FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has announced the digital deluxe edition of “AfterLife”, the band’s critically acclaimed ninth studio album
Set for digital release on February 9 via Better Noise Music, the deluxe version will include the original 12 tracks recorded with the band’s longtime collaborator, producer Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE) in addition to four bonus tracks: three acoustic versions of the album’s songs “The End”, “Judgement Day” and “Thanks For Asking” plus a brand new song, “This Is The Way”, featuring the late rapper DMX. An official music video for “This Is The Way (Featuring DMX)” will premiere on February 9, 2024 to coincide with the release of the digital deluxe version of “AfterLife”.
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory says about “This Is The Way (Featuring DMX)”: “Music is meant to be shared, and it starts at the top with us, the artists. We have always embraced the mixing of genres, whether it be the remake of LL Cool J‘s ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ featuring Tech N9ne as a guest or our collaboration with blues warrior Kenny Wayne Shepherd, country star Brantley Gilbert, and Brian May, the legendary guitarist of QUEEN, on the song ‘Blue On Black’.
“The idea of collaborating with DMX had been in discussion for years, and it was a long and winding road to turn this particular item on our wish list into reality. He was a lyrical warrior, a true original who spoke his mind incorruptibly. We have always viewed DMX as ‘the metalhead of hip-hop’ because of his aggressive, raw, and untamed style. He growled and snarled, aiming to rattle some cages — an attitude we share, as FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has always been drawn to the fearless and the real. It made all the sense in the world, but today this is more than just a song; it’s a salute to a legend, a way to honor DMX‘s memory.”
Upon announcement of the digital deluxe version of “AfterLife” today, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has premiered an advance listen to the previously unreleased acoustic version of “Judgement Day” which can be streamed below. The band previously partnered with Covenant House in November 2023 and released an official video for “Judgement Day” during National Runaway Prevention Month to help raise awareness about the Youth Homelessness Crisis.
“AfterLife: Deluxe” track listing:
01. Welcome To The Circus
02. AfterLife
03. Times Like These
04. Roll Dem Bones
05. Pick Up Behind You
06. Judgment Day
07. IOU
08. Thanks For Asking
09. Blood And Tar
10. All I Know
11. Gold Gutter
12. The End
13. This Is The Way (feat. DMX)
14. Judgment Day (acoustic)
15. The End (acoustic)
16. Thanks For Asking (acoustic)
As previously noted, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is set to embark on an extensive European tour comprising headline dates and festival performances this summer. Notably, this tour aligns with the European segment of METALLICA‘s “M72” tour, where FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH continues to captivate audiences as a special guest in stadiums across the globe.
In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of “The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 1 & Volume 2,” FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH marked the occasion by unveiling a limited-edition vinyl 6LP box set and a digital version of the same box set on December 1, 2023.
The album “AfterLife” represents a significant chapter for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH as it introduces the band’s latest member, the esteemed British virtuoso Andy James, who stepped in for Jason Hook in 2020. James had previously contributed to “Broken World,” a track featured on the second installment of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH‘s greatest-hits collection, “A Decade Of Destruction – Volume 2,” released in the fall of 2020.
