Five Finger Death Punch and Volbeat \’burn down\’ all \’Outlaw Gentlemen and Shady Ladies\’ in Fort Wayne

*Disclaimer: We apologize for lack of photos from this show as the intoxicated people behind the Front Row Report staff poured beer on The Front Row Camera equipment, causing it to be out of commission for the evening. Five Finger Death Punch may be one of the hottest bands in all of metal right now. Having just released two outstanding albums last year in The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 1 & 2, the hits keep pouring in and the tour dates keep expanding. Currently out on the road for a co-headline trek with Volbeat and support from Hellyeah and Nothing More, the bands recently stopped off in Fort Wayne, Indiana the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum for a show that was near-capacity and destroyed the almost-sold out crowd. Nothing More opened the show up with a set that showed exactly why they’re one of the fastest-rising bands today. Their guitar contraption solo is one of the most impressive things to come out of rock since Godsmack’s dual drum solo battle and fans in Fort Wayne who weren’t familiar with the band outside their no. 1 hit song “This Is The Time” were easily won over. Hellyeah, fresh on the heels of their latest release, Blood For Blood, were next up and played a quick seven song set that proved why their members are some of the most prolific in the history of metal. Frontman Chad Grey was all over the stage, even coming out on to the monitors to get up close and personal with the fans, screaming straight into the front row of fans. With a set as high-octane and energy-packed as Hellyeah, it’s always a hard one to follow- a duty that fell to Danish co-headliners Volbeat. Volbeat are no newcomers to metal but are just recently growing in popularity and developing a following in the United States. Their thrash metal-infused rock mixed with a rockabilly vibe and vocals reminiscent of Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash is infectious and addictive to say the least and it didn’t take long for the crowd to sing along so loud the band was nearly drowned out. They recently just received a gold record for their single “A Warrior’s Call,” an accomplishment frontman Michael Poulsen dedicated to his father by playing “Fallen.” Not long after Volbeat finished up, Five Finger Death Punch took the stage to finish up the night with a set up destruction and a lot songs about burning stuff down. They opened with longtime opener “Over and Under It,” during which the crowed quickly started crowd surfing to the front and security immediately had their hands full. Frontman Ivan Moody was very vocal and took time to let the fans into his world on many occasions, often telling the fans that they’re the only family he has left and thanking them for the support over the years. He also explained that part of the reason he brings kids on stage for a song is because he only sees his own kids two months out of the year and it’s his way of getting to spend time with them. Their set was an impressive combination of songs from every 5FDP record, including the title track from The Way of the Fist, which got one of the biggest circle pits of the night and some of the hardest moshing of the evening. They closed the night out with “The Bleeding,” as they always have and sent everyone home on a positive and exhausted note. -Reggie Edwards