Five Finger Death Punch’s Chris Kael On The New “Afterlife” Album, Future Career Plans, His Brewery, Las Vegas, KISS & More

Prior to the release of the 2022 album Afterlife, Five Finger Death Punch has amassed 25 top 10 hit singles and 12 #1 singles. A mainstay at major festivals and sold-out arena gigs around the world, success started for 5FDP with the 2007 album The Way Of The First. The seven studio albums following that debut full-length were all certified Gold or Platinum by the RIAA, beyond RIAA accolades earned from two “greatest hits” album released by the group. Also of note is that 5FDP has received the prestigious Soldier Appreciation Award by the Association Of The United States Army, an honor reportedly bestowed upon only one other recording artist before them: Elvis Presley.

In support of Afterlife, Five Finger Death Punch — as comprised of frontman Ivan Moody, guitarists Zoltan Bathory and Andy James, bassist Chris Kael and drummer Charlie Engen — is currently in the midst of a North American headlining tour presented by Live Nation. Launched last month in Portland, Oregon, the tour spans over 30 dates before closing out on October 15, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah at the USANA Amphitheatre. The band is joined on tour by rock icons Megadeth, with additional support from The HU and Fire From The Gods. The tour came to Wantagh, New York’s Northwell Health At Jones Beach Theater on Monday, September 12, 2022, which this writer had the absolute pleasure of seeing in-person; photo highlights from the Jones Beach show are embedded below from Instagram.

Also embedded below is video of the influence I taped with Five Finger Death Punch bassist Chris Kael backstage while Megadeth was on-stage, as filmed by Melissa Paltrowitz. Tour dates and more information on this must-see tour can be found online by clicking here, here and here. Those unable to see Kael and crew on this current run will also have the chance to see 5FDP on the road later this year on a co-headlining jaunt alongside country star (and 5FDP collaborator) Brantley Gilbert.

Not discussed within the conversation, however, is the new film The Retaliators — which has a New York City-based premiere this week along with its soundtrack release — which features music and/or appearances from members of Five Finger Death Punch and The Hu. More on The Retaliators can be found here and here; star Michael Lombardi spoke to The Hype last month, which you can read here.

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Tags: 5FDP, Brantley Gilbert, Chris Kael, FFDP, Five Finger Death Punch, Las Vegas, Megadeth

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."