Did Grindcore Legends Terrorizer Rip Off an Unknown Canadian Band?

By Jason Roche Fri., Feb. 17 2012 at 4:00 AM

Terrorizer

Grindcore band Terrorizer formed here, and their 1989 debut World Downfall was extremely influential. After 2006's reunion album Darker Days Ahead guitarist Jesse Pintado passed away, but the rest of Terrorizer has a new album, Hordes Of Zombies, out February 28th.

Now weirdly, and out of nowhere, an unknown Canadian grindcore group called Collapse ~~has filed~~ is threatening to file a plagiarism lawsuit against them and their label, Season of Mist, claiming a passage in Terrorizer's song "Subterfuge" is lifted from a Collapse song titled "Mechanisms Of Oppression." We call bullshit.

First off, Collapse's guitarist/vocalist Jason McKenzie has been sending around press releases, claiming that if the release of Terrorizer's new album isn't canceled, they'll sue. It reeks of a publicity stunt; still, that in itself doesn't mean there isn't validity to their claims.

So listen yourself. The relevant segments are 0:28-0:45 of "Subterfuge" (above) and 1:48-forward of "Mechanisms Of Oppression," below.

We listened to them a bunch of times and, frankly, all we hear are similar chord progressions that are commonplace within grindcore and death metal. This isn't exactly reeking of Coldplay vs. Joe Satriani. This is more like if Milton Berle sued every television show that featured a man in drag.

McKenzie has been chatting with metal websites, and only making their potential suit seem more ridiculous in the process. To wit:

Tags:

Collapse, Lawsuit, Metal, Plagiarism, Terrorizer

We Recommend

sweetchopsticks

they did rip off the cover though, and maybe tried to rip off the riff, but weren't as talented to pull it off.

sweetchopsticks

Jason Mackenzie Collapse - Mechanisms Of Oppression. WINS as far as brutality goes in my opinion. the riffs sound nothing alike once you actually listen to them.

Sowhat

You're the one who sounds mentally unstable lol, comparing them to Slayer and Metallica. I listed to both and that Terrorizer CD sucks anyway, these claims go no where anyway they just people to know their getting copied, yea that's press both ways anyway buddy.Then you listen to Collapse and all their stuff sounds brutal and awesome and they have more stuff out than Terrorizer, it clearly sounds the same but I doubt the suit goes anywhere cause they never do.Terrorizer only has one good album anyway,then you listen to both bands and at least Collapse can play guitar.

Eric Greif

Clearly 'Sowhat' above is Jason James Mackenzie himself. Same rambling language as in his blogs, fake lawsuit threats, and inability to grasp reality. Creating his own world where his former band Collapse is somehow on par with actual recording artists like Terrorizer - and, by the way Jason, their new album IS OUT NOW. Stating clearly in your silly posting above that "I doubt the suit goes anywhere cause they never do" - because, of course, YOU NEVER SUED ANYONE. Now I will go ahead and ask LA Weekly to check the IP on 'Sowhat'...and you know what? I would bet the farm that it comes up as NEW GLASGOW, NOVA SCOTIA...maybe even the library's internet. Absolutely pathetic...

Eric Greif

This total waste of time, created by a mentally unstable Nova Scotia man with neither a real band or an actual label, proves that any publicity-craving fool can write a couple of emails making outlandish, wild claims and actually get real attention. There is no lawsuit. There isn't even the potential for a lawsuit. He might as well have claimed he was responsible for Reign in Blood or the cover art for Ride the Lightning. Totally bogus.