Five Finger Death Punch vocalist Ivan Moody's issues with alcohol addiction have become very public over the last few years. Most recently, Moody's problem caused him to quit spectacularly on stage in the Netherlands, which the band quickly walked back, and led Moody to once again check into rehab. The band completed the tour with fill in vocalist Tommy Vext. Moody has since returned to the stage with Five Finger Death Punch, and now guitarist Zoltan Bathory has discussed Moody's issue with Loudwire and his relationship with Moody over the years.
Bathory says Moody has been dealing with addiction problems for quite some time, though his battle is strictly limited to alcohol.
He’s been battling his demons for a long, long time, actually since I’ve known him. He’s always had an issue and sometimes he’s great, sometimes he’s not. It’s a battle. He doesn’t haven’t a substance issue, he’s always had a drinking issue. I started to realize that it was a real misalignment, it’s a real illness. It can’t simply be discarded like, ‘Why can’t you get yourself straight?’ It’s not that simple. So he’s battling this and he’s trying. He’s been in rehab a few times, he’s been in for a longer period of time now.
Bathory also says that since Moody has returned to the band, everything has been pretty great and that he really hopes "this is the time when he can do it."
The last three shows were the best shows I’ve seen him do for years. He looked happy and he looked healthier. Obviously, the whole band is around him and everybody’s supporting him and trying to be brothers and understanding and trying to keep him straight. So cross your fingers, I think this is the time when he can do it.
Now if Five Finger Death Punch could get its issue with its record label sorted and release its new album, it seems like all its collective troubles would be over!
Meanwhile, Zoltan is hopeful the band will release their new album in early 2018: “Hopefully we can release a new album in 2018, somewhere in the first quarter.”
[via ThePRP]
