ALBUM REVIEW: Five Finger Death Punch – And Justice For None

Modern rock giants Five Finger Death Punch are set to release their latest album “And Justice For None” on May 18th through Eleven Seven Music/Sony Music Australia. Containing 14 tracks including a cover of The Offspring’s classic “Gone Away” plus an additional 2 bonus songs on offer, there is much to go through as we take a look at each track.

I’m gonna warn you – straight up – this record is like two on one. It’s seriously got 16 tracks. 16! Really? I mean Mylanta, did we time travel back to 1992 when bands were throwing out these epic CDs? When I opened up the email and saw the track listing I was kinda surprised. I was committed at this point; all in, if you will and so I got ready to scribble down my notes as I listened track by track. Here’s what I thought about each song, so follow along my Lovelies:

1. TROUBLE – 4th Dimension/level of conscious seekers – an anthem for us! Galloping tempo, pounding bass, slick guitar solo to rile you up for the last chorus with freakin’ bomb cut time! True to form 5FDP!!
2. FAKE – deep drum tones on the toms are a nice change from kinda the norm of late. Lyrically, this song is all about an angry incident= we’ve all had those situations, or people, no? I sure have. Let’s submit some of these choice words to Hallmark – they need to be on a card.
3. TOP OF THE WORLD – I dig the way IVAN uses the middle-voice in the verses and the movement within them. There’s a tinny sounding guitar solo that squeals the same sentiments as the words from IVAN MOODY’s mouth.
4. SHAM-PAIN – clever play on words there Mr. MOODY. 5FDP can put the baby in the corner, can’t they? The in & out of this song’s beat is dope. I love the parallels made throughout the song both within the echoes of the music and lyrics. This track is a smidgeon different than the tones found in other 5FDP songs.
5. BLUE ON BLACK – a remake of KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD’S song, 5FDP creates a chilling version with the reverb and IVAN’s registry that reaches in deep. The stand out in this song lies with the chorus. It is thick, gritty, & will buckle your knees if you’re not careful so pay attention!
6. FIRE IN THE HOLE –  I wanted to get up and march around my place all militantly while this track played! Potent percussion with the dark haunts of 5FDP. If Oompa Loompas were real and a group of them liked rock, this would be their song that plays as they rise up against us!! Seriously, badass though, really!
7. I REFUSE – An absolute 180 musically. The ballad’s close cousin or kin, it’s the love story about the agony some people go through to find themselves. I love the acoustic and the end’s repeating chorus is worth paying attention to…there’s a message within it. Listen closely.
8. DOESN’T MATTER – When in doubt – middle finger out!! Here’s a song that blasts all the people we know that revel in fitting in this selfish mold. Funny, we all have fucktards like this in our lives. IVAN takes the words we want to say straight to these people’s faces and says it for us.
9. WHEN SEASONS CHANGE – killa groove in this track. A carefree whim to IVAN’S tone. What is this? Could this be redemption? Hope, love, strength for another? Way to be vulnerable y’all! We are all emotional beings, right? I like how IVAN can use the tone and bump to smooth vocal to identify the ups and downs when things change – on both sides – there’s an underlying, unspoken voice saying “don’t give up”, resonating in this song. The acoustic and electric layered and winding along the vocal path is pretty tight!
10. STUCK IN MY WAYS – is this the same as teaching an older dog new tricks? Because I heard that is bullshit and a dog can learn at any age. But I get being stuck doing things the ways they’ve always been done. The lofty tones and dragging of chords reminds me of a confessional almost. Wait for JASON HOOK’S solo… #slays
11. ROCK BOTTOM – go ahead and tell it like it is. When the negatives finally have made a home in your heart, you start to bend and then you break. And a story about hitting rock bottom is one thing, but telling it alongside drum tones that JEREMY has mustered out of some secret drum tone grab bag…fuck! If getting your ass kicked could be transposed into music, this is what it would sound like.
12. GONE AWAY – stunning and stirring remake of the OFFSPRING’S classic, GONE AWAY, becomes more than a cover with the revamped tempo, the dropped key, and the girthy lows of IVAN’S vocals that are birthed in the cave of his throat. Folded over into the imagery with the OMV (Official Music Video), GONE AWAY demands a higher purpose and godam, it is received. Look, I’ll be honest the dark and ambient dynamics offered by IVAN throughout the entire song brought me to tears. Hands down, the best record on AND JUSTICE FOR NONE; if not for 5FDP as a whole.
13. BLOODY – the grinding echoes from the drums create tones that gel up that sound within your ears like crystals forming on rocks over time; are massive. Amazing work inside the beats JEREMY.
14. WILL THE SUN EVER RISE – will this record ever end? LOL! Joking – I couldn’t resist the play on words here. Like I mentioned, the bang for your buck is as big as an elephant rifle. Here, CHRIS KAEL takes the bass to become conjoined with the melody and carries the whole song, IMHO. I love the swelling strings, the slap of beats, and pretty sweet licks from the mix.
15. BAD SEED – IVAN’S performance on this track is straight up brilliant and again, the tricks from the thump of CHRIS KAEL’S strings on the bass and pimps them out hardcore with the pow’s of the double bass. One of the best things about 5FDP is how they can wind their instruments around IVAN’S vocals and how he can fling it right back out all rolled up into one sound. Keep listening for exactly this towards the end – shazam!!
16. SAVE YOUR BREATH – the perfection of IVAN’S resonance is so damn special and sets 5FDP apart from most bands. Like marbles chunked across a tile floor, the change in key will rattle your insides. When you use music that without meaning to, creates pictures in the listener’s thoughts that run along with the song, you have extended the creation from beyond yourself, you know? The music becomes more; more to the creator and to the listener.

Whew!! There you have it Pretties! The record AND JUSTICE FOR NONE from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has been reviewed! Ta-da!!! #whoopwhoop Hats off to FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH for the release and I hope each member gains the goals they set out to achieve with this monster of a record!

PS – Y’all do know that all of my opinions about a record are just that, my opinions, right? I don’t care what anyone else says, a band’s work is their work and it’s their job to produce work that not only gives fans what they crave from a band, but what feeds the band’s craving at the same time. And I am sure that the equation to find the balance to accomplish this, is hard AF.

Til Next Time – MRML – Cherri