FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Singer Says 'AfterLife' Is Only Second Album In More Than A Decade He Has Made Sober

In a new interview with Germany's Rock Antenne, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer Ivan Moody spoke about the lyrical inspiration for the band's new album, "AfterLife". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think in every record, if you listen to it from stage one, from 'The Way Of The Fist' [2007], you can even hear the differences and the similarities in my voice — progression, ways that I've grown. Each album is a signature of where I was in time. You can find me all through 'The Wrong Side [Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell]' [2013], '[American] Capitalist' [2011], 'Got Your Six' [2015].

"This album is such a staple for where I've come," he continued. "You've gotta remember this is only the second record I've made since 'War Is The Answer' [2009] that I was clean of liquor, so it was a big deal to me to reconnect with my music, man. It's just such a special album for me, man.

"There's a lot of compromise when you're in a band — when you're in anything… It's just the food chain; there's a pecking order in life. And in a band, you will always give and take; there's always win and lose; the better part of a song wins. But sometimes I didn't feel like it was the better part of the song. And I was quoted as saying the last two albums I didn't think were that great, and I meant 'Got Your Six' and 'And Justice [For None]' [2018]. I thought 'F8' was one of our best albums ever. But 'And Justice' and 'Got Your Six', it felt monotonous, like we were doing the same thing, running through the same motions. And that's what I wanted to get away from.

"I have to love what I do, man," Moody added. "And 'AfterLife' is exactly that. It's after everything we've done in the past. It's a prelude to a kiss. Most people didn't think that we were supposed to make two albums, much less nine. So all these times they wished us to die, we made sure that they knew that the underdogs don't go away that easy. And that was another chance — this was another chance for us to prove, 'You wanted us dead? Well, there you go. Here's the afterlife.'"

When the interviewer noted that the word "afterlife" in the title is written a one word with the letter "L" capitalized, Ivan said: "You noticed that. You're the first one to notice that — no, you are. It's because when I originally wrote it, I meant is as two separate words. But when you combine them together, obviously they mean the one — the angelic, the afterlife. So I wanted it to be noted that after your life was really the intention. After what you do on a daily basis — after your job, after the grind, after going and seeing your friends — who are you at the end of the day? When you're laying by yourself in bed and you've got one candle lit and you're listening to your favorite song and you're thinking with no interference, that is after your life. And so I wanted it to be apparent to people that that's what I intended. It's supposed to have the double meaning. It's not tongue in cheek; it's a double edge. So I'm glad you caught that, man. And sincerely, you're the first person to catch it. So, bravo."

The "Afterlife" title track, which was released as a single in April, recently gave FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH the most consecutive No. 1s on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. The song was the band's 13th total No. 1 and eighth entry on the chart in a row.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's follow-up to 2020's "F8" was once again recorded at the Hideout Recording Studio, the Las Vegas, Nevada facility owned and operated by Kevin Churko, the Canadian record producer/engineer and songwriter who has worked on all of FIVE FINGER's albums beginning with the band's sophomore release, 2009's "War Is The Answer".

"AfterLife" is FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's first album with its latest addition, renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who replaced Jason Hook in 2020. James was previously featured on "Broken World", a song that was included on the second installment of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's greatest-hits collection, "A Decade Of Destruction – Volume 2", which came out in the fall of 2020.

Since FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's debut album, "The Way Of The Fist", came out in 2007, the band has released six consecutive albums that were certified gold or platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as well as two chart-topping greatest-hits albums. In addition, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has earned numerous national and international awards and honors over the last decade, such as the prestigious Soldier Appreciation Award by the Association Of The United States Army, an honor bestowed upon only one other recording artist before them: Elvis Presley.

"F8" debuted at No. 1 on rock charts around the world, with Top 10 mainstream chart debuts in the USA, Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and more. It produced four No. 1 hit singles with "Inside Out", "A Little Bit Off", "Living The Dream" and "Darkness Settles In". The band has amassed over eight billion streams and three billion video views to date and has sold over one million tickets between 2018 and 2020 alone.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has just launched a U.S. headlining tour presented by Live Nation. Kicking off in Ridgefield, Washington on August 19, the trek will span over 30 dates, closing out on October 15 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The band is joined on tour by rock icons MEGADETH, with additional support from THE HU and FIRE FROM THE GODS.