Five Finger Death Punch has seen skyrocketing popularity since the band’s formation in 2005, with its albums garnering both commercial success and critical praise. Now one of the biggest acts in the metal industry, Five Finger Death Punch will play Comerica Theatre on Aug. 26 as a part of the Trespass America Tour, along with other major names like Killswitch Engage and Trivium.

Their name is an accurate description of what they bring to the table. Their songs are heavy handed, tightly closed fists pounding on your ears like you’re in a fight. And, just like in a fight, adrenaline shoots through your system and you can’t help but be jacked up. It’s what Tyler Durden, of Fight Club, would listen to in a blissful brawl.

With such passion comes soul. Even when the band is coming at you full force, their lyricism — an occasional second thought for some metal bands — never falters. They’re true and intense, just as they should be.

Plus, even better, the band likes to slow it down every now and again, treating listeners to a true range of talents. As for how this tour has been so far, Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Jason Hook says he thinks the band has been getting everything it hoped for out of it.

“It’s been awesome,” Hook said. “We’re at the level now where we’re headlining arenas that this feels really good. There’s a lot of big crowds and I feel like we have a very loyal and dedicated, and enthusiastic following. So I can’t think of too many tours where we haven’t seen the result we were looking for.”

Considering the band isn’t the only group to take the stage, though, their shows have seen more than just Five Finger fans coming out in force. With bigger crowds and more entertainment, people coming to the Trespass America Festival are getting their money’s worth, according to Hook.

“Because this is a festival and we have more than the regular amount of bands playing, I definitely think that we’re packed in a little tighter,” Hook said. “People like that value for their dollar, and when the first band goes at five o’clock [they get it].”
But although the tour is still ongoing, the band is already looking ahead. According to Hook, Five Finger Death Punch would like to get back in the studio as early as the beginning of October, barely a month after its last tour date.

While the band is gearing up for a new album, it’s still too early to say where it will end up.

“I think we’re leaving it open for now,” Hook said. “We always talk about what we want to accomplish, but then it ends up taking a life of its own. It’s a creative process, it’s not something we can put down on paper, and I think that the only objective is to have strong songs. Because you can say, ‘Let’s make a heavier record,’ but if they’re heavier, shit songs, nobody wants that either.”

As far as albums go, though, Five Finger seems to always be doing something. Its second album, War is the Answer, was released in September 2009. Their last album, American Capitalist dropped in October 2011. Having that quick turnaround time is part of the band’s philosophy.

“It’s a different era for music, and I think that people are so anxious to consume that the process is very quick nowadays,” Hook said. “The Internet has increased the speed and accessibility of concert footage. All your music can be emailed, traded, copied, cloned, uploaded, downloaded. It’s just a faster, hungrier beast that needs to be fed within shorter intervals to stay alive, and we recognize that. It’s just required that we get back in and keep being creative.”

But for now, the band is excited to come play in Arizona. According to Hook, it’s one of the group’s favorite spots.

“Any time we’re preparing a tour, we’re always anxious to have tour dates in places like Tucson and Phoenix,” Hook said. “It’s always been very strong for us, and there are always really, really beautiful women too, especially in Phoenix. We certainly enjoy it.”

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