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Interviews : “It was a long process to make the record” – An interview with Jeremy Spencer (Five Finger Death Punch)

By on May 23, 2018

Five Finger Death Punch – Jeremy Spencer

Five Finger Death Punch are a band that divides opinion like few other in heavy metal in 2018. What a detractor or nay-sayer could not dispute is the bands work ethic and dedication to their loyal fanbase.

Ever since the outfits inaugural release back in 2007 (The Way of the Fist), the band’s core membership has consistently offered metal that mixes Pantera’s rhythmic onslaught, Rob Zombie’s four to the floor industrial-rock and a smattering of Eminem’s lyrical beatdowns. The bands well-travelled drummer/ percussionist, Jeremy Spencer, was available to chat about the bands long awaited album And Justice For None.

“It was a long process to make the record. We wanted to have it out a long time before now, but we had some legal issues with our record label that we had to kind of iron out first, so it delayed everything. It was kind of a taxing process, but I think that the record itself turned out to be a pretty strong effort. I’m happy with the way it turned out. Obviously, there are snapshots in time, you put your heart and soul into everything that you do at that given time and hope that it works out. You can’t control if people buy it or if they’re going to like it, you just have to like it as an artist. We feel that we’ve achieved what we were trying to achieve, and it would be great if people dig the record. That would be awesome but like I said you can’t control it, but we hope for the best. I am definitely proud of the record, and I can’t wait for it to finally come out.”

As Spencer has alluded to, the band endured a series of setbacks in recent times. This included singer Ivan Moody ‘s apparent resignation from the band on stage at Tilburg, Netherlands (the band regrouped and Moody is still the band’s frontman), and the mentioned ‘legal issues’… a protracted dispute with the band’s then recording company, Prospect Park.

“We had finished the record in, I think it was December of ’16. We turned it in like the last day of December, and then we were in a lawsuit, so that delayed everything. Then we ended up as part of the lawsuit recording a few more songs for it and pulling a couple songs and putting them on the greatest hits and shuffling things around. It was quite an ordeal, but by the time it was finished some of the things were new on there as opposed to the things that we turned in at the end of the previous year, so it was kind of fresh again for a second, which was nice, because we had been living with that record for so long. Now it’s launching the album campaign. We’re back on course and everything’s normal, so it’s like nothing ever happened even though a year went by and it was supposed to be out. We’re excited to get going, it’s just that we’re in the early stages.”

Seasoned readers may recognise Spencer’s name via his contribution to another colossus of the heavy metal genre, W.A.S.P. The collaboration may not have been long-lasting, however as Spencer recounts it was an important gig that led to the introduction of a fellow 5FDP musician.

“Well, it was my first real shot at something other than just trying to play in a band that you hope gets a record deal playing original tunes. I’d done that so much and gotten so close and then not having a breakthrough that I was like you know what I’m just going to try the hired thing and W.A.S.P. was auditioning and I somehow landed that gig. It was a great learning experience going through that. It was pretty intense, and I did learn some things. I met Darrell Roberts (guitar) who ended up being the guy that I brought into Five Finger Death Punch. So, that all worked out the way that it was supposed to. It was really cool to rehearse with W.A.S.P. and hear Blackie’s voice blaring out of the monitors that were kind of neat.”

Listen to the full conversation here.

Click here to purchase/stream the new album ‘And Justice For None’, out now via Eleven Seven Music / Sony Music Australia.

About

Andrew is a musician who has spent many years performing on the stages of the pubs and clubs of Queensland. A devotee of the broad church that is rock, punk, funk, jazz and of course all genres of metal... he now shares his enthusiasm via a burgeoning pursuit of music journalism. Follow him on twitter @andymckaysmith