Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Jason Hook sat out a good chunk of the band's European tour in early 2020 due to health issues, and later parted ways with the band in October of that same year.
At the time of his departure, Hook said in part: "I just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to all of the fans of Five Finger Death Punch for all of messages that you’ve been sending me about you know what. I've kinda been issued a gag order, so I’m not saying anything."
Now in a new interview with Talkin' Bout Rock, Hook opened up about the health issues that caused him to sit out those European dates and it's brutal. Hook said he became sick due to the stress of being in Five Finger Death Punch, and noted that he "didn't feel like I was surrounded by anyone who cared about me."
"It was horrible. In most cases, our body is just listening to our brain, and I was experiencing a tremendous amount of stress at that phase of that situation, and it caught up to me," said Hook. "Because I had asked, 'What makes something like this happen?' I'm, like, super healthy, take care of myself, blah, blah, blah, blah. And all the analysts and the doctors are, like, 'Well, stress can be a big component.' I'm, like, 'Well, that makes sense.' And it kind of freaked me out too, because I realized that you can die in a hotel room in the middle of nowhere and that's how it ends."
"I didn't feel like I was surrounded by anyone who cared about me. I was just sort of, like, 'Go see if he can play.' And then I'm, like, 'I can't. I've gotta go to the hospital.' And then everyone left. So, it's fine. But right after that, we were supposed to go to Europe and start all up again, and I'm just, like… [I thought] 'I'm not dying this way.' I'm not trying to be overly dramatic, but I saw what it was. And quality of life is everything."
In a 2023 interview with The Mistress Carrie Podcast, Hook made it clear that there's no lingering bitterness between himself and Five Finger Death Punch: "There's no animosity there. There's nothing there. It's like everything. Over time, relationships and policies change. With extreme success, popularity, finances, it affects egos and personalities and roles and all that stuff."
Hook continued: "Because with a marriage, if there's a problem, you only have to work it out between the other party. In a band, you could be solid with this guy, but it's still a mess with [one of the other guys]. It's okay with him. It's a mess with this guy. Of course, it's way harder. It's like having four wives."
Hook has since continued on with a new musical endeavor named Flat Black, an outfit featuring singer Wes Horton, bassist Nick Diltz, and drummer Rob Pierce.
