WHAT'S THE LATEST ON YOUR LATEST CD ?
We hit 100,000 units sold this week! That is amazing for a band as heavy as us, and considering the current state of the music industry right now. Our single "The Bleeding" is still in the top 10 on the active rock radio charts 36 weeks after it debuted. Our second single will be released mid May....We are extremely pleased!

AS ARE YOUR FANS. DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC :
True,Honest and from the heart. We wanna make you feel something deep inside,,,be it anger,sadness, WHATEVER just feel something! We have a somewhat modern sound, But I think we also take things back to a time where artists cared about good songwriting. We come from the school of good,talented musicians with singers that can actually SING! Imagine that?!?

WE CAN. AND THAT WOULD BE WAY COOL. WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND IN MUSIC ?
I became interested in guitar as an infant watching my grandfather play guitar at the kitchen table. True story! I didn't actually start playing until the age of about 14. I became obsessed with it when I heard Crazy Train by Ozzy. I played in a few working cover bands in my late teens up and down the east coast. I then moved to Los Angeles,played in several projects before joining W.A.S.P. in 2001. I recorded four records with them,toured the world many times and left the band to pursue my own band in 2006. Fortunately for me, I hooked up with Five Finger Death Punch almost immediately after leaving W.A.S.P....

FORTUNATE INDEED ! DESTINY ALMOST. WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES ?
My grandfather,Randy Rhoads, James Hetfield, Stevie Ray Vaughn,Yngwie Malmsteen and any person that ever got off there ass and made a difference.


COL LIST. WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND AS YOU COME UP WITH NEW RIFFS FOR A SONG ?
Its different all the time. Sometimes nothing. Sometimes I will just be noodling on the guitar watching TV and come up with something that is really cool. Other times the mood that I am in will dictate the riffs I come up with. For me,consciously trying to write a "hit" or a ballad, or a heavy riff almost never works!

YEAH, IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU HAVE TO BE UNFOCUSED TO BE FOCUSED. WHAT WAS THE DEFINING MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU DECIDED TO BECOME A
MUSICIAN ?
It started with watching my grandfather play guitar,,,Then hearing "Blizzard Of Ozz" solidified it. I also lost my virginity to the hottest girl in my high school a couple nights after she seen me playing guitar at a house party,,,,That definately made the decision a little easier-Ha!

POINT WELL TAKEN. WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THE PAST BANDS EXPERIENCE THAT YOU HAVE PLAYED THAT HAS HELPED YOU IN 5FDP ?
Every musical situation I have been in helped shape and prepare me for a band like 5FDP. Obviously playing in a band with Blackie Lawless for five years was hugely educational. Being in that band was like rock school 101. Thanks Black!

ALRIGHT BLACKIE ! ONE HELL OF AN INSTRUCTOR. HOW INVOLVED ARE YOU IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS FROM CONCEPT TO RECORDING ?
Depends on the song. Most of the first 5FDP record was written and recorded when I joined. We did record a few things after I joined, White Knuckles is a song that I wrote for the record. I sat with Zoltan, together we mapped out the riffs,Then passed in on to the rest of the guys to do there thing. Ivan made that song a MONSTER! Pure genius.

THAT SONG IS DEFINITELY DESTINED FOR LEGENDARY STATUS. YOU USED TO PLAY IN WASP HOW IS FFDP DIFFERENT ?
WASP was already a very established,successful band when I joined and is really,lets be honest Blackies baby. 5FDP was, and still is a new band. 5FDP has a real shot at becoming a successful recording,touring band. I wanna be a part of that, I wanna be involved in making something out of nothing. It's a rush and I am loving it!

COOL DEAL. WHAT'S YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL ? AT WHAT POINT DO YOU SAY YOU'VE DONE WHAT YOU SET OUT TO DO ?
My ultimate goal right now is to be happy and have people show up at our shows! Sure I would love to buy my family all new houses, not have money issues and the stress that comes along with it, but as long as I can have this as a career and people are interested in
what I am doing, It's all good! I don't know if I could ever say 'I did what I set out to do",,,,Ask me in ten years-LOL!

WE'LL DO THAT...MARKING CALENDAR...TEN YEARS...DONE ! IT'S A DATE. OF ALL THE BANDS YOU'VE PLAYED WITH, WHO STANDS OUT THE MOST AND WHY
Five Finger Death Punch! In less than two years we have signed with an amazing Management company,have an amazing record deal,toured with Korn, Hellyeah, Evanescence,Trivium etc etc. We have a billboard charting album,hit single,number 5 video on MTV Headbangers Ball,and I am playing in a band,with what I think, Is the baddest motherfuckers on the planet! Do I need to go on? hahaha!

UMMMM...NO...WE AGREE ! 5FDP TOTALLY KICKS ASS. WHAT IN YOUR OPINION IS THE BEST AND WORST ASPECT OF THE METAL SCENE RIGHT NOW ?
To be honest,I don't really follow what is going on "in the scene" very much. The best aspect to me is that our band is doing awesome! Our fans/supporters are the best. People
always say that metal is dead or whatever,,,When I look out in the audience and see thousands of people of all ages losing there fucking minds I beg to differ. The worst aspect to me is the lack of support from big media,but that has always kinda been the case so
fuck'em. Metal has always been fine without ya. And on a personal note, I really miss bands with good singers and LEAD guitars. But thats just me.

PROBABLY MORE LIKE YOU AND FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND OTHER PEOPLE. TELL ME ABOUT ONE OF THE CRAZIEST MOMENTS YOU'VE SEEN ON THE ROAD THUS FAR ?
Dude c'mon! If you remember it,,,It probably wasn't that crazy.

POINT. YOU ARE FROM OHIO NOW AND FOR A WHILE YOU HAVE LIVED IN L.A HOW DO
YOU LIKE IT COMPARED TO OHIO ?
There are definitely things about Ohio that I love and miss,,,But I am officially a Southern Cali dude-Ha! I love it out here. Other than the perfect weather,beaches,beautiful people, there is an energy in the air here. Maybe you have to be in the entertainment field to understand what I am saying,But for me, it is undeniable. Los Angeles or Las Vegas is
where you will find me.

AND WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR YOU DARRELL ! WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE JUST GETTING INTO THE METAL BUSINESS ?
Do alot of ass exercises and learn to clinch your cheeks real tight!

LOL...YOU GUYS HAVE OVER 97941 FRIENDS ON MYSPACE HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT THE NET HAS HELPED YOU GUYS GET SO DAMN BID SO QUICK? ITS BEEN LIKE OVER A
YEAR AND YOU'RE HUGE.
The web has been extremely useful for us as a marketing tool,,,,But I think the real reason we have had the impact is because of songs. It's that simple kids,,,Write a great song and they will come! It's the oldest cliche in the book,,,But none is more true.

CAN'T CHANGE THE TRUTH. DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS ON TOURING OUT OF THE US ?
Eventually for sure. We can't wait to play in Europe,South America,Asia etc...But for right now we are focused on home.

YOU HAVE A NEW CD OUT ANY PLANS ON ANOTHER ONE FOR 2008?
No. We will be touring all year. We are starting a tour with Disturbed on April 18th,,,Then doing the "Rockstar Mayhem tour" with Slipknot,Disturbed, Mastadon, Dragonforce and a slew of other cool bands in July. We will also be doing our own headlining shows periodically throughout the summer so look out for us.

OH, WE WILL. WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND YOU ON THE NET ?
www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com
www.myspace.com/ffdp

ANY SHOUT OUT TO ANYONE IN PARTICULAR ?
Thank all at Metal Monthly for carrying the torch! Much love to all the Knuckleheads,,,see ya on tour!!!

THANKS DARRELL ! THANKS 5FDP ! FOR ALL YOU DO...WE ROCK FOR YOU !

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