FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has recruited Chris Kael (pictured below) as the band's new bassist following the recent departure of Matt Snell.

Originally from Kentucky, Kael moved to FIVE FINGER's home base of Las Vegas to pursue playing music full-time.

Regarding his new gig, Kael said, "Never give up on your dreams — I'm living proof that with hard work and a little bit of luck, they can come true."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is putting the finishing touches on its third album, which is expected to include 14 songs. The CD is being recorded with producer Kevin Churko, who helmed Ozzy Osbourne's 2010 effort "Scream".

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory told Harddrive Radio in a recent interview that Snell was fired as far back as December. He also stressed that Matt "wasn't a writing member" so his absence from the new album recording sessions would not affect the band's sound in any way.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is working on the set in Las Vegas, which four of its five current members call home, and Zoltan Bathory told The Pulse Of Radio living and working in Sin City can be distracting. "Writing a record is not like a nine-to-five job," he said. "It's a 24/7 job, you know. Once you're done with the studio, you have to go home and we still, you know, keep writing. So that's how it gets distracting because, you know, you kind of — you worked already whole day, you want to relax, but in the second you want to relax for a second, Las Vegas will get you. You know, there's always something going on and you have to force yourself to not be distracted."

The band tentatively plans to release the disc in the first week of September.

The new CD will follow up 2009's "War Is The Answer", which has sold 519,000 copies since its release. "War Is The Answer" included the singles "Walk Away", "Bad Company" and "No One Gets Left Behind". -blabbermouth.net