Five Finger Death Punch released War Is the Answer in the United States on September 22, 2009, through Prospect Park Records. Their second studio album was the first with lead guitarist Jason Hook, who became a writing partner for Zoltan Bathory. It also included “Bad Company,” a cover that had worked its way from the band’s live set into the recording sessions.
Hook moved into Bathory’s house for roughly two and a half months while they worked. In a Guitar World interview published in its January 2010 issue, the guitarists described mornings spent exchanging riffs over coffee, with computers and electronic drums running around them. A tight deadline meant dividing the recording: Bathory handled rhythm parts, Hook took solos, and singer Ivan Moody worked on lyrics in Denver. Both guitarists could suggest changes to each other’s parts.
Hook also connected the group with producer Kevin Churko. He told PureGrainAudio in 2010 that drummer Brent Fitz introduced them while Hook was playing with Alice Cooper. Churko’s musicianship and experience working with Mutt Lange impressed him, and he wanted to find a way to work together in Death Punch. The band co-produced War Is the Answer with Churko, while Randy Staub mixed it.
The aim was to expand what they could do after their 2007 debut, The Way of the Fist. Bathory described a stronger hard rock direction to Guitar World, with one priority: “the song comes first.” Before the release, he also emphasized the balance between melody and aggression, presenting the album as a continuation of the debut rather than a wholesale change of style. “Hard to See,” issued ahead of the album, gave that approach a specific lyrical subject.
In a statement carried by Blabbermouth, Bathory explained that the song concerned disagreements people treat as impossible to resolve. He connected that thinking to politics, religion and relationships, describing how an opinion formed from incomplete information can harden into a position someone will fight over. His explanation of the album title to Metal Hammer was broader: he viewed life as a succession of struggles, from basic survival to finding a social or political position. That outlook left room for conflict at a personal scale as well as the military imagery suggested by the title. Discussing “Walk Away” with the magazine, he stressed the value of writing a complete song capable of affecting people emotionally.
“Bad Company” had a more practical beginning. Hook recalled that the band needed extra material for its 2008 headlining shows and wanted an unexpected cover. It was intended for the stage, but repeated requests from fans persuaded them to record it. Bathory had been unconvinced by the original; hearing Moody record the vocals changed his mind, he told Guitar World.
The song’s video appeared in June 2010, using footage from the band’s visit to troops in Iraq. The recording subsequently earned RIAA platinum certification in 2013, followed by War Is the Answer in 2016. Both the cover and “Far From Home” were included on the band’s 2017 compilation, A Decade of Destruction.
