“Rock is dead,” the statement that has been going around for years and still bears no weight. While we no longer live in the era of the big four, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax; Heavy Metal is still prominent and raging hard as ever. Five Finger Death Punch has released six albums since their debut in 2007. And Justice for None, their latest album delivers a wide array of their musical capabilities, both heavy and melodic. Where the first three albums, The Way of the Fist, War is the Answer, and American Capitalist, are very heavy and include arduous guitar riffs and drums. The remaining albums, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous side of Hell Vol.1 & 2, and Got Your Six, slow down the pace, isolating the guitar and keeping the drums in a simple beat, in some songs and really make their sound well rounded and diverse.
And Justice for None, opens with “Fake,” a sound synonymous with the band, fast paced, heavy on the drums and guitar, guttural and explicit. The songs focuses on bringing attention to the falsities of peoples behavior and how that feeds into peoples need to be famous or well known; they really pinpoint that with “ …you talk a great game, trying to make a big name…”. Their singles for this album also include “Sham Pain,” which is another guttural song with lyrics to match discusses the bands most chaotic year leading up to the album release. Blatantly calling out social media outlets for criticizing and promoting their vocalists, Ivan Moody, most outstanding mishaps; “ …TMZ tried to screw me, Blabbermouth can f*ck itself ’cause they never f*cking knew me…,” they live up to the bands fame for being headstrong and unrelenting persona.
However, we then come across a song like, “Blue on Black,” which pays tribute to Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and here Five Finger Death Punch really shows some diversity in taking this classic blues song and morphing it into a heavier sound. The bands capability is further more proven in The Offspring’s cover of “Gone Away,” where they have completely made this song their own. While they produce explicit music the rawness of the lyrics transcribes and evokes deep emotions. They touch base with the darkness of our deepest fears, regrets, and our innermost emotions, bringing about reflection of our selves. More so than personal introspection 5FDP has on a multitude of occasions demonstrated unwavering support to the troops and produce pieces that resonate with a militaristic lifestyle, raw; in both the almost violent sound and the introspective lyrics.
Five Finger Death Punch’s moving lyrics appear most on songs like “Will the Sun Ever Rise,” “When the Seasons Change,” and of course “Gone Away,” where they are more honest and emotional unlike the superficiality in “Sham Pain.” In these songs it is where they diversify And Justice For None, they demonstrate range both lyrically and musically. While there are so many bands that produce masterpieces, I would say that Five Finger Death Punch lands an 8 on a scale, given on their varied musicality; especially within a genre that is not as mainstream and always expected to deliver…with a punch.