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Earlier this week, all of the members of Philadelphia metalcore band Jesus Piece except vocalist Aaron Heard posted a statement saying that Jesus Piece “has been dead for some time” because “a member quit abruptly for personal reasons and we felt wrong continuing without him” around the same time that Aaron advertised a set at Phoenix festival One Big Party under the name Je$us Piece. “Anything you see associated with this name or similar, playing our music and using our art, is not related to anything we worked for over the last 10 years,” the other three members’ statement said. “To try and continue that without us or in spite of us, is a mockery of what we’ve done and tried to do.”
Now, Aaron is telling his side of the story in a lengthy Instagram post, It reads:
I didn’t feel a need to explain anything but since I’ve got a bunch of random people relentlessly commenting on pics dating back to 2016 and messaging me heinous shit I’m going to tell you straight up.
Yes it’s been 10 years but those men are not my friends and they haven’t been for almost the entirety of us being a band. Just because we’re a band doesn’t mean we are best buddies. I’ve got love for Lu but thats really it.
In regards to their oddly worded statement:
To say they didn’t feel comfortable continuing when they threatened to replace me on the sepultura tour twice for wanting to spend Halloween with my son is what the real mockery is in this. Tried to replace me when they left me at the border on the Show me the body tour. Tried to replace me in the past. Bullshit.
Throwing the birth of my son in my face during an argument. Saying my son is ruining things for the band? Fuck that.
“We appreciate you inviting us to your son’s birth but he’s got nothing to do with us.”
Would you want to work with people who think this way? Would you say that’s friendship? These people don’t respect me or my family and they never really have. I gotta draw the line somewhere. I pray one day when they start families of their own they look back on these moments and see how wack that is.
I’ve just sat through it because I loved the music we’ve made. To me it was easier to smoke and pack it away. But after that last bit I was done.
Do I think I’m the only person that matters? No. They are undeniably great musicians. Just tired of dealing with the bullshit and I’m sure they were too.
I love the people and friends I’ve made through this shit. I love the feeling of sharing and connecting and sharing such raw emotions with y’all.
I will play a couple and if you’re upset by this as a fan I’m sorry and you do not have to come out nor listen. You are entitled to your opinion. But I just won’t ever work with them again.
Drummer Luis Aponte, who Aaron mentioned having love for in his statement, then actually replied with a lengthy comment of his own on Aaron’s post. It reads:
Was really trying to avoid to be personal but,
– first of all no one can or wants replace you in this band .. ever
When you said you quit, you said we could move on without you and none of us wanted to.
We were happy to let it rest in peace.
– second, you and I both know
Never in my entire life would I ever ask you not to be with your son, for any circumstance.
I’m still proud of the video I made for you and him when we were there the night he was born.
– the fact of the matter is you were dishonest to me and us. You told us you were done to be with your son, then went behind our back with the label / money to do this and make a quick buck.
I just wanted the band to end on the legacy we created together and we could’ve left it there.
But if people wanna support what you’re doing right now, more power to them as well.
See Aaron’s post below, and stay tuned for any further updates to the Jesus Piece/Je$us Piece story…
English (US) · 