Former FFDP Guitarist JASON HOOK Talks FLAT BLACK & GOJIRA Opens The 2024 Olympics

Jason Hook: From FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH to FLAT BLACK

Former FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Jason Hook is making waves with his new project, FLAT BLACK. The seasoned musician has traded the familiar for the unknown, launching into a new chapter of his career.

The band's debut LP, "Dark Side Of The Brain", was produced by Hook and Chris Collier (KORN) and was recorded at both Jason‘s home studio and The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas.

The album features a track called “Nothing To Some” which features guest vocalist Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT) and stands as a rager that is destined to land on year-end “best of” lists and in repeat rotation in your preferred music listening service. Bolstered by anthemic riffs, battering ram percussion, and full-on rhythmic thrust, Taylor‘s vicious vocals sound as though he gargled with razor blades and battery acid before spewing his parts, and it’s a beautiful thing. All of that, combined with a classic metallic influence that is threaded through the song, makes “Nothing To Some” a seriously definitive moment for FLAT BLACK.

Hook is joined in FLAT BLACK by singer Wes Horton, bassist Nick Diltz and drummer Rob Pierce.

Horton was introduced to music at age 13, thanks to his sister and Guitar Hero. He honed his vocal chops by playing in local bands and making online videos. Various music industry friends and acquaintances would become the connective tissue between himself and Hook. Horton knew he wanted to be a frontman, and FLAT BLACK afforded him that opportunity. Wes loves the fact that his bandmates prioritize songcraft — and that allows him to be the singer he has always wanted to be.

Diltz, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, is the son of a legendary rock music photographer who brought him to concerts during his formative years. He recalls being inspired by watching a VHS video of U2 performing at legendary venue Red Rocks. Seeing fans clamoring for a piece of Bono in the footage is a vision that never left his head. This first exposure to the power of a true rock icon solidified Nick‘s destiny as a live performer.

Pierce hails from Nashville, a.k.a. Music City. His dad was a race car driver and his grandfather was a pastor. He grew up racing go karts and at first, wanted to follow in his dad’s footsteps until he joined the fourth-grade band and was bitten by the music bug. He chose the snare drum over the saxophone and from that moment on, music was the only thing that mattered. Rob got his first drum kit at age 11, which he set up in his dad’s car shop. He learned to play his instrument next to 1,000 horsepower engines, which influences his highly energetic style to this day.

In this exclusive interview, Jason Hook opens up about his departure from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, his feelings toward his former band, the inspiration behind FLAT BLACK, and his vision for the future.

Also in the podcast this week, Loaded Radio's Scott Penfold discusses GOJIRA performing at the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympics in Paris and the backlash that ensued afterwards. By some people at least.

The band’s explosive rendition of the revolutionary song “Ah! Ça Ira,” complete with pyrotechnics and a striking visual representation of a beheaded Marie Antoinette, sparked a wave of controversy.

Critics, many with religious affiliations, were quick to label the performance “satanic,” pointing to the dramatic imagery and the song’s revolutionary themes. Social media was ablaze with accusations of the West “worshipping the devil,” with some going as far as to claim that the performance was evidence of a satanic takeover.

So get ready to dive deep into the mind of a guitar icon with Jason Hook and take a closer look at GOJIRA's explosive Olympics performance on this week's edition of The Loaded Radio Podcast.