5FDP Review with Photos 9-27-26

With Cody Jinks and Eva Under Fire, the 20th Anniversary World Tour brought three very different sounds together for one explosive Sunday night at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

“Two decades into their career, Five Finger Death Punch showed exactly why their combination of aggression, melody and audience connection has carried them this far.”

    The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands was alive with a distinctly heavy energy on Sunday, September 27, as Five Finger Death Punch brought its 20th Anniversary World Tour to Houston with Cody Jinks and Eva Under Fire joining the celebration. The three-act bill crossed musical boundaries in ways that worked surprisingly well, moving from Eva Under Fire's modern hard rock to Jinks' Texas-rooted outlaw country before Five Finger Death Punch closed the night with a career-spanning barrage of metal, hard rock and massive sing-along moments. The tour itself marked two decades since Zoltan Bathory founded Five Finger Death Punch in 2005, while the band's 2026 celebration also included the release of Legacy and the anniversary single "Eye of the Storm."

Eva Under Fire Sets the Night Ablaze With Modern Detroit Rock

“Eva Under Fire opened the night by proving that modern hard rock can still carry the weight, attitude and hooks of classic arena rock.”

    Eva Under Fire wasted no time establishing the harder edge of the evening. Fronted by powerhouse vocalist Amanda "Eva Marie" Lyberg, the Detroit-based band brought an energetic combination of modern hard rock, metal and alternative influences to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Formed in 2015, the band spent its early years building a following independently before breaking onto the national rock scene with its 2022 album Love, Drugs & Misery and the breakout single "Blow." The current lineup features Amanda Lyberg on vocals, Rob Lyberg on lead guitar, Chris Slapnik on rhythm guitar, Ed Gawlik on bass and Dave Miller II on drums.

    The band opened with "Awakening," immediately followed by "My Own Name," with Amanda commanding the stage while the guitars and rhythm section supplied the weight behind her. "Don't Say I'm OK" continued the set, giving the band another opportunity to showcase the emotional side of its songwriting before shifting gears with a familiar classic rock favorite.

    Eva Under Fire then surprised the Pavilion with a powerful rendition of Journey's "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)." The cover fit naturally into the band's sound, allowing Amanda to put her own stamp on one of Journey's most recognizable songs while the band transformed the classic into a heavier modern-rock performance. The choice also provided a bridge between the classic rock influences heard throughout the evening and the contemporary sound Eva Under Fire has developed for itself. "Murder Scene" followed, bringing the performance back into the band's own material and highlighting the darker side of its current sound. The song is part of the band's latest chapter and was followed by "Villainous," another track showcasing the direction Eva Under Fire has taken as its profile has continued to grow.

    Then came "Blow," the song that helped introduce Eva Under Fire to a much wider rock audience. The track, which features Ice Nine Kills vocalist Spencer Charnas on the studio version, became one of the band's signature songs and reached the Top 15 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. Live, "Blow," remains one of the band's biggest audience-participation moments and on this evening it led right into the band launching into "Hello Hollow." With a brief snippet of Pantera's "Domination" as the introduction, the Houston crowd immediately recognized the unmistakable riff, creating a roar as the band transitioned into "Hello Hollow" bringing their set to a close.

    For a Detroit band opening a bill led by Five Finger Death Punch, Eva Under Fire made a strong first impression by balancing its own modern hard-rock identity with carefully chosen nods to the classic rock and metal influences that helped shape it. The Journey cover showed its ability to reinterpret familiar material, while the Pantera snippet demonstrated just how naturally the band can tap into a heavier Texas audience.

“From Journey to Pantera and back to its own catalog, Eva Under Fire used a short set to show exactly where its sound came from and where it is headed.”

Cody Jinks Brings the Texas Spirit to a Heavy Metal Crowd

“After 20 years of making music, Cody Jinks reminded Houston that he has never needed mainstream radio to build a loyal audience.”

    Cody Jinks offered the evening's most unexpected change of direction, but the Fort Worth native made the transition from hard rock to outlaw country feel completely natural. Jinks' connection to heavier music runs much deeper than his country career might suggest. Before establishing himself as one of Texas' most recognizable independent country artists, he fronted the metal band Unchecked Aggression before turning his attention toward country music and beginning his full-time career in 2007. That history made his appearance on a Five Finger Death Punch bill particularly fitting, because beneath the country instrumentation and storytelling is an artist who has never completely left his rock roots behind.

    Jinks did not make the trip to The Woodlands alone. Behind him was the Tone-Deaf Hippies, his longtime touring and recording band, which has become an important part of the sound audiences associate with Jinks. The group is more than simply a backing band, providing the musical foundation for Jinks' combination of outlaw country, Texas country and Southern rock. The current lineup featured Austin "Hot Rod" Tripp on pedal steel, Chris Claridy on lead guitar, David Colvin on drums, Jake Lentner on rhythm and lead guitar, Joshua Thompson on bass and Matt Nolen on piano. Several of the musicians have been part of Jinks' musical story for years, helping create the full, road-tested sound that has become a defining part of his live performances.

    Jinks and the Tone-Deaf Hippies opened with "Fast Hand," immediately followed by "David" and "Ain't a Train." The combination of Jinks' unmistakable baritone and the band's muscular country instrumentation filled the Pavilion without requiring the volume levels of the acts surrounding him. "Hippies and Cowboys" followed, one of the songs most closely associated with Jinks' independent approach to music, before the band moved into Ward Davis' "Found."

    The performance continued with "Mamma Song," "Been Around" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes," allowing Jinks to move comfortably between personal storytelling and the darker side of his catalog. "I Can't Complain" and "Must Be the Whiskey" followed, but it was during his conversation with the audience that Jinks offered one of the night's most revealing moments. After two decades of making music, he told the Houston crowd that he has received virtually no major radio airplay around the country, with Houston and seven other cities being the exceptions he identified from the stage. Rather than presenting that as a complaint, Jinks used it as a testament to the audiences that have continued to support him outside the traditional radio system. He then told the crowd that, because of the connection he has built with Houston, he would be back the following year for a headlining concert.

    Jinks also shared another piece of news that immediately gave his set a look toward the future. He announced that a new record is scheduled for release in February 2027, giving fans another reason to anticipate his return. The announcement came after 20 years of building a career largely on his own terms, making the promise of another Houston appearance feel especially significant.

    Then Jinks made sure there was no question about where some of his musical roots still lie. Immediately after talking about the new record and reminding the crowd that he could still rock, the Tone-Deaf Hippies launched into AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)." The choice could hardly have been more appropriate, with Jinks announcing to the crowd that they didn't have bagpipes but they did have a steel guitar. Jinks' early history as a metal musician suddenly came into focus as the country star and his band tore into one of rock's most recognizable songs. It was not simply a cover inserted into a country set. It was a musical reminder that the heavier side of Jinks has always been there.

    The set concluded with "Loud & Heavy," bringing the audience back to the sound that has defined Jinks' career. With a new album coming in February, a promised headlining return to Houston and a fan base that has continued to support him despite the limited mainstream radio exposure he described from the stage, Jinks left The Woodlands with the clear message that his story is far from finished.

“Houston has been listening all along and Cody Jinks made it clear that he plans to return the favor with a headlining show of his own.”

Five Finger Death Punch Celebrates Two Decades With a Career-Spanning Knockout

“Even while battling vertigo and a splitting migraine, Ivan Moody refused to let anything keep Five Finger Death Punch from bringing its 20th Anniversary celebration to The Woodlands.”

    When the lights finally dropped for Five Finger Death Punch, the atmosphere changed immediately. Founded in 2005 by guitarist Zoltan Bathory and drummer Jeremy Spencer, the Las Vegas-based band quickly added vocalist Ivan Moody and bassist Matt Snell before recording its debut album, The Way of the Fist. Released in 2007, the record established the band's combination of groove-heavy metal, aggressive vocals and enormous choruses. Over the years, the lineup changed considerably, but Bathory and Moody remained the central figures connecting the present-day band to its origins.

    The current Five Finger Death Punch lineup features founding guitarist Zoltan Bathory, longtime vocalist Ivan Moody, guitarist Andy James, bassist Chris Kael and drummer Charlie Engen. Kael joined the band in 2011, James became part of the modern lineup following Jason Hook's departure and Engen took over behind the kit after Jeremy Spencer's departure. Together, they represent the current incarnation of a band that has built an extensive catalog over two decades.

    The anniversary celebration began with "Welcome to the Circus," immediately followed by "Eye of the Storm" and "Legacy." The sequence moved between the band's established catalog and newer material, making the opening minutes feel like a statement about both where Five Finger Death Punch came from and where it stands today. "Lift Me Up" kept the intensity high before "Jekyll and Hyde" brought another major crowd favorite into the set.

    Before the next song, Moody took a moment to turn the attention toward the audience itself. He encouraged people in the crowd to introduce themselves to one another by shaking hands, creating a brief sense of community in the middle of an otherwise relentlessly heavy performance. Then the band launched into its familiar take on Bad Company's "Bad Company," one of the covers that has become closely associated with Five Finger Death Punch. "De Oppresso Liber" and "Burn It Down" followed, with Bathory and James driving the guitars while Kael and Engen locked into the pounding rhythm section. The spotlight then shifted to Engen for the drum solo before the band launched into "Burn MF."

    As the show continued, Moody revealed that he was dealing with a significant physical challenge that evening. He told the crowd that he was suffering from vertigo and a splitting migraine, explaining that he was having to hold onto the microphone stand at times simply to remain stable. Rather than allowing the revelation to derail the performance, Moody continued working his way through the set, making the moments when he stepped away from the microphone stand all the more noticeable. That struggle gave additional weight to what came next. Before "Wrong Side of Heaven," Moody told the crowd that the song remains one of Five Finger Death Punch's most popular songs. The band then began the performance with an acappella introduction of "Far From Home," creating one of the night's quieter moments before the full band crashed into "Wrong Side of Heaven." The song has remained one of the band's most recognizable pieces from its 2013 era, while "Far From Home" comes from 2009's War Is the Answer.

    Then "IOU" brought the performance back into the band's newer material before the group launched into the night's medley. The sequence moved through Metallica's "Enter Sandman," Papa Roach's "Last Resort" and Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer." The originally anticipated "War Pigs" was not performed, making the final medley a three-song run that still transformed the Pavilion into one enormous audience-participation moment. "Trouble" and "Never Enough" brought the main set toward its conclusion. "Never Enough" was particularly fitting for an anniversary performance, connecting the current lineup back to the band's earliest years and the catalog that helped establish Five Finger Death Punch in the first place.

    The encore began with "Under and Over It," followed by "Sham Pain," before the band delivered "The Bleeding" as the final song of the night. The choice brought the evening full circle, connecting the 20th Anniversary tour back to the band's early catalog and the songs that helped establish its identity.

“Vertigo, a migraine and an unrelenting 20-song performance could not keep Ivan Moody from finishing the night with Five Finger Death Punch.”

    For a band celebrating 20 years, the performance was a reminder that Five Finger Death Punch's live identity has always been about more than volume and aggression. Bathory remains the founding connection to the band's origins, Moody remains its unmistakable voice and the current lineup continues to carry those songs into another era. In The Woodlands, that history was on full display, even as Moody battled through a difficult night physically and continued giving the crowd everything he could.

Three Sounds, One Unforgettable Night in The Woodlands

    The September 27 stop in The Woodlands was ultimately a celebration of musical identity as much as an anniversary show. Eva Under Fire represented the modern hard-rock generation, Cody Jinks brought the independent Texas country tradition to a crowd more accustomed to distortion and double-kick drums and Five Finger Death Punch demonstrated why its own blend of metal, hard rock and massive choruses has remained so effective for 20 years.

    For Five Finger Death Punch, the night was not simply about looking backward. With Bathory and Moody still carrying the band's history while Kael, James and Engen continue to shape its present, the performance felt like a bridge between the group that released The Way of the Fist in 2007 and the band now celebrating two decades with Legacy. Twenty years after its formation, Five Finger Death Punch walked off the Pavilion stage having delivered exactly what the anniversary promised: fire, volume, familiar songs, new material and a crowd that was more than willing to throw every word back at them.

Five Finger Deathpunch Setlist:
Welcome to the Circus
Eye of the Storm
Legacy
Lift Me Up
Jekyll and Hyde
Wash It All Away
Bad Company (Bad Company cover)
De Oppresso Liber
Burn It Down
Drum Solo
Burn MF
Wrong Side of Heaven (With acapella intro of "Far From Home")
IOU
Enter Sandman / Last Resort / Livin' On A Prayer
Trouble
Never Enough
Encore:
Under and Over It
Sham Pain
The Bleeding

Cody Jinks Setlist:
Fast Hand
David
Ain't a Train
Hippies and Cowboys
Found (Ward Davis cover)
Mamma Song
Been Around
Something Wicked This Way Comes
I Can't Complain
Must Be the Whiskey
It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) (AC/DC cover)
Loud & Heavy

Eva Under Fire Setlist:
Awakening
My Own Name
Don’t Say I’m Ok
Separate Ways
Murder Scene
Villainous
Blow
Hello Hollow (with Domination Snippet by Pantera intro)