Year: 2020
Total Time: 45:06
Label: Better Noise

The quite plain title “F8” marks the return to the musical forefront of one of the most successful American bands of the last decade. At least that is what the numbers that rank them third in total music consumption (sales and streaming) say with only AC/DC and METALLICA being above them. The spiritual child of Alternative, Nu and Groove Metal, these five guys from Las Vegas managed record by record, song by song, concert by concert to multiply their fans and find themselves within approximately ten years in the big salons of Rock and Metal.

As with their previous works, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH do not deviate but stick to their familiar successful recipe. Three-minute compositions mostly, combining heavy rhythmic guitars and catchy choruses, with Ben Moody’s voice alternating from angry to melodic. Bathory and Hook continue to enrich the songs with their excellent guitar solos, while the production is handled once again by Kevin Churko, a permanent member of the band since 2009’s “War Is The Answer”.

The record seems to be divided into 3 types of songs: The more aggressive ones, the more melodic ones and of course the ballads. In terms of aggressiveness we find the band to be less heavy than the past with fewer and more simple riffs and almost no fast tempos – which may be due to the new drummer Charlie Engen. The melodic tracks and the ballads continue to venture into the modern Rock paths reminiscent of bands like SHINEDOWN and THREE DAYS GRACE. The quite odd “A Little Bit Off” comes as a surprise, with its almost Pop Rock style which shows the Country influences of the group.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in 2020 seem to have adopted a more Hard-Rock sound, somewhere between DISTURBED and STONESOUR. The same can be said about the band’s charismatic frontman Ben Moody as he sounds like a cross between Corey Taylor and David Draiman. But unlike the very good last album of Taylor’s second band, “F8” has more in common with the mediocre “Evolution”. It lacks the heaviness and the inspired riffs that the Americans had us used to. However, the catchy choruses as well as the dynamites “Bottom Of The Top” and “This Is War” make the album worth listening to.

Rating: 6.5/10
Editor: Dimitris Benetatos
Related Link: FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH – Official Page