Multinational punk/metal collective, Tau Cross featuring Amebix bassist/frontman Rob "The Baron" Miller, Voivod drummer Michel "Away" Langevin, and members of cult crust outfits Misery and War//Plague, yesterday announced that they were "parting company" with Relapse Records. The label was set to release the band's third full-length, Messengers Of Deception, on August 9.

Tau Cross issued the following: "We regret to say that Tau Cross and Relapse Records are now parting company after several successful and fruitful years together. Circumstances have arisen that must put an end to our relationship. We would like to extend our gratitude and thanks to all the staff and crew at Relapse for their work over these past few years and our apologies to supporters who have already bought the new record. We shall be looking into other avenues to release the album Messengers Of Deception, and will keep people updated about that development."

Relapse Records label manager, Rennie Jaffe, has since released the following statement, explaining the situation:

"Over the weekend the German magazine Ox brought it to our attention that a person named Gerard Menuhin was prominently thanked in the new Tau Cross album, and specifically credited in the liner notes for inspiring Rob Miller.

"All Relapse records go through a vigorous proofing process - checking for spelling and punctuation mistakes, mostly. We all read this name, but didn’t recognize it or think that it was anything other than a personal friend of the band’s, that we did not know. Ox however recognized the name as a far right conspiracy theorist, focused specifically on Holocaust denial. Suddenly the lyrics and themes of the new record were cast in a new light, for me.

"I spoke with Rob Miller, who is the individual in the band who Ox was interviewing, and while he denied being a Holocaust denier, I cannot comfortably work on or sell a record that dabbles in ideologies such as these. There are certain issues that rise above mere political differences and this is one of them. I spoke with the rest of the band on Monday, and NONE of them had any idea who Gerard Menuhin was, and were as shocked by these references in the record, as we at the label were.

"I firmly believe that these references and mentions in the record do not represent the band as a whole. but rather just Rob Miller’s. In light of all this, Relapse swiftly decided we cannot move forward with this album - we gave the masters back to the band, together with the rest of their catalog."

Stay tuned for updates.