Five Finger Death Punch

Five Finger Death Punch, the American heavy metal outfit known as 5FDP or FFDP, was formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. The band was founded by guitarist Zoltan Bathory, formerly of U.P.O., who recruited former Motograter vocalist Ivan Moody, W.A.S.P. drummer Jeremy Spencer, and other players to round out the lineup. The original lineup included vocalist Ivan Moody, rhythm guitarist Zoltan Bathory, lead guitarist Caleb Andrew Bingham, bassist Matt Snell, and drummer Jeremy Spencer. From the start the band leaned into a heavy, groove-driven sound rooted in thrash and nu metal influences, with Bathory citing Pantera as an influence while Moody drew on vocalists such as Mike Patton, Phil Anselmo, Layne Staley and Lynn Strait. The band's breakthrough arrived with its debut album. Their debut album The Way Of The Fist was released on July 31, 2007, and charted into the Billboard 200 on its first week of release, reaching the number one position on Billboard's New Artist/Heatseekers chart. Their debut single "The Bleeding" went top ten against all odds in what was an unfriendly climate for metal at the time, and received radio airplay for eight months. Lineup shifts followed quickly, as Bingham was replaced by guitarist Darrell Roberts in 2006, who was then replaced by Jason Hook in 2009. The Way of the Fist sold over 500,000 copies in the United States, and the 2009 follow-up War Is the Answer further increased their popularity, selling over 1,000,000 copies and being certified Platinum by the RIAA. The band's career arc continued through consistent chart success and lineup evolution. Bassist Matt Snell departed from the band in 2010, and was replaced by Chris Kael in 2011. The band's third album, American Capitalist, was released on October 11, 2011, and every record since the release of the band's 2007 debut album has been certified Gold or Platinum by the RIAA, amounting to 3x Platinum and 6x Gold. They released the ambitious two-part The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell in 2013, followed by Got Your Six in 2015, And Justice for None in 2018, and F8 in 2020. Spencer 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. Along the way the band picked up numerous honors, including Radio Contraband Rock Radio Awards for "Indie Artist of the Year" in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, as well as Album of the Year for American Capitalist and Song of the Year for "Coming Down" in 2012 , and they were regular fixtures on major festival bills, having played international music festivals including Mayhem Festival in 2008, 2010 and 2013, and Download Festival in 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2017. Five Finger Death Punch remains active today. Following gold and platinum successes with albums like American Capitalist, the two-volume Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, And Justice for None, and 2022's AfterLife, the band released a two-volume re-recording of their greatest hits in 2026, followed by a 20th anniversary single, "Eye of the Storm." Over two decades the band has built a reputation as one of modern metal's most durable commercial forces, known for anthemic riffs, radio-ready hooks, and relentless touring that has carried them from small club stages to festival headlining slots.