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Album Reviews : Five Finger Death Punch – Got Your Six

By on September 24, 2015

unnamed (1)Memphis, Tennessee, May 1st 2015, and a bizarre onstage meltdown (which can be viewed here) had many fans wondering whether Five Finger Death Punch were finished. After many technical difficulties plagued the band during their opening three songs, a public spat ensured between singer Ivan Moody and drummer Jeremy Spencer that saw Moody left on stage alone. While many feared the worst, Moody took to Facebook the very next day apologising on behalf of the band, and in turn, announced that Got Your Six had received its title and would be released in the near future. Well, here we are four months later, Got Your Six is blasting on my computer as I’m writing this, and I will now share my thoughts.

Stylistically, it is no different from previous 5FDP records, maintaining that mix of melody and brutality; however this time, this mix is represented rather unevenly. While more brutal numbers such as ‘Got Your Six,’ ‘No Sudden Movement,’ and ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ hold up well as effective mosh-friendly anthems, but more melodic cuts such as ‘Question Everything,’ ‘Hell to Pay,’ and ‘My Nemesis’ are unfortunately quite forgettable, and really highlight the weaknesses of this album. These more melodic songs can even make you wince at times, with ‘I Apologize’ (only on the Deluxe Edition) almost Nickelback cringeworthy!

While those more melodic songs aren’t entirely bad, they end up sounding rather formulaic and make it seem like you’re listening to two different albums rather than the one nicely flowing product. Yes, 5FDP have in the past employed the brutal/melodic mix well on past albums such as War is the Answer and American Capitalist, but on Got Your Six, the formula sounds uninspired, as if the band have run out of ideas.

Which leads me to my biggest criticism of the album: ‘Boots and Blood’ sounds all too familiar to Pantera’s ‘Walk.’

Yes, the chords are different, but listen to the song’s rhythm and you’ll see what I mean. In fact, start subconsciously singing ‘Walk’ in your head while listening to ‘Boots and Blood,’ kind of similar don’t you reckon? I understand that it is a real challenge to remain original in this day and age where so many things have been done before, but you have to wonder whether 5FDP wrote this song after a massive Vulgar Display of Power bender.

With the criticism out of the way, the production on the album is top notch, showcasing effective dynamics for all the instruments and Ivan Moody’s vocals are still intimidating as ever. A major criticism of the album has been Moody’s lyrics, and while I agree the album does have weak moments lyrically (mostly in the more melodic songs), there are some instances where the lyrics suit the songs superbly. Take title track ‘Got Your Six’ for example. The lyrics are simple, yet effectively tell the listener that 5FDP are here to stay regardless of what you think of them, summing up the band’s philosophy of not giving a flying f*** what people think of their music as long as they continue to thrive as a band.

While the album is far from Five Finger Death Punch’s best, they are here to stay regardless, with not even on stage meltdowns crippling the tight bond the members of the band share.

About

Sam hails from Bathurst,a regional city 3 hours west of Sydney,Australia and home to the ultimate petrolhead monolith, Mt Panorama. Sam, however, is fuelled by his love of metal and became a fully fledged metal convert in his late teens through the teachings of Slayer, Korn, Tool, Faith No More and many others. Now on the other side of 20, Sam has almost completed a journalism degree and intends to move to Melbourne in the very near future.