Boasting a host of mohawks, piercings, and a sea of ink, Five Finger Death Punch, 5FDP for short (and to save me some typing!) look like they should be the hardest of hardcore, and I anticipated nothing by agonized screams and grunts lambasting society. As such, I was more then pleasantly surprised by the melodic sounds coming out of my stereo with War is the Answer, the band’s second full length release.

This radio friendly approach is highlighted in track two, the lead single from the album, ‘Hard to See’, opening as it does with the sort of mid paced riff that has served nu-metal bands like Soil and Drowning Pool so well. Added into the mix are harmonised choruses, some growls thrown in for punctuation, and a nice, clean guitar solo. Compared to their prior album, ‘The Way of the Fist’, the whole album has a far cleaner, more polished sound, doubtless aided by being mixed by Randy Straub, a man who has helped in the recent past with the sound of Metallica and Stone Sour.

Bulletproof ups the tempo, and with its fast guitars and growled vocals invites favourable comparison to Slipknot, front man Ivan Moody having a vocal style that closely resembles that of Corey Taylor. In this track, and the follow up ‘No One Gets Left Behind’, he is more then able to deliver variously clean vocals, a punky shout, and a convincing snarl.

Amongst the faster tracks guaranteed to have pits moshing, are lighter numbers like ‘Crossing Over’, and the inevitable ballad, ‘Far From Home’, layered as it is with orchestrated strings and keys. Whilst a fine testimony to the producer’s art, I found a little out of place, and compared to the heavier tracks it sounded like it had been lifted from a film score rather then a metal album. This contrast was no more obvious then when stacked against the following track, ‘Falling in Hate’, with its pain filled lyrics and screamed delivery. Thrown in amongst their own writing, 5FDP do a creditable version of the classic blues rock number ‘Bad Company’, giving it a modern feel with heavier riffing, without losing the song’s original sensibilities. How many members of this band’s fan base will recognize this 1974 vintage number as a cover rather then the band’s own material remains to be seen.

In summary, this is a band that will appeal to many nu-metal fans, and if they can reproduce the sound and energy live, will see 5FDP appeal to a large audience. They’ve got six UK shows coming up in November with Shadows Fall, and on the evidence of this LP, should be well worth catching on stage.

http://www.myspace.com/ffdp
http://www.5fdp.com

Spenny Bullen

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