Five Finger Death Punch Lead Guitarist Jason Hook Announces Departure

2020-10-14

Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Jason Hook – Story by Scarlett Hunter, photo by Anne Erickson

Founding Five Finger Death Punch lead guitarist Jason Hook is leaving the band

Five Finger Death Punch and guitarist Jason Hook have announced they are going separate directions. Back in late 2019, Hook had to get emergency gallbladder surgery, which caused Five Finger Death Punch to postpone three tour dates. After the group started touring Europe in early 2020, Hook had to leave the tour early to have some “additional time for his recovery,” and now, Hook has announced he’s not coming back.

British guitarist Andy James will take Hook’s place in the band. James has been filling in for Hook since 2019 and performs on “Broken World,” one of the never-before-released songs that will appear on Five Finger Death Punch’s upcoming greatest hits set, “Decade of Destruction, Volume 2.”

“Jason is an incredible guitar player, so we had to find someone on the absolute top of their game,” guitarist Zoltan Bathory said in a statement. “Someone like Andy James who was already a well-known virtuoso and had the chops to step into Jason’s shoes. Andy completed our European Tour with us back in February so he was already tried by fire. We instantly clicked both musically and personally so he was the obvious choice. We even have the same birthday… Some things are just meant to be.”

Hook issued a statement thanking Five Finger Death Punch fans for their love and support over the years.

“I have had the pleasure of meeting so many of you in person,” Hook said. “Thank you for the endless stories of how our music has touched your heart in some way! But the best part of being on tour the last 12 years, by far, has been playing my guitar and seeing the joy on your faces every night,” Hook said in a statement about his departure. “I will miss that more than anything. As far the reason I’m leaving…well, there really isn’t just one. I’ve been in bands my entire life and I feel like I’ve done all the good that I can here. It’s time to pass the baton and move on to new challenges.”

Five Finger Death Punch’s “Decade of Destruction, Volume 2.” will arrive Oct. 9. The album will offer songs from the group’s first seven albums, plus some never-before-released tracks and other goodies.

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Scarlett Hunter

Meet the expert - Scarlett Hunter has written about alternative music for a variety of publications over the past 10 years. She covers alternative and rock for Audio Ink Radio. Hunter is a graduate of Ohio State University. Contact her at scarlett@audioinkradio.com.

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