FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Lands 11th Consecutive No. 1 With 'This Is The Way (Feat. DMX)'

"This Is The Way (Feat. DMX)", the latest single from multi-platinum, chart-topping hard rock powerhouse FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, has hit the No. 1 spot at Billboard's Mainstream Rock radio chart, notably landing the Las Vegas-based band their 11th straight No. 1 hit on the chart. This extends the band's 2023 record of holding the longest streak of No. 1s in the chart's history. "This Is The Way" is the first No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart for legendary late rapper DMX and his very first appearance on the chart altogether. The single also claimed the No. 1 spot at Active Rock Radio this week, giving FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH its 16th overall #1 single at the format.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is currently on tour across Europe for stadium dates with METALLICA, stops at some of Europe's largest festivals, including Sweden Rock Festival, Graspop Metal Meeting and With Full Force, as well as several headline shows with support from ICE NINE KILLS. The band will return stateside for a late summer/fall headlining tour from August 2 to September 19 with support from MARILYN MANSON, SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL and THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's music video for "This Is The Way" was directed by none other than highly influential filmmaker Hype Williams, a longtime friend and close collaborator of DMX. Hailed by The New York Times in 2024 as "The Nineties Wunderkind," Hype Williams is known for his seminal work with luminaries like Tupac, Wu-Tang Clan and Jay-Z, among others.

"This Is The Way (Featuring DMX)" appears on the digital deluxe edition of "AfterLife", the band's critically acclaimed ninth studio album, which was released in April via Better Noise Music. The deluxe version includes the original 12 tracks recorded with the band's longtime 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 the aforementioned "This Is The Way" featuring DMX.

"Music is meant to be universal and without boundaries, and it starts at the top with us, the artists," FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory said at the time of the song's initial release. "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."

When playing the song for other hip-hop legends, DMC of RUN-D.M.C., one of the originals to do it first with "Walk This Way" with AEROSMITH, said: "The sound of the music, what Ivan [Moody, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer] is singing about, and what X is talking about, is how X lived his life. The struggle, the dark with the light, the bad with the good, the pain with the joy. This song is very emotional, very musical; it's very well rounded."

"AfterLife" is FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's first album with its latest addition, renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who replaced Jason Hook in 2020. James was previously featured on "Broken World", a song that was included on the second installment of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's greatest-hits collection, "A Decade Of Destruction – Volume 2", which came out in the fall of 2020.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH played its first show as the support act for METALLICA on the "M72" tour on August 6, 2023 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH was originally supposed to support METALLICA on several European shows in the spring of 2022 but ended up canceling the dates in order to allow Moody to fully recover from a hernia surgery.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn