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

Herman Li of DRAGONFORCE is quoted as saying ‘We knew we were getting popular when people started to hate us’, which goes a long way to explaining why FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH are currently as big as they are. Splitting opinion across metalheads right down the middle, their unashamedly brash, pumping, meat-and-potatoes metal has seen them climb to the heady heights of Wembley Arena on these shores and a future headline slot at Download Festival seems inevitable. In short, there’s only the slightest of pressures on And Justice For None, their seventh studio album released on Friday, to give them the boost they need to reach the promised land of Donington bill-toppers.

By now, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH have turned their adrenaline-fuelled, Relentless-swigging riffs and drums into an art form; they’re instantly recognisable the minute a track drops. As such, it’s good to know they’ve approached And Justice For None with exactly the same ‘If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it’ mentality that has served them so well over the years. Opening tracks Fake and Top of the World have all the aforementioned trademarks and top them off with a huge, cherry-shaped chorus begging to be sung loud and proud; the latter probably sneaks it by a nose to the better track. There’s a lovely dip into more trad metal territory with Fire in the Hole and Bloody adds a hint of electronics, but, along with the likes of Rock Bottom and It Doesn’t Matter, this is classic FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH – it’ll get a person going and will inspire personal bests when used in a workout setting at the gym.

Being FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH though, they’re also more than capable of delivering a heartfelt and emotional power ballad and there are quite a few on here. Blue and Black is possibly the best song on the record and will get serious radio play in the ‘States with it’s country rock vibes that could easily pass for BLACK STONE CHERRY. The same holds true for the piano-led I Refuse and the raw power of When The Seasons Change, the latter featuring a superb singing performance from vocalist Ivan Moody, a man who has battled so many personal demons of late and delivers in a manner that suggests he’s exorcising them through the music. Oh, and they’ve done their customary trick of adding a cover. This time around, it’s Gone Away by THE OFFSPRING, which has been taken down in tempo and made rather mournful, a far cry away from the pace of the original.

So there we have it: another year, another solid if not groundbreaking FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH record. If you’ve loved them up until now, you’ll love this. If you haven’t, then you won’t. Will it draw in more fans? Only time will tell, but on the basis of And Justice for None, that spot atop Download on Friday in 2019 won’t be vacant for much longer.

Rating: 8/10

And Justice For None is set for release May 18th via Eleven Seven Music. 

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