After days of mounting speculation, Ivan Moody has stepped in to set the record straight about his relationship with Motograter, the industrial metal band that launched his career long before Five Finger Death Punch became a multi-platinum force.
Rumors ignited this week when former Motograter member Michael "The Kidd" Stewart claimed in a now-deleted social media post that Moody was reuniting with the band. The speculation intensified after Moody shared photos and posts showing him reconnecting with former Motograter associates, leading many fans to assume a full-fledged return was imminent.
Now, Moody has confirmed that he is not rejoining Motograter — but he is playing a pivotal role in shaping and safeguarding the band’s future.
In a lengthy explanation shared via Instagram Stories, the singer revealed that his recent involvement stemmed from long-standing concerns about how the Motograter name and legacy were being handled after his departure in the mid-2000s.
According to Moody, he ultimately purchased the Motograter trademark, ensuring that the band’s identity could not be "abused or misused." While he did not go into legal specifics, the move appears to give him final authority over how the Motograter name is used moving forward.
"Through the years I've watched, the last two decades I've watched that project whittle out into dust on a memory. And it hurt. And knowing that there was so much involved with that and the way that there was so much potential and it was X'd out," said Moody at one point.
"When [Noah and I] started talking, it became very evident to me that there was a lot of people in play. And there was a lot of crap, man. So I decided to buy it. And that's what I did. I bought the trademark for Motograter and the Machine. And I patented it, the whole spiel. That way, nobody could take it anymore and it couldn't be abused or misused."
About the original reunion rumor, Moody was pissed: "First and foremost, to Michael 'The Kidd' Stewart, you bottom-feeding bubbleheaded boob. How dare you step on my toes, spreading rumors and causing commotion." He added: "I was so pissed off when I read all that man. This Michael fucking Stewart guy. Who the fuck do you think you are dude? Fucking peon."
Motograter, which formed in 1995, have had a famously turbulent history — breaking up and reforming multiple times between 2005 and 2018. Though Moody achieved global fame after leaving to form Five Finger Death Punch, Motograter has remained an important chapter in his life, as it marked the point where his career truly began to gain momentum.
Moody also addressed the recent photos that helped fuel reunion chatter, explaining that they were taken during a birthday gathering where he met up with former bandmates and associates. He additionally expressed respect for Noah "Shark" Robertson, the drummer who helped keep the band’s spirit alive in the years following Moody’s exit.
Though the two had not met in person previously, Moody revealed that he has discussed potentially producing a Motograter record with Robertson and has had conversations about the band’s creative direction — a role that places him more behind the scenes than onstage.
