Five Finger Death Punch - Legacy (2026)

Best tracks: Eye of the Storm / Nails in the Coffin

At the outset, the album lacks that proverbial five-finger death punch. The requisite epic stadium choruses come off as dull. However, “Eye of the Storm” lifts the refrains to the finest level the band and the genre can offer—the verses may be flat, but the chorus salvages them. “Nails in the Coffin” is ominously theatrical in atmosphere, and its chorus refuses to lower the bar. Where aggression falls short, Ivan Moody sounds weary, reminiscent of Chad Kroeger, and that simply doesn’t fit FFDP’s mould. In the more romantic moments, Moody starts to channel Corey Taylor in Stone Sour. The flirtations with Slipknot haven’t gone anywhere either, especially the live-show dynamic, where Moody’s energy barely shifts between the heavier passages and the more melodic ones.

One can also point to the somewhat uneven production from track to track: some songs explode like “Unscathed,” while elsewhere the sound turns cardboard-thin, even faintly AI-generated. “Everybody Lies” finally reminds us of the band’s Southern rock infusion, and blended with the group’s core styles, it once again feels right at home. “Scapegoat” works far better as a closer than the opener “Legacy,” which you hope will jolt you awake but never does.

The album is largely derivative—not just of their own back catalogue, but of the entire scene. That said, for all its shortcomings, this is certainly not a bad FFDP record. Fans won’t feel cheated. It’s not the place to start if you’re new to the band, but if you’re already versed in these styles and happen to hear the album, you won’t be put off. Especially since—a genuine plus that far from every musician grasps—the record is decidedly not bloated: just over 35 minutes.