Five Finger Death Punch’s Jason Hook Talks Trespass America, Metal Community + More

This year's Rock on the Range festival has come and gone, but we still have great stories to share. Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Jason Hook talked to us about their upcoming Trespass America tour, how tight-knit of a group metal fans are, balancing their love of music with business and more.

Five Finger Death Punch are set to headline Metal Hammer's Trespass America festival this summer. The lineup should please metal fans across the United States, which includes Killswitch Engage (and the return of original vocalist Jesse Leach), Trivium, God Forbid and more. 5FDP hand-picked the bands that they would hit the road with.

"We're always having to put together a package," Hook says. "It really just comes down to two things: who do we most desire and who's available. When those two become the same, that's when we score. Most people probably don't realize, but this stuff actually starts a year in advance. We're already talking about next spring because all the bands are trying to get booked and figure out what they want to do. So the earlier you start, the more likely you are to secure a lineup."

Hook expressed his appreciation for the metal audience and the loyalty they show to the bands in the genre. "It's a very loyal community," he states. "This music is not designed for the mass commercial consumption. It's heavy, aggressive and pissed off. I think that makes it a little bit more believable because why would people choose to do this music if they didn't really believe in it? That's why people glue themselves to it."

Watch the whole interview below where Hook also discusses the expectations, or lack of, that Five Finger Death Punch had when they released their third studio album, American Capitalist, last year. He also talks about how necessary it is to capitalize on the momentum the band has gained over the last couple of years. Hook compliments my tattoo as well, which made me giddy as a school boy.

The Trespass America festival will come to West Michigan on August 3 at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek. Tickets are available at the venue box office and Ticketmaster.com. Check out the official Trespass America website for details.