Category Archives: Trapt

Drummer Michael Smith Quits Trapt

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Drummer Michael Smith has announced his departure from Trapt. This news comes after frontman Chris Taylor Brown continued to make headlines for various far-right political rants and after the band were removed from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter due to his controversial posts.

Smith said the following:

“After playing drums for Trapt for the past couple years, I have decided to step down from the band. This is definitely a bittersweet decision. There have been some ongoing issues (primarily political) throughout 2020 that many of you may know about, others may not.

If you’re curious, it’s just a google search away. I respect everyone’s right to have an opinion on politics. But at the end of the day, I am a musician and my job is to play and create music. So that is what I plan on doing.

As I still communicate and have great relationships with the guys in the band, I will only speak for myself. The stances taken, and publicity received as a result are not representative of myself. Not as an individual, nor fitting or aligned with my personal morals and beliefs. I do not agree with how certain things have been handled towards our fans and the music community who I have such an immense respect for.

I would not be able to have a career in music and/or be fortunate enough to sustain my livelihood without the amazing support of everybody involved (from fans to venue staff, to musician peers, etc.)

So thank you to those out there who have been a part of supporting and enabling me to use my gifts and talents, and allowing me to press forward in my musical journey.

It has been one of the best periods in my life the past couple years. But when it comes down to it, I do not agree with a lot of things morally and the publicity the band has received, mainly this past year in 2020…It is time for me to move on and pursue other avenues and projects.

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported my musical journey thus far…
-🙏🏼”

Trapt’s Twitter Account Has Finally Been Suspended

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Trapt have been making headlines this year due to their frontman Chris Taylor Brown’s far-right and pro-Trump rants on social media. Eventually, the band ended up getting removed from Facebook and Instagram after Brown voiced his support for far-right, neo-fascist group, the Proud Boys. Now, the group’s infamous Twitter account has been suspended as well. This news comes after Brown used the platform to defend pedophilia between an adult woman and an underage male.

[via Loudwire]

Trapt’s Facebook And Instagram Accounts Were Removed For Violating Community Standards

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Trapt have been making headlines this year due to their infamous frontman Chris Taylor Brown’s far-right and pro-Trump rants on social media. Now, the band have been removed from Facebook and Instagram for violating community standards. The accounts were deleted after Brown voiced his support for far-right, neo-fascist group, the Proud Boys. The group commented via Twitter:

Trapt’s Chris Taylor Brown Accused Of Dodging Payments To Music Video Director

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According to MetalSucks, Travis Livingstone, who created the cover art for Trapt’s latest albums and directed the lyric video for “Make it Out Alive,” has issued a statement in which he claimed that frontman Chris Taylor Brown is broke and that he has been dodging payments. The allegations were made via the Trapt OFFICIAL Is a Joke Facebook group. This news comes after Trapt reportedly only sold 600 copies of their new album “Shadow Work,” despite Brown’s constant bragging.

Trapt’s New Album Reportedly Sold Only 600 Copies Its First Week, Band Claim They Sold More

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Trapt released their new album “Shadow Work” on July 3 and some outlets are reporting that it only ended up selling 600 copies its first week. Despite this, frontman Chris Taylor Brown has since commented saying that the effort actually sold close to 4000 copies. As The PRP pointed out, the numbers may have been off since the record was apparently released in digital outlets on June 19 instead of July 3, but it is worth noting that the effort never made it into the Billboard 200.

Humorously, this news comes after Brown previously made some bold claims about the album:

Trapt Premiere “Make It Out Alive” Lyric Video

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Trapt have premiered a lyric video for their song “Make It Out Alive.” This track is from the band’s new album “Shadow Work,” which will be released on July 3.

Chris Taylor Brown commented:

“This song is dedicated to every American doing their best to weather a storm none of us could have been prepared for! We want to dedicate this video to any American who passed away, every person out there on the frontlines taking care of the sick, every mom and dad out there homeschooling their kids, everyone who lost a job, everyone who lost a loved one and everyone who is ready to do what we can to repair the damage that has been done for future generations of Americans. We may be staring into an abyss of the unknown, but like we always do, as a nation we will MAKE IT OUT ALIVE!”

Body Count’s Ice-T On Trapt’s Chris Taylor Brown: “I’m Not Planning On Fighting Him – I Don’t Want To Hurt The Guy”

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During his nonstop Twitter rampage, Trapt frontman Chris Taylor Brown ended up challenging Body Count frontman Ice-T to a bare knuckle fight. Now, during a fan Q&A hosted by Kerrang!, Ice-T was asked about the potential fight and he responded by saying he’s “not planning on fighting him.”

Ice-T said the following:

“Yeah, that’s a weird question. I don’t know that, dude! I never heard of the band Trapt before all this started. I think he was in an altercation, he’s speaking of Power Trip and he’s talking shit to Riley.

Now why that started I have no idea, but in the midst of this he went off on the entire Sumerian label – which we’re no longer on, we’re on Century Media. But in the midst of that rant he included Body Count in one of the groups that he sells more records than on Pandora.

And of course, like we say on the street, ‘Keep my name out of your mouth.’ You could say, ‘We sell more records than everyone on Sumerian’ but once he named Body Count, I decided to say something.

I just told him, ‘Keep talking, we’ll bump into each other one day,’ which he took as a threat. Maybe when I bump into him I’ll want an autograph, I don’t know, I just said, ‘I’ll see you.’ That was gonna be it, but he continued to rant and rave and that turned into him wanting to do charity fights.

My boy Danny Diablo jumped in, ‘Don’t speak on Ice-T,’ because believe it or not, people respect me out there (laughs). People were like, ‘Ice, he’s just trying to use you guys for publicity’ and I let it go.

But the theory that you’re going to talk shit to somebody and then get in a charity boxing match, what kind of clown shit is that? Like, really? Nah, nah, if I do bump into him, it’ll be in a parking lot some place and then we’ll see if he wants to repeat his words. I’m not planning on fighting him – I don’t want to hurt the guy, we’ll just see what happens.”

Trapt Premiere New Songs “Make It Out Alive” & “Tell Me How You Really Feel”

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Trapt have premiered two new songs, “Make It Out Alive” and “Tell Me How You Really Feel.” These tracks are from the band’s new album “Shadow Work,” which will be released on June 19.

Trapt To Release New Album “Shadow Work” In June

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Trapt have announced that their new album “Shadow Work” will be released on June 19. The effort’s first two singles, “Make It Out Alive” and “Tell Me How You Really Feel,” will be available on May 15. A third single, “Far Enough Away,” will also be available on May 22

“Shadow Work” Track Listing:

01. “Make It Out Alive”
02. “I Want To Want What I Want”
03. “Tell Me How You Really Feel”
04. “Too Little Too Late”
05. “Far Enough Away”
06. “Turn Me Around Again”
07. “Trying Too Hard”
08. “Let Me Down Slowly”
09. “Too Far Away”
10. “Get You Back”
11. “Hold And Be Held”
12. “Save Your Soul” (Jewel cover) (digital only)

You can find a teaser for “Make It Out Alive” below. Chris Taylor Brown said the following about that track:

“‘Make It Out Alive‘ was the last song written for our new album ‘Shadow Work‘ and I hope it inspires people to never give up. Times can get so tough and it can be easy to just want to let go of all the struggle. But I think the struggles we go through define us. Each crisis we go through, staring into an abyss of the unknown, makes us stronger when we come out the other side. I know that we will come out stronger, as a country and as a world, through the current crisis we find ourselves battling and every other crisis that comes our way in the future. We always do!”

He also made some bold claims about the new record and the band’s fans on his notorious Twitter account:

Danny Diablo Challenges Trapt’s Chris Taylor Brown To A Charity Boxing Match

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It’s no secret that Trapt’s Chris Taylor Brown has been on a nonstop Twitter meltdown and now things are getting even more interesting. All the drama has actually led Danny Diablo to challenge Brown to a charity boxing match.

Diablo and Power Trip frontman Riley Gale, who previously challenged Trapt to a concert battle to see which band can draw a bigger crowd, recently discussed Brown’s meltdown with Revolver. Gale said the following:

“I felt the need to step in and say you’re an idiot. I was bored cause of the quarantine, otherwise I would have never engaged. But I saw this guy saying all this hateful stuff. When I grew up, I was in an all-male high school and when someone was being bullied, there was always a group of people to step in and defend them and I was one of those people. I saw this dude putting people down for being poor [or] promoting socialism, calling people ugly, saying anti-Semitic stuff, and now he’s climbed the ladder, saying [Trapt are] more successful than Body Count.”

“He’s clearly trolling cause he’s irrelevant. A ton of people haven’t even heard about the band until this beef popped off. What’s funny is he talked about his one hit and people under 25 don’t know his band and some people I know over 30 don’t. He’s trying to use this as a way to get supporters, say his band is relevant and get new supporters out of sheer curiosity, which is probably working cause some people are streaming his band like, ‘Who the fuck is this guy?’

I have a feeling this guy is just broke cause he’s spent his days attacking everybody, strangers, celebrities for no rhyme or reason and looking for a reward for having blind loyalty to Trump.”

Diablo continued:

“I’m not really into politics, even though I’m from the hardcore scene, which I know those guys were fighting about. Power Trip is a great band. Riley is a sweet dude. Then I saw the same dude was fucking with Ice-T, blatantly disrespecting him. How do you talk to Ice-T like that? I’m very influenced by him, how we came up, his music, how we changed his life, so I chimed in and he talked some shit. In my world, no one speaks to me this way.”

“I’m stuck in this house, I’m thinking about smashing this guy’s face. Me and Ice-T were texting about it and how we don’t know this guy, laughing about it. He did have one hit, he did have fans at one point, but it was when record labels were still able to pump lots of money into the band, the radio stations, etc. But the sad thing is not a single fan has written me to defend this dude.”

He also added the following about the proposed boxing match:

“Fighting is second nature to me my entire life. I’ve boxed. Everyone knows my reputation in the streets. All you have to say my name and people know what I can do, in and out of the ring. But look, I would never want to hurt this guy for real. Look, I would train with Gavin, and Craig Setari from Sick of it All, and fight for charity, donate money towards the children’s tumor foundation. Diablo loves the kids. I want to help the kids. Most people talk, I’ve challenged people to fights and most people haven’t showed up. If he shows up and accepts, I’d shake his hand and be cool, mad respect.”

For his part, Brown has since responded to Revolver’s article:

He has since challenged Ice-T as well: