FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael joined STEEL PANTHER on stage this past Friday, June 25 at Emo’s in Austin, Texas to perform a cover of the JUDAS PRIEST classic “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”. Video footage of his appearance — courtesy of That Just Happened — can be seen below.
Kael joined FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in 2011 as the replacement for Matt Snell, who left the group a year earlier for reasons that have not been disclosed. Originally from Kentucky, Kael moved to FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH‘s home base of Las Vegas to pursue playing music full-time. He said in a statement about landing the job: “Never give up on your dreams. I’m living proof that with hard work and a little bit of luck, they can come true.”
This past April, STEEL PANTHER confirmed that it has commenced the recording process for its sixth studio album. The follow-up to 2019’s “Heavy Metal Rules” will tentatively arrive before the end of the year.
Last December, STEEL PANTHER released a re-worked version of its song “Fuck Everybody” from “Heavy Metal Rules”, now re-titled “Fuck 2020”. The newly recorded version included updated verses that reflect the insanity of last year.
“Heavy Metal Rules” was released in September 2019. The disc, which is described in a press release as a “heavy metal version of a self-help manual and ultimate party album combined,” was once again produced by Jay Ruston, who collaborated with the band on all of its previous recordings, including 2017’s “Lower The Bar”.
STEEL PANTHER specializes in imitating and exaggerating the less flattering aspects of 1980s hair metal, with unrepentantly crude, non-PC sexual content as a favorite lyrical theme.
The group’s music has been described as “VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets ‘Wayne’s World’, complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive.”
Thirteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from ’80s metal covers to originals.
