According to the Citizen’s Voice of Wilkes-Barre, PA, Breaking Benjamin frontman Benjamin Burnley fired guitarist Aaron Fink and bassist Mark James (real names Aaron Fincke and Mark Klepaski) via email back in May. The two members reportedly got the axe after Burnley discovered that they struck an agreement with Hollywood Records to use a remix of their song “Blow Me Away” on a new greatest hits package without his authorization.
This has since become a court issue, with Burnley seeking at least $250,000 and the exclusive right to the Breaking Benjamin name (according to Noisecreep). Fink and James attorneys claim, though, that their original partnership agreement with Burnley was invalid because the singer claimed to be too ill to perform and continue on in June 2010. Fans may remember, though, that around the time in question drummer Chad Szeliga posted a message on Facebook saying that the band was not breaking up but simply taking time off due to Burnley’s health issues.
While the group’s management would not comment on the band’s current status, this isn’t the first time Breaking Benjamin have gone through lineup changes. Thus, though this may be a setback, the mainstream alt rock group most likely isn’t calling it a day anytime soon. And while Mr. Burnley may not want us to promote the two disc package featuring the remix that caused all of this commotion … Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin comes out on August 16.
