PAPA ROACH SETTLES LAWSUIT WITH DRUMMER, READY METAMORPHOSIS

On the way to get ready for the release of Metamorphosis, Papa Roach have settled their lawsuit with former drummer Dave Buckner.

Papa Roach is currently touring in advance of their new album, Metamorphosis, and now they have one less thing to worry about. The band and original drummer Dave Buckner parted ways last year. It was Buckner’s deteriorating mental health and substance abuse that led the drummer to get help and Papa Roach to get a new drummer, Unwritten Law’s Tony Palermo. Buckner filed a suit in late 2008 claiming he’s owed money from his time in the band and even threatened to “dissolve” the band if demands weren’t met.

Artisan News asked vocalist Jacoby Shaddix during a March 10 anniversary show in New York about the suit, and he said it’s not a problem…anymore.

“Oh, no. I knew it was coming. Everyone knew it was coming. Actually it’s all settled now. I sign the papers tomorrow. It’s all done. We didn’t actually have to go to court, which is cool. You know what I’m sayin’? We settled it like big boys talked it out, got through it, you know, then you get through it and (mimics signing a document) cool, it’s good. I’m free. No more drama. I’m not even stressed out on it. It feels good that I know it’s gonna be over with. So then it’s like, I don’t have to answer this question anymore. I won’t have to put out a press release, ‘There is no lawsuit!’ So, it’s all good.”

Shaddix started the band in the mid-’90s with Buckner and we asked him if it still pains him to see his friend not in the band.

“It’s tough man. It’s something I think about every day. It’s something that sometimes I’m happy, sometimes I’m bummed out, sometimes I’m resentful and sometimes… I go through so many emotions about it, but at the end of the day we both know we’re doing the right things for ourselves.”

Shaddix gave us an update on what Buckner is up to.

“He went home, took some time off, and now he’s got a new project he’s working on called Last Angels. So he’s doing that, and that’s with another friend of ours from back home. It’s a two-man project, and it’s got some killer tracks. I’m just glad to see that he didn’t stop playing music. Right now it’s like we’re better, stronger, and more ferocious of a rock band than we’ve ever been. Especially when we stand on stage, our new drummer Tony just… he’s got energy like no other I’ve played with. He’s a different animal than Dave is, but it’s a good thing.”

Papa Roach’s Metamorphosis is set for release March 24. The band’s “Lifeline” is a Number 5 track on the Active Rock radio chart, and they recently headlined the Blender Theater in New York City for a special anniversary show.rn