F8

The platinum-selling arena rockers eighth studio effort -- and first to feature new drummer Charlie Engen -- is aptly named. Puns aside, F8 also happens to be the function key used to access the Windows recovery system, which dovetails nicely with Five Finger Death Punch wildman Ivan Moody, who underwent his own bit of rehabilitation in 2017. Having successfully sworn off the booze, Moody and company have crafted a baseline-angst bonanza that rolls in with the subtlety of a Michael Bay action sequence and never looks back. Produced with sizable modern rock radio heft by longtime collaborator Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Disturbed), the overlong set (16 tracks if you count the bonus cuts) commences with a bit of orchestral bombast before unleashing a pair of groove-laden stadium bangers (Inside Out and Full Circle) that are among the heaviest of the bands career. The punishing Scar Tissue and This Is War follow suit, with the poppy A Little Bit Off and the heartfelt closer Brighter Side of Grey doing their due diligence as palate cleansers. Moodys vocals have never sounded better, even if the material tends to play it safe -- F8 ticks off all of the FFDP boxes, and to be fair, moves at a steady clip, with only two tracks clocking in over four minutes. Love them or hate them, Five Finger Death Punch are a band who know their product and have become ruthlessly efficient at manufacturing it. ~ James Christopher Monger

ドラマー交替を経て新たな5人体制で作り上げた8作目は、米ヘヴィー・ロックの覇者の名に相応しい出色の出来映え。ストリングスを導入した表題曲から"Inside Out"へ繋ぐ冒頭の流れはガッツポーズを取りたくなるかっこ良さ。また、"A Little Bit Off"ではアコギを用いた新味な曲調がハマッているし、グルーヴ・メタルの重厚さに暴れ出したくなる"Bottom Of The Top"など、とにかく楽曲が粒揃い。
bounce (C)荒金良介