition to going through multiple drummers and dropping off numerous tours, the NJ prog-metalcore group parted ways with Roadrunner Records a few months after the release of their underrated self-titled debut. Well now it appears that the mutiny within the band is continuing.
Metal Sucks has discovered Facebook postings and comments that have lead many to believe that vocalist Chris Clancy and keyboardist Drew Stavola have parted ways with Mutiny Within. Though they’ve since been deleted from Facebook, Metal Sucks uncovered Clancy’s entire letter and posted it online. Here is a piece of Clancy’s statement:
“My love for singing and performing soon started to diminish as time and time again we got screwed over by the industry in some way or another. I love being in a band because I love singing and i’ve just found that everything i’m doing is for the wrong reasons. There’s no passion or drive to wake up in the morning and make music with the guys, so i’m not going to do that anymore. Maybe a new venture will come my way and it will restart the fire that I once had.
We live in an age where labels don’t just take money from music sales, but from almost every form of a bands income. This isn’t the labels fault. They front money to let the bands make their music and put it out. They’re businesses and want to make a profit. But what happens when a band is given money to record an album, puts it out, and then doesn’t sell enough records…? They are evaluated and either dropped or given a second chance with a strict budget… We were dropped. We didn’t even hit 10,000 legal album sales in the USA. Yet looking at torrent sites around the internet, you can easily find 60,000+ illegal downloads. Our music was stolen, the label didn’t make enough money, and now there will be no more music. Why am I saying this? Because this happens to so many other bands and they stay quiet about it.
After 4 years of working almost every day with the band, the reality is i’ve earned $100 in all that time. I simply cannot afford to continue on. Visa costs, living costs…people seem to think i’m rich because i’m a musician but many of you will know the reality of the industry. I don’t know the future of Mutiny Within, I wish them the best if they decide to continue without me, but i’m moving on and I hope that I find that drive and love for music that I once had.”
Metal Sucks also uncovered the comment exchange Clancy had with Stavola underneath the Facebook note, which insinuates that the keyboardist left Mutiny Within some time ago. Though both pieces of evidence has since been removed from Facebook, bassist Andrew Jacobs confirmed to Metal Sucks that the band would release a statement about everything that has been going on within the group soon.
It just goes to show you that no matter how much label backing and support bands receive, it’s still extremely hard for up and coming bands to make a living from music (let alone break out big). We’ll keep you posted when more develops.
UPDATE: The remaining members of Mutiny Within has confirmed Clancy’s departure in a series of Facebook postings.
