“Blue on Black” features original guitarist/writer Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Brantley Gilbert and Brian May

Five Finger Death Punch has teamed up with Queen’s Brian May, Brantley Gilbert and Kenny Wayne Shepherd to record a special version the latter’s “Blue On Black,” mixed by Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Shania Twain, Disturbed). Titans in each of their respective genres, the artists came together to merge country and mainstream rock to re-create the classic song originally recorded and co-written by Shepherd. Taking country rock to the next level, “Blue On Black” is available worldwide via Prospect Park (North America) and Eleven Seven Music (ex. North America). The song is available at digital outlets and the video showing the creation of the song is below.

The artists and their respective labels are donating all proceeds from the collaboration version of “Blue On Black” to the Gary Sinise Foundation which honors America’s defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need.

“To raise awareness for and support First Responders is a cause that’s always been close to our hearts. These brave men and women leave their homes every morning not knowing if they’ll ever see their families again,” states Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory.”Yet they make a conscious choice to do so for the greater good. What better way to make a difference than to join forces with some of our friends in country, blues and classic rock who happen to be some of the biggest names in those genres and together celebrate these heroes.”

“Blue on Black is a song my band and I have covered off and on for years… songs are certified timeless when you can come back to them,” says Gilbert. “It’s always a staple each night and one of my favorite songs to perform. When the opportunity came up to sing on Five Finger’s version, with both Kenny Wayne and Brian May of Queen, I jumped at the chance… Who wouldn’t?! It incorporates so many different musical perspectives, but our collaboration just works brilliantly.”

Gary Sinise, the Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning actor and Founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation expresses his gratitude to the artists saying, “I want to send my thanks to Five Finger Death Punch, Brian May of Queen, Brantley Gilbert and Kenny Wayne Shepherd for their support of The Gary Sinise Foundation and our efforts to give back to our nation’s first responders. I’m so grateful to have all of these incredible artists from different genres coming together to support our mission with this great song, ‘Blue On Black.’ I believe while we can never do enough to show our appreciation and gratitude to our Nation’s defenders and the families who sacrifice right alongside them we can always do a little more. And you all are doing just that. So I salute you, and I thank you all. God bless.”

“When Five Finger Death Punch approached me about teaming up with them to do a special version of ‘Blue On Black,’ I was thrilled to do it,” Shepherd says of the collaboration. “When they told me Brantley Gilbert and Brian May were also going to be part of it, I was honored. This is a powerful collaboration of rock, country and blues artists and a true testament to the commonalities these musical styles share, and I think the fans will appreciate and enjoy it as much as we do.”

Brian May of Queen loved the song “Blue On Black” and set up a special recording session and video shoot to be featured on it all in between his work as a producer and executive music producer with Roger Taylor of the Queen biography film Bohemian Rhapsody. Brian and Roger are responsible for one of the highest grossing films of all time across the world and the winner of Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe Awards. Brian May will perform with Queen + Adam Lambert throughout 2019 and 2020.

Additionally, Five Finger Death Punch’s original cover version of “Blue On Black” has already generated over 50 million on-demand streams in the US, and is one of the most-consumed songs on the band’s current album (averaging over one million US streams per week). The song features distorted guitars, pummeling percussion and a swaggering chant that marks a surprising outlier on their current and seventh studio album, And Justin For None. In the US alone, the group has sold 4.5 million albums, ten million digital songs and over three billion streams total.