Covering a legend is dangerous. Most bands play it safe and end up sounding like a karaoke version of the original. But when Five Finger Death Punch House of the Rising Sun dropped back in 2013 on The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 2, it didn't just ruffle feathers—it basically rewrote the DNA of a folk standard.
People either love it or they absolutely despise it. There isn't much middle ground here.
Honestly, that's exactly what Ivan Moody and the guys were going for. You take a song that’s been covered by everyone from Bob Dylan to The Animals and Dolly Parton, and you realize you can't out-sing Eric Burdon. You can't out-folk Dylan. So, what do you do? You move the setting from New Orleans to the gritty, neon-soaked streets of Las Vegas. You swap the acoustic guitar for a desert-rock groove that feels like a heavy-metal Western.
It works because it’s authentic to who they are.
The Sin City Spin: Why the Lyrics Changed
Most people know the traditional version. It’s about a brothel or a prison in New Orleans. It’s a cautionary tale for a life spent in sin and misery. But 5FDP didn't want to sing about New Orleans. They’re a band rooted in the high-stakes, chaotic energy of Las Vegas.
So they changed the lyrics.
Instead of "New Orleans," Moody growls about "Sin City." It’s a small tweak, but it changes the entire vibe. It makes the song feel lived-in for them. When you hear the line about a suitcase and a trunk, it feels less like a 19th-century traveler and more like a guy who just lost his last dime at a blackjack table and is heading for the desert.
The "house" in their version isn't just a physical place. It's an addiction. It's the cycle of self-destruction that has defined so much of the band's lyrical themes over the years. Ivan Moody has been very open about his struggles with alcohol and the "demons" that follow him. When he sings this song, he isn't playing a character. He's venting.
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The Sound of 5FDP House of the Rising Sun
Let's talk about that intro.
The original Animals version is famous for that iconic arpeggiated A-minor chord. It’s haunting. 5FDP keeps the spirit of that but drenches it in a dusty, tremolo-heavy tone that sounds like a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack. It’s moody. It’s slow. Then, the drums kick in.
Jeremy Spencer’s drumming on this track is deliberate. It’s not a thrash song. It’s a march. The guitars by Zoltan Bathory and Jason Hook provide this thick, wall-of-sound texture that fills the room. It’s heavy, yeah, but it’s melodic. That was the magic of that specific era of the band—finding the balance between "hit you in the face" and "sing along in your car."
A lot of purists hated it. They called it "butt rock" or complained that it ruined the "sanctity" of the folk song. But here's the thing: folk music is supposed to evolve. That’s the definition of the genre. It’s passed down, chewed up, and spat back out by the next generation. 5FDP just happened to spit it out with a lot more distortion and a middle finger.
The Music Video and the Visual Narrative
If you haven't seen the video, it's a trip. It’s basically a mini-movie. It’s got a post-apocalyptic, Mad Max meets The Hangover vibe. You’ve got the band members in various states of Vegas-induced chaos. There’s a white tiger. There are fast cars. There’s a lot of desert dust.
It’s over the top. It’s ridiculous. It’s perfectly Five Finger Death Punch.
The video reinforces the idea that the "House of the Rising Sun" is a state of mind. It’s the "bad luck" that follows a certain type of person. By placing the band in these cinematic, almost mythological roles, they elevated the cover from a simple "tribute" to a cornerstone of their live sets. To this day, when that riff starts at a festival, the crowd loses it.
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Technical Breakdown: Gear and Production
For the gear nerds out there, the tone on this track is interesting. It doesn't sound like their usual high-gain "war" sound.
- Guitars: Jason Hook used a lot of his signature Gibson M-4 Sherman models during this era.
- Amps: A blend of Kemper profiling and classic EVH 5150 III heads.
- The "Secret Sauce": The use of space. Unlike a lot of modern metal that is compressed to death, this track has "air" in it. The quiet parts are actually quiet, which makes the heavy chorus hit harder.
The production was handled by Kevin Churko. If you know anything about modern hard rock, you know Churko is the architect of the "radio-metal" sound. He knows how to make a snare drum sound like a gunshot and how to layer vocals so they sound massive without losing the grit.
Why This Version Ranks So High on Streaming
If you look at Spotify or YouTube numbers, House of the Rising Sun 5FDP is consistently near the top of their most-played tracks. Why?
Nostalgia helps. People know the song. It’s an easy entry point for someone who doesn't usually listen to heavy metal. It’s "safe" but "edgy."
But beyond that, it’s a masterclass in tension and release. The song builds perfectly. It starts as a whisper and ends as a scream. That’s a formula that works every single time in rock music. It’s why people still blast "Stairway to Heaven" or "Bohemian Rhapsody." You want to feel like you’re going on a journey, and 5FDP delivers that in about four minutes.
Common Misconceptions About the Cover
One big mistake people make is thinking this was their first "classic" cover. It wasn't. They’d already done "Bad Company" by Bad Company, which was a massive hit. They realized early on that they had a knack for taking classic rock staples and "Death Punch-ing" them.
Another misconception? That they didn't respect the original. Zoltan Bathory has mentioned in interviews that they are huge fans of the 60s rock era. They didn't change the lyrics to be disrespectful; they changed them to make the song "honest." In their minds, singing about New Orleans would have been faking it. Singing about Vegas was the only way they could be real with their audience.
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Comparing 5FDP to Other Famous Covers
| Band | Style | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| The Animals | British Invasion | Haunting, soulful, bluesy |
| Bob Dylan | Acoustic Folk | Raw, stripped-back, storytelling |
| 5FDP | Groove Metal | Cinematic, aggressive, modern |
| Alt-J | Indie/Alt | Minimalist, eerie, synth-heavy |
You can see the spectrum. 5FDP sits on the far right of the aggression scale. While Alt-J went for a weird, creepy atmospheric vibe, 5FDP went for the jugular.
What This Song Says About the Band's Legacy
Five Finger Death Punch is a polarizing band. They are the "love to hate them" kings of the metal world. But you can't argue with the numbers. They have a connection with their fanbase—largely military, blue-collar, and people who feel like outsiders—that other bands would kill for.
"House of the Rising Sun" is the anthem for those people. It’s for the person who made a mistake, went down a dark path, and is now trying to make sense of the wreckage. It’s a song about the "Wrong Side of Heaven."
How to Get the Most Out of the Track
To actually appreciate what they did here, you have to stop comparing it to The Animals. That’s a losing game. Instead, listen to it through the lens of a "modern Western."
- Listen for the Bass: Chris Kael’s bass lines in the verses are what actually drive the melody. Most people focus on the guitar, but the bass is doing the heavy lifting.
- Watch the "Lyric Video" vs. "Official Video": The official video is a spectacle, but the lyric video actually highlights the changes they made to the story. It’s worth a side-by-side.
- Check out the Live Versions: Ivan Moody often changes his vocal delivery live depending on his mood. Some nights it’s more melodic; some nights it’s pure rage.
The track is a staple of rock radio for a reason. It bridges the gap between generations. It’s the song your dad knows, but your younger brother actually wants to listen to. That’s a rare feat in music today.
If you’re trying to learn the song on guitar, pay attention to the transition from the clean picking to the power chords. It's all about the "attack." You can't be timid with it. You have to commit to the heaviness or it just sounds like a weak ballad.
Ultimately, Five Finger Death Punch took a gamble on this one. They took a song that was arguably "overplayed" and found a way to make it relevant again for a crowd that wears tactical vests and drinks Monster Energy. It shouldn't have worked. On paper, a metal cover of a 60s folk song about a house of ill-repute sounds like a disaster. But because they leaned into the Vegas grit and didn't apologize for the changes, it became a classic in its own right.
It’s loud, it’s angry, and it’s unapologetically Sin City.
Actionable Takeaways for Rock Fans
- Explore the Discography: If you like this cover, check out their version of "Gone Away" by The Offspring. It follows a similar "emotional makeover" blueprint.
- Analyze the Lyrics: Look at the "Sin City" vs "New Orleans" lyric swap. It's a great exercise in how to adapt a story to fit a specific brand or identity.
- Guitar Practice: The intro arpeggio is a perfect warm-up for intermediate guitarists looking to work on their finger independence and clean tone control.
- Support the Band: Check for 2026 tour dates. 5FDP is notorious for having one of the most high-energy live shows in the industry, and "House of the Rising Sun" is almost always on the setlist.