Jason Hook | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Thomas Jason Grinstead |
Born | 1970or1971(age 53–54) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instrument | Guitar |
Member of | Flat Black |
Formerly of | |
Website | flatblackmusic |
Jason Hook (born Thomas Jason Grinstead; 1970/1971 [1] ) is a Canadian guitarist, best known as the former lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. After his departure, he founded the heavy metal/hard rock band Flat Black.
Hook was born in Toronto, Ontario.
Hook spent many years in Canada honing his craft and was eventually signed to Elektra with his band No Love Lost. The band recorded an album with producer Beau Hill in Los Angeles which remained unreleased. Now, on his own in Los Angeles as a session musician, Hook took a stint in the hard rock band BulletBoys. In 2000, he was hired by pop singer Hilary Duff as the guitarist in her live lineup; he also served as the session guitarist recording tracks for her. Hook also supported Mandy Moore on her 2001 tour. [2] Hook became a highly coveted session player in the L.A. circuit and went on to tour and record with acts like the Vince Neil Band and Alice Cooper. [3]
In 2007, Hook released his debut instrumental hard rock/metal album Safety Dunce . He recorded his second solo release, American Justice (still unreleased), in 2009, which featured guest appearances from Alice Cooper and members of Five Finger Death Punch.
In early 2009, it was announced that Hook was joining heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch, replacing guitarist Darrell Roberts. [4] On September 22, 2009, Hook and his bandmates released War Is the Answer , which landed them a number 7 debut on the Billboard Top 200 album. Five Finger Death Punch had great success in the following years including 14 number one songs and a total of 12 million albums sold worldwide. Some of the band's more popular hits were co-written by Hook, including "Inside Out", "Sham Pain", "Lift Me Up", "Battle Born", "A Little Bit Off", "Wash It All Away", "Coming Down", and "Remember Everything". In 2019, Hook had emergency gallbladder surgery, which caused him to miss the remainder of Five Finger Death Punch's European tour. Guitarist Andy James of Sacred Mother Tongue replaced him for the remainder of the tour.
Hook left Five Finger Death Punch in February 2020. His departure was officially announced by the band in October, with Andy James permanently replacing him. [5] In an interview in 2021, Hook said about his departure from the band, "As for the reason I'm leaving… well, there really isn't just one. I've been in bands my entire life and I feel like I've done all the good that I can here. It's time to pass the baton and move on to new challenges." [6]
During the pandemic, Hook kept busy with several different projects, including a feature on Cory Marks's 2021 single "Blame It on the Double" [7] and a collaboration with Dorothy on the song "A Beautiful Life" (from the album Gifts from the Holy Ghost ). [8]
In 2023, Hook's new heavy metal band Flat Black emerged with new management in Shelter Music Group. In July 2023, the band signed with Concord Music Group / Fearless Records. Flat Black's debut album Dark Side of the Brain, co-produced by Hook, was released on July 19, 2024. [9]
Hook appeared on the History Channel's Counting Cars on July 9, 2013. His motorcycle had broken down on the side of the road and the show's star, Danny "The Count" Koker, "happened to" come along and helped get Hook's motorcycle running. Hook later appeared in the episode receiving an Ace Frehley tattoo at Koker's tattoo shop.
Hook also appeared in an episode of My Cat from Hell . [10]
Hook appeared in the documentary film Hired Gun (2016). [11]
Five Finger Death Punch, also abbreviated as 5FDP or FFDP, is an American heavy metal band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2005. The band originally consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Ivan Moody, rhythm guitarist Zoltan Bathory, lead guitarist Caleb Andrew Bingham, bassist Matt Snell, and drummer Jeremy Spencer. Bingham was replaced by guitarist Darrell Roberts in 2006, who was then replaced by Jason Hook in 2009. Bassist Matt Snell departed from the band in 2010, and was replaced by Chris Kael in 2011. Spencer then departed the band in 2018 due to recurring back issues, and was replaced by Charlie Engen, making rhythm guitarist Bathory the only remaining founding member of the band. In October 2020, British guitarist Andy James became the band's lead guitarist, replacing Jason Hook.
Ivan L. Moody is an American singer and songwriter who is the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch (FFDP). He performed for several other bands including Motograter and Ghost Machine before joining FFDP. Moody was known by the pseudonym "Ghost" during his time with Motograter.
The Way of the Fist is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch, released on July 31, 2007. The album sold 3,800 copies in its first week of release. The Way of the Fist made its Billboard 200 debut on August 18, 2007, at No. 199 and peaked at No. 107. It has been certified Gold for selling in excess of 500,000 copies as of April 13, 2011. This is the band's only release with guitarist Darrell Roberts.
Safety Dunce is an instrumental metal and hard rock solo album released by former Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Jason Hook in 2007. The album title is an obvious play on words of the song "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats. Safety Dunce won a 2007 L.A. Music Award for Best Instrumental Record.
Zoltan Bathory is a Hungarian musician and martial artist. He is the founder and rhythm guitarist of Las Vegas-based heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. In 2010, he won the Metal Hammer Golden God award for "Best Shredder".
War Is the Answer is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. It was released on September 22, 2009, through Prospect Park. The album debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200, selling approximately 44,000 copies in its first week. It is the band's last album to feature bassist Matt Snell, who departed in late 2010, and the first with Jason Hook. War Is the Answer has been certified platinum in the U.S., with sales of 1,000,000.
Jeremy Spencer Heyde is an American musician, best known as the former drummer of heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. He is currently the lead singer of the groove/death metal band Semi-Rotted.
American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch has released nine studio albums, two compilation albums, one extended play (EP), 33 singles and 24 music videos. Formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005, the group features vocalist Ivan Moody, rhythm guitarist Zoltan Bathory, lead guitarist Andy James, bassist Chris Kael. and drummer Charlie Engen. In 2007, the band released its debut album The Way of the Fist, which reached number 107 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). All three singles from the album reached the top 20 of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart. After Hook replaced previous guitarist Darrell Roberts, 5FDP released War Is the Answer in 2009 which reached the top ten of the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA. Four singles from the album reached the Mainstream Rock top ten, while the band's cover of "Bad Company" was certified platinum.
Kevin Gregory Churko is a Canadian record producer, sound engineer and musician best known for his work with artists such as Ozzy Osbourne, Papa Roach, Modern Science, Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed, In This Moment, Shania Twain, Hellyeah and Skillet. He currently resides in Las Vegas, where he works out of his private studio, "The Hideout". He is the father of Kane Churko.
American Capitalist is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch, released on October 11, 2011. It is the band's first album not to feature bassist Matt Snell, as he departed from the band in December 2010. The first single from the album entitled "Under and Over It", was released on July 27, 2011. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 90,000 copies in the first week of release. In September 2012, the album was certified gold by the RIAA with sales of at least 500,000 copies. In 2012, the album won a RadioContraband Rock Radio Award for Album of the Year, and the single "Coming Down" won the award for Song of the Year. As of 2017, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with sales of at least 1,000,000 copies.
The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 2 is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch, and the second of two albums released by the band in 2013, with Volume 1 having been released on July 30. It was released on November 19, 2013 through Prospect Park. The album was entirely produced by Kevin Churko and Five Finger Death Punch.
"Wrong Side of Heaven" is a single by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch from their fourth studio album, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1. It is the third single from the album, and is the nineteenth single overall from the band, which was released on August 11, 2014.
Got Your Six is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. It was released on September 4, 2015, by Prospect Park. Got Your Six sold 119,000 units to debut at number two on the Billboard 200. The 114,000 in pure album sales made it the top-selling album of the week and the band's best sales week to date. Got Your Six is also their third consecutive set to debut at number two.
"Jekyll and Hyde" is a single by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch from their sixth studio album, Got Your Six. It is the first single from the album, and is the twentieth single overall from the band, which was released on 15 June 2015.
Thomas Cummings, better known under the stage name Tommy Vext, is an American heavy metal singer known as the former lead vocalist of Bad Wolves, Divine Heresy, and Westfield Massacre. As of 2024, Tommy Vext is now the current touring/sessions lead vocalist for Ill Nino after Marcos Leal departed from the group.
And Justice for None is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. It was released on May 18, 2018, and was preceded by two singles released in December 2017 on their first greatest hits record. It is the last album to be released through Prospect Park and the last album to feature founding drummer Jeremy Spencer, who departed the band in December 2018.
F8 is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch, released on February 28, 2020. It is the first Five Finger Death Punch album to feature drummer Charlie Engen, who joined the band following the departure of founding drummer Jeremy Spencer, and final album with guitarist Jason Hook. F8 is also the band's first album to be released through Better Noise Music.
"Inside Out" is a song by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch, released as the lead single from their eighth studio album, F8. The song has a radio edited version and an official video for it as well. In February 2020, the song topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart.
"A Little Bit Off" is a song by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. It was their second single off of their eighth studio album F8. It topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in June 2020.
A Decade of Destruction, Volume 2 is the second compilation album by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. Released on October 9, 2020, the work was published by Prospect Park.