(This story has been updated)
That is the rumor and the question everyone has been asking us today “Is Ivan leaving Five Finger Death Punch”?
Yes…No…Maybe…here’s what we’ve been able to find out. Ivan apparently stopped by a Denver radio station and did an interview, in the interview he dropped the bombshell that he was going to be leaving the band at the end of 2017. The interview was reportedly on the website but has since been removed. In the interview he also reported that he was going to start a new band at the end of 2017 called Villain.
Of course everything is all coming from secondary sources and there is ZERO official announcement from FFDP or Ivan Moody, other than this interview that is no longer online.
For those following the band this shouldn’t come as a too much of a shock (if it does become “official”) as they have been having some turbulent times as of late, one of which we reported on late in 2016 and you can see that here.
We’ll update this story as we hear more….
Update: Ivan Moody has responded with a statement on this story that has stormed the rock web world today view it on their website or read it below:
“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.
“Yesterday 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!
“The great thing about being a musician today is that you can explore your creativity in multiple ways without compromising your primary focus. I learned this watching people like Corey and Maynard and I think their fans are glad they’ve put more music out into the world. I hope my fans are, too.
“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. We are about to leave for South America and Europe and we have other dates [to be announced].
“All of us in the band have worked incredibly hard over the last ten 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.”
~Anna Kinkade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9ZnILpVtyA
