Five Finger Death Punch recently announced that they will finish out their remaining European dates with Bad Wolves vocalist Tommy Vext filling in for frontman Ivan Moody, whose struggles with substance abuse are widely known.

Ivan Moody states: “I am embarrassed and ashamed to admit that I have fallen off the wagon again. I was on shaky ground prior to our performance in Tilburg, and although a lot of the events of that show were out of my control, the shame of not delivering pushed me over the edge. It would not be fair to my bandmates or my fans to continue to perform in my current condition. One of the worst parts of addiction is the loneliness you feel, so having the support of my band and all the knuckleheads is what drives me. I am committed to getting better so I can get back out on stage as soon as possible.”

Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe and Sixx:A.M. fame weighed in on Moody's struggles with addiction on a recent installment of his syndicated radio show, Sixx Sense, having endured years of battling addiction and substance abuse.

Sixx: "You can lie to me, but you have to look at yourself in the mirror. You're lying to yourself. And if he can't be a hundred percent honest, he's gonna have a hard time getting sober, and this is what happens to a lot of people. I remember in my early, early recovery, the first time I really tried it on, I didn't wanna do it — I didn't wanna get sober — so I tried every which way. I said 'I'm just gonna drink wine' and then 'I'm just gonna do this,' and 'I'm just gonna smoke weed and I'm not gonna do hard drugs,' and then it was, like, 'Well, I'll do them, but only on weekends.' This is very common. Anybody out there in recovery has heard a version of this or tried it on themselves."

Zoltan Bathory, guitarist of Five Finger Death Punch said: “As a band, we are committed to supporting Ivan's road to recovery. We are as baffled and saddened as anyone to watch our brother continue to struggle. Almost everyone in the world knows someone who struggles with addiction, and can relate to how the self-destruction of someone they care about is very difficult to watch. Five Finger Death Punch has every intention of playing the dates we’re committed to and beyond. The band is bigger than any one member.”

Tommy Vext, the vocalist of up and coming metal band Bad Wolves says: “It is a tremendous honor to share the stage with Five Finger Death Punch on these remaining dates. Today I am blessed with over 8 years of sobriety, so I can certainly empathize with Ivan’s struggles. Not only do I feel a responsibility to deliver for the fans of Five Finger Death Punch on these remaining dates, but also to deliver for Ivan so he can get back to work as soon as he is healthy.”

Five Finger Death Punch thanks its fans for their continued support. All 2017 tour dates can be found at fivefingerdeathpunch.com.