The surviving members of the band Slapshock have resolved their differences and signed a new agreement to reclaim ownership of all their songs, ensuring the preservation of the group's legacy.

This contract, known as a collaboration agreement, grants guitarists Lean Ansing and Jerry Basco, bassist Lee Nadela, and drummer Chi Evora the publishing and intellectual property rights, as well as other privileges related to all Slapshock songs that were written, recorded, and produced over the band's 23-year history.

The new agreement grants each member of Slapshock, including the heirs of the band's late vocalist, Jamir Garcia, an equal share of royalties and future revenues from the band’s discography.

This contract allows the surviving members of Slapshock to move forward after a bitter conflict that led to the band’s breakup in 2020. This conflict involved court charges of estafa and qualified theft against Garcia, related to royalties from digital sales of songs and talent fees received from a corporate sponsor over a five-year period.

In October 2020, the dispute was reported in the media. A month later, Garcia was found dead at home, which police declared a suicide.

More revelations of financial misdeeds surfaced in May 2023, when documents from Slapshock’s record label showed Garcia had claimed full ownership of almost 80 songs — without the other members’ knowledge.

In 1999, when the band released its debut album, “4th Degree Burn,” all members had agreed that every song they would record from then on would be credited to each one of them as co-author.

But when the band decided to end its contract with its record label, a “non-renewal” document — which Garcia had signed and received as the band’s de facto representative — indicated him as “composer, 100 percent” of all Slapshock songs released until 2017.

The document had never been seen by the rest of the band until May 2023.

All along, the other members said, they were made to believe by Garcia himself that royalties from sales of their albums were intact — which they had looked forward to as their retirement funds.

As it turned out, Garcia had been getting all the royalties for himself. The band’s record label disclosed that Garcia had already collected all of the band’s royalty checks until 2017.

Now, with a legally executed collaboration agreement, ownership of all Slapshock songs has reverted to the band’s surviving members — following an emotional but productive meeting.

In the interest of fairness, the contract likewise entitles Garcia’s heirs — his two children — to equal representation.

The agreement covers all future royalties, fees and revenues from the songs’ publishing rights, including new recordings, or versions of the songs, as well as a share of fees from the songs’ licensing to movies, television, video games, among other mediums.

The band’s former record label acknowledged the agreement. On July 31, Ansing, Basco, Nadela, and Evora finally received their equal shares of royalties after many years.

From its formation in 1996 until its breakup in 2020, Slapshock built a steady, lucrative career with its intense, aggressive type of rock music, supported by a huge fan base and corporate sponsorship.

“We no longer wish to hold on to hate. We want to embrace forgiveness and peace so we can truly move on,” its members said. “Thank you, SLAP ARMIES, for being part of this journey. May we all continue to enjoy the songs. These songs will outlive us all, and may they keep inspiring everyone — young and old — who has heard of Slapshock.”