Five Finger Death Punch are being sued by their record label Prospect Park.
One of the company’s producers says the band have reneged on a contract to record a new album along with a greatest hits package.
Prospect Park say 5FDP signed a four-album contract in December 2012. Recording for the fourth album was to start this June.
According to Courthouse News Service, when Prospect Park asked the band for two masters for a greatest hits record, the band refused and insisted on using a different producer “out of concern for lead vocalist Ivan Moody.”
In papers recently filed at the California Superior Court, Prospect Park’s attorney Michael Taitelman says: “This lawsuit is about the creative process outlined in the agreement and the rights of both parties to have involvement to ensure the best product. The band and its reps want to bypass that process, for no reason other than short-term gain.”
The label go on to state: “Regrettably, with the encouragement of their entertainment lawyer and business manager, the members of 5FDP have unequivocally repudiated their contractual obligations to permit Prospect Park to determine the recording elements of a new record and a greatest hits record.
“In doing so, the members of 5FDP are shamelessly attempting to cash in before the anticipated downfall of their addicted bandmate.”
The papers state that Moody has “struggled with alcohol abuse” and that his “escalating substance abuse is placing both the future of 5FDP, and indeed his life, at risk.”
But the band’s attorney says the group have the right to terminate the contract if Prospect won’t let them record the fourth album how they want – although the contract states otherwise, according to the complaint.
The label has suspended payments to the band, but say they are willing to resume if a greatest hits package arrives.
The co-defendants are Ivan Louis Greening aka Ivan Moody, Jeremy Spender Heyde aka Jeremy Spencer, and Thomas Jason Grinstead aka Jason Hook.
