War Is The Answer combines thrashy riffs with accessible hooks and a bit of a nu-metal vibe. Some songs are very mainstream and modern rock sounding, such as the radio-friendly tracks “Crossing Over” and “Far From Home.” Ivan Moody has a good melodic singing voice, but on songs like that, Five Finger Death Punch sounds like any of a million generic rock bands.
They are much more effective with harder edged songs like “Falling In Hate” and “Burn It Down,” which have prominent guitars, harsh vocals and a darker vibe, but still plenty of groove. Five Finger Death Punch blends both styles on many tracks, such as “My Own Hell” and “Bulletproof.” Heavy guitars and harsh vocals alternate with melodic singing and catchy choruses.
War Is The Answer should vault 5FDP to even higher levels. It’s a diverse album with several potential singles, but also a lot of intense moments. There’s even a very well-done instrumental, “Canto 34.” It has mass appeal to the mainstream rock audience, but enough metal elements to appeal to a portion of that fan base as well.
(released September 22, 2009 on Prospect Park Records)
