Five Finger Death Punch, also abbreviated as5FDP orFFDP, is an Americanheavy metal band fromLas Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2005. The band originally consisted of vocalistIvan Moody, rhythm guitaristZoltan Bathory, lead guitarist Caleb Andrew Bingham, bassist Matt Snell, and drummerJeremy Spencer. Bingham was replaced by guitaristDarrell Roberts in 2006, who was then replaced byJason Hook in 2009. Bassist Matt Snell departed from the band in 2010, and was replaced by Chris Kael in 2011. Spencer then departed the band in 2018 due to recurring back issues, and was replaced by Charlie Engen, making Bathory and Moody the only members to appear on every album. In October 2020, British guitarist Andy James became the band's lead guitarist, replacing Jason Hook.
Five Finger Death Punch are the recipients of theRadioContraband Rock Radio Awards for "Indie Artist of the Year" in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. They were also honored with the Radio Contraband Rock Radio Award for Album (American Capitalist) and Song of the Year ("Coming Down") in 2012 and "Video of the Year" for "Wrong Side of Heaven" in 2014. As of 2025, Five Finger Death Punch has released nine studio albums, one live album, fourcompilation albums, oneextended play (EP), and 33singles.
Five Finger Death Punch was founded in 2005[1][2] by formerU.P.O. bassist[1][3]Zoltan Bathory and drummerJeremy Spencer, Zoltan deriving the band's name from classic martial arts cinema.[4] GuitaristZoltan Bathory commented on the band's name: "The name of the band has to have some kind of effect. It doesn't have to be positive. It doesn't have to be, like, 'That's the greatest name in the world!' It can be, 'Oh my god, that's the dumbest fucking shit I ever heard!' Equally good, because it got a reaction. I mean, I don't think you can beat Five Finger Death Punch. That's probably the worst fucking name. In fact, we almost changed it, but then Ivan came in and said, 'That's the best name ever, they're gonna fucking hate it! Keep it! That's fucking ridiculous!"[5]
Bassist Matt Snell joined in early 2006.[1][6] Later that year, Bathory contacted formerMotograter vocalist Ivan Moody, sending him some of the material the band had recorded and asked him to audition for the vocalist position.[1] Moody flew from his home inDenver, Colorado to Los Angeles and quickly began recording material with the band.[7]
Jason Hook, who replaced guitarist Darrell Roberts in 2009
By the end of 2006, their debut album,The Way of the Fist had been recorded and entirely self-produced.[1] The album was recorded with Stevo "Shotgun" Bruno and Mike Sarkisyan and was mixed by guitaristLogan Mader.[1][8] After searching for a second guitarist, they found Caleb Bingham who played some shows with the band, but was later replaced byDarrell Roberts.[1][9] Shortly after recording the album, they signed a record deal with Firm Music, a branch of "The Firm".[1][10] On July 10, 2007, they released anEP,Pre-Emptive Strike exclusively through the AmericaniTunes Store.[1][11] The album's lead single, "The Bleeding", was released on July 13, 2007.[12]The Way of the Fist was released on July 31, 2007.[13] The album entered theBillboard 200 at number 199 and was certifiedgold in 2011.[14]
From July 30 to September 2, 2007, the band went on their first major tour cycle as one of the supporting acts onKorn'sFamily Values Tour.[15] They were also a supporting act of the North American leg of Korn'sBitch We Have a Problem Tour from September 22 – October 27, 2007.[15] They were set to tour withChimaira andAll That Remains from January through March 2008, but due to singer Moody developing cysts on his vocal cords they were forced to pull out.[16] He made a full recovery and they began to tour again.[17] They supportedDisturbed on theirIndestructible US Tour from April through May 2008.[18]
The Way of the Fist was re-released on May 13, 2008, with 3 bonus tracks.[19] One of the bonus tracks, "Never Enough" was released as the album's second single on July 15, 2008.[20] Later that year they were a part of the 2008Mayhem Festival playing the Jägermeister Stage.[21] The third single fromThe Way of the Fist, "Stranger Than Fiction" was released on September 17, 2008.[20]The Way of the Fist was released through Spinefarm Records in Canada on November 4, 2008,[22] and in Europe on January 19, 2009.[23] In January 2009, Darrell Roberts was rumored to have been fired;[24] the split was confirmed a few days later, and Roberts was replaced by guitaristJason Hook.[25] They ended their support for their first album playing the main stage at the 2009Download Festival.[26]
In May 2009, Five Finger Death Punch announced their second studio album,War Is the Answer.[27] The album was produced byKevin Churko and mixed byRandy Staub.[28] The album debuted at number 7 on theBillboard 200[29] and has been certified platinum by the RIAA.[30] The first single from the album, "Hard to See", was released on July 21, 2009.[31] To promoteWar Is the Answer, Five Finger Death Punch embarked on "The Shock and Raw" US Tour. Main support on the tour was provided byShadows Fall, with additional support coming fromOtep and2Cents.[32] Upon completing the US run of the tour, Five Finger Death Punch then brought the Shock and Raw tour to Europe, finishing off with a run of dates in the UK. Main support for these dates was again Shadows Fall, and opening acts for the UK portion of the tour were Rise To Remain and Magnacult.[33]
The second single fromWar Is the Answer, "Walk Away", was released on November 2, 2009.[1] The album also spawned two UK-only singles, "Dying Breed", released on November 16, 2009,[34] and "No One Gets Left Behind", released on March 8, 2010.[35] During March 2010, Five Finger Death Punch traveled to Iraq and played 10 shows for theU.S. troops.[36] The band's cover ofBad Company'sself-titled song was released as the fifth single fromWar Is the Answer on May 17, 2010.[37] On their way to perform atRock am Ring and Rock im ParkZoltan Bathory, Matt Snell andJeremy Spencer were detained by German police for alleged international weapons violations. After recognizing the event as a misunderstanding, German police released the band members and they appeared at both Rock im Park on June 4, 2010, and Rock am Ring June 6, 2010, as scheduled.[38]
Five Finger Death Punch also played the Maurice Jones Main Stage at the2010 Download Festival on June 12, 2010.[39] While playing the song "Dying Breed", their set was cut due to too many peoplecrowd surfing up to the stage.[40] They were allowed to play one final song, "The Bleeding".[41] They played the main stage atMayhem Festival 2010 withKorn,Rob Zombie andLamb of God from July 10 until August 14, 2010.[42] On August 17, 2010, they performed the songs "Bad Company" and "Hard to See" on theABC showJimmy Kimmel Live!.[43] On September 16, 2010, The band released "Far from Home" as the sixth single fromWar Is the Answer.[44] They supportedGodsmack on their "The Oracle 2010" tour from October 3 – November 4, 2010.[45][46] The song, "Dying Breed" was featured on the soundtrack forNamco Bandai Games' remake ofSplatterhouse, released on November 23, 2010.[47]
The band began to record their third studio album in November 2010[48] at The Hideout studios in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bassist Matt Snell departed from the band in December 2010,[49] and in June 2011, Chris Kael was announced as Snell's replacement.[50] The band's third album, titledAmerican Capitalist, was released October 11, 2011.[51][52] Production for the album was handled again byKevin Churko.[53] The first single fromAmerican Capitalist, entitled "Under and Over It", was released on July 27, 2011,[54] following a music video in September 2011.[55][56] In support of the album, Five Finger Death Punch embarked on their "Share the Welt" tour from October 16 – December 14, 2011, with support fromAll That Remains,Hatebreed andRains and their "Furious and Deadly" tour from March 23 – April 12, 2012, with support fromSoulfly, Windowpane, and Persist.[57] The song "Back for More" is included on the soundtrack for the video gameMadden NFL 12.[58] "Back for More" was released as a digital single on September 13, 2011.[59] "Remember Everything" was released as the second official single forAmerican Capitalist in November 2011,[60] with a music video following in February 2012.[61] "Coming Down" was released as the third official single fromAmerican Capitalist in April 2012,[62] with a music video, directed by Nick Peterson, following in June 2012.[63] The song also won the band an Independent Music Award in 2013 for Best Metal/Hardcore Song.[64]
On February 28, the band posted a picture on Facebook of Moody recording vocals for the album. On March 12, an update video was posted to YouTube.[66] On March 18, the band was announced to be playingMayhem Festival 2013.[67] On March 18, Five Finger Death Punch posted a promotional video for their next tour with a new song "Here to Die".[67] The band also announced that they were working on a fourth album, due in the summer.[67]
On May 1, 2013, the band announced the release of their next two studio albums collectively titledThe Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell withVolume 1 being released on July 30, andVolume 2 following on November 19.[68][69][70] During the fifth annualGolden Gods Awards, Five Finger Death Punch performed a new song withRob Halford of Judas Priest entitled "Lift Me Up".[71][72] The song was released as a single on May 14.[73]
On June 6, Five Finger Death Punch revealed the artwork forThe Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1 and also released a snippet of future single "Dot Your Eyes"[74] Volume 1 reached the No. 2 position on the Billboard 200 with 113,000 copies sold in its first week, making it the band's most successful debut to date.[75]The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Volume 1 has sold over 210,000 copies as of August 2013[update].[76]
On September 9, 2013, the band released a new single, "Battle Born", in anticipation of their fifth studio albumThe Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 2. It sold 77,000 copies in its first week, and once again landed in the No. 2 position on the Billboard 200.[77][78][79]
On December 12, 2013, Five Finger Death Punch revealed in a radio interview that they had already begun working on a sixth studio album.[82] On January 14, 2015, Five Finger Death Punch announced US Spring headline tour dates from April 25 to May 9, 2015, and their intention to enter the studio to write and record a new album.[83] On May 2, 2015, the band released the title of their sixth album,Got Your Six as well as a teaser for a new song titled "Ain't My Last Dance" on their official Facebook page.[84] The album, which was slated for release on August 28, 2015, was later pushed back to September 4.[85][86] On May 19, 2015, the band announced a co-headlining North American Tour withPapa Roach to promote the upcoming album and were accompanied byIn This Moment as special guests with support byFrom Ashes to New for the tour.[87][88][89] The band also performed on the main stage as part of Download Festival 2015.[90][91]
And Justice for None and Spencer's departure (2016–2019)
On April 27, 2016,Billboard reported that Five Finger Death Punch's record labelProspect Park had filed a lawsuit against the band on April 21, 2016, for breaching their contract.[92] The basis of the claim cites that the band began working on a new album without Prospect Park's consent and will be working withRise Records. In a 2017 interview, vocalist Ivan Moody said he would be completing the current tour and leave the band at the end of the year.[93] The next day however, an announcement was published on the official site of FFDP, where it was revealed, that rumors about Ivan's departure are false. According to the announcement, the vocalist plans to start a side project beside Five Finger Death Punch, which does not mean he has plans on leaving.[94][95]
However, during a concert in the Netherlands, Moody did not show up to perform the first song, which was sung byTommy Vext, with Moody saying he was running "a little bit late". Vext also sang a second song during the set later in the evening while Moody walked off stage. During the show all of the members left the stage for long periods on several occasions, and Hook also threw his guitar down and walked offstage at one point. During the set, Moody said that "there is no other singer for Five Finger Death Punch", and then later said "This is my last show with Five Finger Death Punch" before making a slit-throat gesture.[96] Bathory shortly after the show tweeted that the events that transpired were "not a publicity stunt."[97]
The day after the show in Tilburg, Netherlands, the band announced a headline European tour withIn Flames andOf Mice & Men in late 2017.[98] Later that same day, the band released a statement addressing what happened at the show via their Facebook page, stating that bands that tour as heavily as they do will "inevitably have a few derailments, but the train always keeps on moving", implying that all shows would proceed as planned and that Moody would remain as the band's frontman.[99] Ivan Moody subsequently checked himself into rehab and sat out the remainder of the tour. Tommy Vext filled in for Moody while he sought treatment.[100][101] On August 19, Ivan Moody returned to the stage at theIllinois State Fair, although just days prior it was still unknown if he would be taking the stage.[102]
In December 2017, it was announced that the band was working on their seventh studio album.[103] The album,And Justice for None was released May 18, 2018.[104] On December 21, 2017, the band released a video for their cover of "Gone Away" byThe Offspring. The cover song was featured on Five Finger Death Punch's greatest hits album,A Decade of Destruction.[105][106] On April 5, 2018, the band released "Fake" as the lead single fromAnd Justice for None.[107][108] On April 20, 2018, a second single was released, titled "Sham Pain".[109][110] A third single "When the Seasons Change" was released on May 4, 2018.[111][112]
For a Fall 2018 tour withBreaking Benjamin, Charlie Engen replaced Jeremy Spencer to allow him to undergoback surgery.[113] On December 18, it was announced that Spencer had departed the band permanently.[114] In June 2019, it was announced that Jeremy Spencer has continued the band's support offirst responders and was sworn in as a reserve police officer in Indiana.[115]
Five Finger Death Punch have also worked withBrantley Gilbert,Brian May ofQueen, andKenny Wayne Shepherd to re-record a new version of Sheperd's song "Blue on Black". The proceeds from the recording support theGary Sinise Foundation. While a cover of the song had already appeared onAnd Justice for None, this new version merged Sheperd's blues rock, Gilbert's country, May's classic rock and Five Finger Death Punch's mainstream rock styles.[116]
On May 9, 2019, the band released a video announcing a "new record in the making".[117] The album,F8 was released on February 28, 2020.[118][119] The album's lead single, "Inside Out", was released on December 2, 2019.[120][121] "A Little Bit Off" was released as the second single in June 2020.[122][123][124] Both songs topped theBillboardMainstream Rock songs.[125] On February 4, 2020, it was announced that guitarist Jason Hook was forced to miss the remaining shows of the European tour due to health issues. Andy James was named as substitute for the rest of the tour.[126] It was confirmed on October 12, 2020, that Hook officially left the band,[127][128][129] with James replacing him permanently.[129]
AfterLife and re-recordings of their greatest hits (2021–present)
In May 2021, it was announced that the band planned on recording their ninth album in 2022.[130][131] They will also make a 15th anniversary re-recording of their debut album,The Way of the Fist.[131] On April 12, 2022, the band released the title track from their ninth studio album,AfterLife.[132][133] On the same day, the band announced a U.S. tour withMegadeth,The Hu, andFire from the Gods, set for August through October 2022.[132][133] On May 13, 2022, the band released the second single, "IOU". They also announced the release of their ninth studio album,AfterLife, which was released on August 19, 2022.[134] On June 9, 2022, the band released the third single, "Welcome to the Circus".[135] On July 8, 2022, the band released the fourth single, "Times Like These".[136]
On January 12, 2024, the band announced the release of a digital deluxe edition of "AfterLife" which was planned to be released on February 9, but was delayed to April 5.[138][139]
In May 2025, it was revealed that Five Finger Death Punch re-recorded their greatest hits in response to their former record label, Prospect Park, selling their masters without the band's consent. They released their re-recorded greatest hits album on July 18, 2025.[140]
Amy Sciarretto ofLoudwire wrote that the title track of Five Finger Death Punch's albumAmerican Capitalist "could get a crew of Marine cadets through boot camp".[141]
^Gibson, Caren (June 13, 2010)."Download: Five Finger Death Punch".Metal Hammer. Archived fromthe original on March 23, 2011. RetrievedNovember 13, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Ramirez, Carlos (February 22, 2010) (February 23, 2010)."2010 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival".Noisecreep. AOL. RetrievedNovember 14, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Anderson, Sara D. (September 14, 2010)."Five Finger Death Punch, 'Far From Home' – New Song".AOL Radio Blog. AOL. Archived from the original on February 17, 2011. RetrievedJanuary 15, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
