Wicked News reporter YvesZ recently caught up with guitarist Jason Hook (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ALICE COOPER, VINCE NEIL).

The following is an excerpt from the interview:

Q: Who are your guitar heroes? There are a lot of STEVE VAI / VAN HALEN / VINNIE MOORE vibes in your music!

A: "My favorite guitar player is Ritchie Blackmore (DEEP PURPLE). I always loved the way he used dynamics by plucking the strings with his right hand. In the 80s I soaked up EVH pretty heavily. I never really liked the ‘schooled’ guys that much, I prefer when people play from their heart, as opposed to playing from theory."

Read the full interview at this location.

Five Finger Death Punch release their first UK single, ‘The Bleeding’, today - April 6th.

Taken from the band’s debut outing, The Way Of The Fist, released in January, this track - dubbed a “concert anthem” in the US - played a significant part in taking domestic sales of the aforementioned album up to the 300,000 mark and beyond, holding a Top 10 position at rock radio.

For its UK release, ‘The Bleeding’ will be available on red vinyl 7”, CD single and download; all formats will feature bonus content, including a FAITH NO MORE cover ('From Out Of Nowhere'), an acoustic version of the lead track plus a filmed interview with 5FDP mainman Zoltan Bathory.

‘The Bleeding’ is also due to be featured in forthcoming movie Highgate Vampire, directed by Asa Bailey, who has produced a brand new version of the promo including footage from the film. The band may also be shooting a cameo role for Highgate Vampire when they return to Europe in the spring for further live work.

5FDP recently completed their first full tour of Europe, which included both headline shows plus a run of UK dates with LAMB OF GOD, DIMMU BORGIR and UNEARTH on the Defenders Of The Faith II package.