Five Finger Death Punch vocalist Ivan Moody says he’s not leaving the band – despite reports late last week that he was quitting.
In an interview with radio station 106.7 KBPI, Moody revealed that he would be working on a side project called Villain – leading some websites to report that he was walking away from FFDP.
But amid swirling speculation, Moody has issued a statement to set the record straight.
Moody says: “It’s no secret that this has been a tough year for me and for my bandmates in Five Finger Death Punch. When you put everything you have into making music, both on and off the stage, it can be very frustrating when the music you work so hard to create is not allowed to see the light of day.
“I know we share this frustration with our fans too, who have come to expect new music from us – fans who mean everything to us.
“It is true that Five Finger Death Punch has come to a crossroads – and that crossroads is we’re all at a place where we will never again let someone or something hold us back from making music for our fans.
“The lawsuit by Prospect Park holding our new album hostage has taken a toll on me. I was in a rehabilitation facility when Prospect Park decided to sue the band last year, and that was very difficult for me to handle all at once.”
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He continues: “I made a statement that was taken out of context by the media – a media always looking to create headlines that will make people click them.
“The truth is, I want to start a side-project like Corey Taylor has with Stone Sour or Maynard has with A Perfect Circle – and I want to do it when Five Finger Death Punch’s deal with Prospect Park is over and we are out of this lawsuit.
“This does not mean I plan on leaving Five Finger Death Punch!”
Moody adds: “All that said, Five Finger Death Punch fans can expect our next album via Prospect Park and we are geared up to tour all throughout 2017.
“All of us in the band have worked incredibly hard over the last 10 years to build this band and none of us are going to let that go just because our record company is trying to sabotage us.
“I am sorry if the media took my statement as a resignation, but I assure you it wasn’t.”
Five Finger Death Punch’s last album was 2015’s Got Your Six. They’ll head out on the road from May, with dates planned in North and South America and across Europe.
Five Finger Death Punch 2017 tour dates
May 06: Buenos Aires Maximus Festival, Argentina
May 10: Rio Vivo Rio, Brazil
May 11: Belo Horizonte Esplanada Do Mineirao, Brazil
May 13: Sao Paulo Maximus Festival, Brazil
May 17: Corpus Christi Concrete Street Amphitheatre, TX
Jun 02: Mendig Rock Am Ring, Germany
Jun 06: Milan Alcatraz, Italy
Jun 08: Interlaken Greenfield Festival, Switzerland
Jun 09: Derby Download Festival, UK
Jun 10: Paris Download Festival, France
Jun 12: Tilburg Poppodium, Netherlands
Jun 14: Nickelsdorf Nova Rock, Austria
Jun 16: Clisson Hellfest, France
Jun 16: Hockenheim Matapaloz, Germany
Jun 17: Dessel Grspop Festival, Belgium
Jun 22: Madrid Download Festival, Spain
Jun 23: Copenhagen Copenhell Festival, Denmark
Jun 24: Halden Tons Of Rock Festival, Norway
Aug 19: Springfield Illinois State Fairgrounds, IL
Aug 20: Carterville Moonstock Festival, IL
Sep 22: Englewood High Elevation Festival, CO
Sep 23: Denver Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, CO
