Cro-Mags settle lawsuit over band name

Posted by on April 23, 2019

Cro-Mags have been faced with a law dispute over the band’s trademark since last year when co-founder Harley Flanagan more or less “stabbed” the group with a lawsuit claiming the band was his idea when he formed it back in 1981. John Joseph has been the vocalist for the group for quite some time now, using the Cro-Mags moniker while Flanagan has recently booked shows under ‘Cro-Mags’ as well. Confusing? Yes!  Despite the unpleasant history, which includes the 2012 incident when Flanagan attacked two Cro-Mags members with a knife, both parties have reached a settlement.

As of August 1st, John Joseph and Mackie Jayson will perform as “Cro-Mags JM” and Flanagan will continue to use the original “Cro-Mags” name. Cro-Mags are now part of bands that have two names including Morbid Angel/I Am Morbid, Venom/ Venom Inc, Entombed/ Entombed A.D, and more.

While the original Facebook post appears to have been removed, Joseph and Jayson initially issued the following statement:

“As all of our loyal fans and supporters know, John Joseph, Mackie Jayson, A.J. Novello and Craig Setari have been performing as the Cro-Mags for many years. Due to recent litigation involving Harley Flanagan, John Josephand Mackie Jayson, we have all agreed that for the benefit of our fans and supporters we want to make sure that everyone knows who it is they are coming out to see. Therefore we have reached a settlement designed to avoid any further confusion. The lead singer and drummer on ‘Age Of Quarrel’, John & Mackie, along with A.J. and Craig, going forward will perform under the name Cro-Mags JM which we have a legal right to use. The ‘JM’ stands for John/Mackie. Of course, we need some time to make this change. There will be a three-month transition where our shows may still be advertised as Cro-Mags and Harley will also be performing as Cro-Mags. During this transition period, to confirm which band you want to see, please check on our websites or social media pages. As of August 1, 2019, all shows under the Cro-Mags JM name will feature us, and all shows under the Cro-Mags name (on its own) will feature Harley.

Thanks for your patience as we wrap this up. Now that this is all said and done, we will be working on a new studio album, while continuing to deliver the live performances our fans have come to know and love over the years. A win/win situation.

“See you out there on the road.”

Flanagan issued the following video:

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