All parties remained quiet about the situation, but not the fans, many of whom cried foul on message boards, including the band’s own Web site. Some accused Key (who replaced original singer Ben Dobson prior to 2001’s One for the Kids) of engineering a coup to assume complete control over the band; others started on-line petitions to bring Harper back. Finally, in November, the band issued a statement in which Mackin wrote of the split, “We’ve simply grown apart, personally and creatively, which can happen in any relationship. This change is hard for all of us, but Ben will always be our brother.”

In the February 2006 issue of Alternative Press, however, both sides took shots at each other. Harper insisted he “didn’t want to leave Yellowcard” and suggested his dismissal was underhanded. Key, who refused to get into specifics, responded to a question about whether Harper appears on Lights and Sounds by saying, “He’s on seven of the songs on the record — and not by our choice.”

When I gave Mackin an opportunity to clear the air (Harper didn’t respond to an e-mailed interview request), he politely declined, explaining that the band prefer the matter stay in-house and gently chastising those who insist on prying. “Because our fans are so close to us and are able to get so much information, it’s almost as if they feel they have the right to know exactly what has gone on in every situation. And it’s like, some things are a little bit more personal, and some things are really painful to a lot of people, and maybe you’re not as privileged to that information as you might think that you are.”

And Mackin and the band have had other things to worry about. Toward the end of 2005, Key developed a nodule on his vocal cords, and that forced Yellowcard to cancel European tour dates in December and jeopardized the current US tour. Mackin says Key is almost back to normal but adds that years on the road with little time off — as well as the band’s hard-partying ways — have contributed to his problems and Yellowcard’s elevating stress levels, a situation the band are working to resolve with a more reasonable tour schedule.

And, Mackin admits, they’re nervous as to whether the fans they hooked with Ocean Avenue will fall just as hard for Lights and Sounds. “Whenever you have a new record and a new sound to throw out there, it’s a double-edged sword. . . . With Ocean Avenue we got lucky and we had a phenom song that took us where we had no idea where we were gonna go. We didn’t wanna be MTV darlings, that wasn’t our dream, but it happened. We didn’t wanna go through all the drama, but it happened. And now we’re here, so it’s like, ‘All right, well at least now we can show what we’re made of, and what sort of artists we really are.’ ”

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Yellowcard + Mae + Blackout Pact | Axis, 13 Lansdowne St, Boston | Jan 27 | 671.228.6000

UPDATE (January 27, 2006): Yellowcard's performance at Axis on January 27 has been cancelled due to illness.

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On the Web:

Yellowcard: //www.yellowcardrock.com