Metallica have announced that Five Finger Death Punch will not perform at the upcoming shows in Paris, France and Hamburg, Germany as scheduled and symphonic metal band Epica will be appear instead.
After playing the first two dates of their M72 "no repeat weekend" world tour in Amsterdam, Metallica's trek in support of their new album 72 Seasons continues on May 17 and 19 in Paris, followed by a pair of dates in Hamburg on May 26 and 28. Unfortunately, Five Finger Death Punch had to drop off the Amsterdam show as singer Ivan Moody continues to recover from surgery after sustaining three hernias during a music video shoot. Nightwish singer Floor Jansen took their place, performing a solo set.
Five Finger Death Punch, who last released AfterLife in 2022, had previously stated that they would not miss any other stops with their sights set on Paris as their first set opening for the mighty Metallica. At press time, the band had not publicly commented on bowing out of the next two tour dates.
READ MORE: Setlist, Photos + Video - Metallica Kick Off Worl Tour Supporting New Album '72 Seasons'
Epica shared the news as well, stating that they're honored to be a part of the shows, which will also feature Ice Nine Kills.
"There's nothing else to say; this is the ultimate for any metal band. We can't wait to add our flair to M72 World Tour," writes Epica.
About Epica
Symphonic metal band Epica was founded in 2002 under the name Sahara Dust and the name change took place the following year, which was when their debut album, The Phantom Agony, was released.
Three of the band's original members remain — frontwoman Simon Simmons, guitarist/harsh vocalist Mark Jansen and keyboardist Coen Janssen — and they've had a stable lineup since 2012, rounded out by drummer Ariënne van Weesenbeeck, lead guitarist/hars vocalist Isaac Delahaye and bassist Rob van der Loo.
Epica are considered to be one of the premiere symphonic metal bands, helping popularize and evolve the style throughout the 21st century with their most recent album, their eighth, being Omega, which came out in 2021.
Listen to the album single "The Skeleton Key" below.
Epica, "The Skeleton Key" Music Video
About Ivan Moody's Hernia Injury
After Five Finger Death Punch's exit from Metallica's tour kickoff in Amsterdam, Five Finger Death Punch singer Ivan Moody shared a video on social media, detailing his injury and recovery process.
“I was in a video shoot. I was jumping around a little bit and I felt something pop. I didn’t think much of it. The next day I went to rehearsal, and again, something was a little off, so I took myself to the doctor and he sat me down and he told me that he was surprised I was still walking," he said in the April 25 video.
Moody continued, "He informed me that I had three hernias and offered to do them right then and there. It was quick. I thought it would have been easy, however having all three done at the same time was a shock to my system to say the least, using of course my diaphragm and my stomach to sing, and you can hear it in my voice, I can’t really talk that heavy right now. To be honest, it feels excruciating sitting upright," the singer continued.
"Anyway, he explained to me that the best thing to do would be to get it done now instead of prolonging it, having it rip and get worse, so that’s what I did," he added, "Again, my body didn’t take it as well as I thought it would, so here I am, not working."
Metallica On Tour
See all of Metallica's world tour dates at this location and get tickets here.
