FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's JASON HOOK Says ROB HALFORD Has 'Become A Great Friend Of The Band'

Australia's AMNplify recently conducted an interview with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Jason Hook. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

AMNplify: [The upcoming FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH] album ["Got Your Six"] comes across more brutal than previous efforts. Was there something built up as a band that needed to be released? I've also found that the songs are slightly shorter in length, which help to deliver a burst of energy.

Hook: I find it interesting that you noticed that, 'cause I think that what you noticed was intentional. We don't want to make the same record over and over again, even though it still sounds like us and it's sonically familiar. I think that we wanted the songs to be concise, punchy, high energy — all the things that you heard were discussed and intentional. My only desire is that when we make records is that the songs are good. I know that's the objective always, but, to me, I don't want any ploppers, I don't want anyone skipping over any tracks.

AMNplify: You teamed up again with producer Kevin Churko, who you've worked with since 2009. Is there a reason you stick with him? What's the chemistry like there?

Hook: Well, to start with new people, would be a new learning curve — trying to get all the personal dynamics re-established to get to the creative stuff. With Kevin, we all know what to expect of each other, [and] we all know how we are as people and our personalities. So when we start a record, we know exactly what to ask for, we know what he can do and vice versa, and we can get right to work, which is what we like. We like to get stuff done and get it done efficiently.

AMNplify: You just toured with JUDAS PRIEST recently? Did anything interesting happen on the road?

Hook: We ending up having such a great time with those guys. They're so nice and they're so cool; it really made it pleasant. We had dinner with them one night, which was pretty cool. We closed this restaurant in Italy. I could only just imagine if someone who had walked in and seen it, and if you were a music fan, it would have looked like "The Last Supper Of Heavy Metal." Rob Halford [JUDAS PRIEST singer] has become a great friend of the band. Rob watched our show every day! I was walking off from our set one night and I caught up with him, and I asked him, "Rob, what's the deal with wanting to watching this loud, obnoxious noisy show every night?" and he just looks at me and goes, [speaking with soft English accent] 'I love the band.' So yeah, there's my best Rob Halford impression for you. And I go, 'All right. Rob Halford loves the band!" Funny thing is, though, even if it was my favorite band playing or not, there's only so many nights I could take of dealing with the loud and watching the same thing over and over, but I was so impressed with him. He has such an absolute genuine love of music. It's cool.

Read the entire interview at AMNplify.