Bill100Proof
02-05-2007, 12:09 AM
SALVATION is here! I am pretty sure I have just found that "one" band. You know the one Im talking about. Ive talked about that "one" band before in a some of my other blogs. The one band that can lift us all from the depths of mediocraty that Metal seems to have been languishing in for the last few years. In almost the same way that Pantera brought all of us together in the early to mid 90s during the dark and gloomy Grunge era, Five Finger Death Punch rises like a Phoenix to lead the Metal world back to the promise land of true fucking Heavy Metal!
Its only once in a great while that five guys that are already well established in the Metal scene come together to form something so special, so brutal, so real, that it just makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck and you just know. You know that this band is "the band". Every song just hits that sweet spot and makes you want to break something. The official date for the Five Finger Death Punch album drop is April 3rd of this year, but presales for the album start March 20th. From the four songs they have posted on their MySpace page you can already form that image in your head on how this albums going to shape up. The album title is called "The Way Of The Fist". From that you can bet your sweet ass that your face is going to get kicked in! Tracks titled Ashes, The Bleeding, The Way Of The Fist, and The Devils Own encompass everything you want in real down and dirty Metal. Theyre fast, brutal, nononsense Metal tunes written with one thing in mind, DOMINATION! Something has to be said about a band that hasent had a major album release but has already 14 fanclubs worldwide. 13 here in the US, and one in the UK. These five guys have played in some of Metals biggest bands, played along side some of Metals biggest bands, and in my opinion, will be one of, if not "the" biggest band of this era in Metal here in the very near future.
Five Finger Death Punch is comprised of guitarists Zoltan and Darrell Roberts, singer Ivan Moody, Drummer Jeremy Spencer, and bassist Matt aka: The Basshoar. These guys have been interviewed by some of the biggest names in Metal journalism. Now I lay them at your feet here at 100 Proof Metal. Ivan, Jeremy, and Zoltan were cool enough to take time out of their busy scheduals to answer my questions here, so without further adew, I present Five Finger Death Punch. Enjoy!
Me- When did you guys get together, and how did you all meet?
Jeremy- It was at a time where metal was kind of rising up from the ashes, but wasn't really happening as far as "what was out there" You had badly dressed poseurs with way more make up then any damn man should wear… Screaming and gargling up lyrics nobody could make out… it was probably about their girlfriends raping them with a strap on anyway…
Personally, I wanted to do something that was honest, brutally heavy but not completely void of melodies. I was so over all the cookie monster vocal bands.
When I heard a couple of Zoltan's tracks and instantly took a liking to them. There was an energy and a frenetic rythmical style that was really out there. When we got together in a rehearsal space, we both knew right away that this was gonna be "that band" ... within a couple of months we actually started to track the record… just the two of us.
In the meantime Zoltan found Matt who was kind of a "rent an insane bass player" character at the time, producing bands, recording shit for everyone and jumping in to help out different bands when they needed a sick player for a tour or a show… He came down… and we all knew… he just found a home. He was down with the shreddage… and you could tell immediately that he was gonna be there for the whole ride...
We needed the front man… not just A front man.. We needed THE front man.
That person had to have the 'magic' … somebody who can sing melodies without losing his balls, and At the same time he has to melt your face off when we push the ugly button… That person was Ivan. Zoltan saw him tearing it up at Ozzfest, and had been in contact with him on and off for a while and finally sent him the tracks. Ivan was blown away and he knew this was the band he had to be in.
We had a couple insanely talented second guitarists, but they were not the 'right guys' despite their musical ability… I'm sure you'll see them pop up sooner or later, they're too good to not to make it… but for us we needed the right personality as well… I was briefly in WASP a few years ago and immediately hit it off their guitar player Darrell. Not only could he shred his ass off, but also he was bullet proof on stage and had toured the world many times over. When he walked away from WASP I gave him a CD… Next day… the Tank was complete, armed and ready roll. So, it all just kind of fell into place like that.
Me- Who would you say are your biggest metal influences?
Jeremy- Personally my influences are pretty wide…. But As far as metal goes, it was different bands for different needs. For straight up ballsy groove and power it was Pantera. Old Metallica was huge for me growing up as well. Slayer kicked my ass too. For techincal playing, it was bands like Death. Bands with lots of double bass....
Ivan- Pantera, King Diamond, Metallica, Sepultura… and a million more…
Zoltan- I listen to anything with balls, but as "influence" goes… I was always into bands that also had a way with melodies… so Accept was huge for me… those guys are German – ultra precise and build songs like they build tanks…Very solid players too… You wanna know how to write metal tunes? That's the school right there…. Haha…. And then speed it up!
I also liked WASP, Iron Maiden… the way they constructed their songs – how the melody lines related to the music… fuckin' genius… What's in my CD player right now? Demon Hunter, Killswitch Engage, In Flames, Arch Enemy, Dimmu Borgir…
Me- 5FDP has a unique sound, how would you explain your music?
Jeremy- Kind of like stepping on a garden rake while looking at supermodel. Blissful, yet fucking devastating. We have an energy and a rythmical style that's different than what's happening out there. We have songs that grab you and stay with you and rip your face off. Hooks, balls, melodies and energy...that's us….
Zoltan-Yeah… an Epic scenery… with the picture perfect sunset and grand waterfalls… under heavy machine gun fire...
Ivan- Nahh… I probably would not even explain ….it would take away from the listener. I only know that it is everything that encompasses what I think metal should be. TRUE, HARD, HEAVY, FAST!!!
Me- Hows the LA Metal scene been treating you ?
Zoltan-Huhhhh? Is there a metal seen in LA? Fuck I gotta get out more often… Lol! We are lucky in a sense… or I should say we earned our street cred because all of us came from national/international acts, so from the get go we weren't perceived as a "local band". Our very first show was at the sold out Wiltern with Dragon Force, from there we went to play the Dodge Arena with Fear Factory and Drowning Pool, then the House Of Blues shows with Twisted Sister… When we're shoved into smaller club… we shred that fucker up, so there's no doubt in anybody's mind… we are built for all out war…
Me- List any cds, demos, or metal compilation cds that 5FDP has put out, or
been apart of.
Zoltan- We just went for the glory right away… recorded a full length off the bat … and can't wait to knock out five more… This first one (The Way Of The Fist) is coming out at the end of March…
There is a Movie coming out… Dead Girls… they used "Salvation" somewhere in there… And the tunes are creeping onto major radio stations… That's huge when we don't even have the record out…
Me- Where do you guys see yourselves in 10 years musically?
Jeremy-Crippled and hopefully insured...No seriously, just honoring ourselves, the cause and doing what we feel like doing at that time. I'm sure it will be interesting…
Zoltan-LOL! With my addiction to faaaast machines… huhh I don't think I'd qualify for any kind of insurance… for sure I'll make the step up from ASSTronaut to Astronaut though… I wanna record a guitar solo in zero G For our 12th record… you said 10 years right? So that's 2 live records and 10 studio… unless my parachute doesn't open one day…
Me- Go ahead and list any gig/tour dates that 5FDP will be playing.
Zoltan-We're going out on a US tour in March supporting the record!
There are talks of Ozzfest too… and other 'festivities' – but we'll see about those….
Me- If theres anything else about the band that you want to tell me, do it
here. Like, big name bands that yall have played with, interesting factiods,
your bands website and myspace, what kind of gear you guys play and use,
anything you can think of that would make people want to hear your stuff. Go
ahead and plug it now.
Zoltan-Just a shout out to all the REAL metal heads - who aren't down with the sissy ass fashion bands out there ….
Salvation is here… We're coming brothers!!! True METAL will rule again…
Elbows high the way of the fist!
www.myspace.com/ffdp
www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com
It doesnt get much more real than this people. 5FDP is sitting on the forefront of a movement that is about to bring good ol fashioned in your face Metal back into the limelight. No flash, no fluff, no gimmicks, just horns in the air Metal. And in my opinion, its about fucking time! The Metal scene has been laced with false Metal for way to damn long. The mainstream Metal scene has become way to mainstream, and the underground scene is way to underground. Its time that true Metal retakes its place on the throne in the music world, and theres only one way there mother fuckers. The Way Of The Fist!
So as always, go to their MySpace page, add 5FDP as a friend, and put their music on your page. The 5FDP page also offers all sorts of cool shit to add to your page. From banners to contact boxs to layouts. Theyve got what you need. Go to their website and checkout everything they have to offer, and basically support the living fuck out of these guys. I have great feelings about this band and you should too! True fucking Heavy Metal at its finest. So if you read this interview PLEASE leave some comments, thoughts, or opinions on the band, the music, or the interview itself. Good, bad, or otherwise. The band will be reading this and also linking it on their page. So lets give em a killer showing ok?
Horns High
Bill
Its only once in a great while that five guys that are already well established in the Metal scene come together to form something so special, so brutal, so real, that it just makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck and you just know. You know that this band is "the band". Every song just hits that sweet spot and makes you want to break something. The official date for the Five Finger Death Punch album drop is April 3rd of this year, but presales for the album start March 20th. From the four songs they have posted on their MySpace page you can already form that image in your head on how this albums going to shape up. The album title is called "The Way Of The Fist". From that you can bet your sweet ass that your face is going to get kicked in! Tracks titled Ashes, The Bleeding, The Way Of The Fist, and The Devils Own encompass everything you want in real down and dirty Metal. Theyre fast, brutal, nononsense Metal tunes written with one thing in mind, DOMINATION! Something has to be said about a band that hasent had a major album release but has already 14 fanclubs worldwide. 13 here in the US, and one in the UK. These five guys have played in some of Metals biggest bands, played along side some of Metals biggest bands, and in my opinion, will be one of, if not "the" biggest band of this era in Metal here in the very near future.
Five Finger Death Punch is comprised of guitarists Zoltan and Darrell Roberts, singer Ivan Moody, Drummer Jeremy Spencer, and bassist Matt aka: The Basshoar. These guys have been interviewed by some of the biggest names in Metal journalism. Now I lay them at your feet here at 100 Proof Metal. Ivan, Jeremy, and Zoltan were cool enough to take time out of their busy scheduals to answer my questions here, so without further adew, I present Five Finger Death Punch. Enjoy!
Me- When did you guys get together, and how did you all meet?
Jeremy- It was at a time where metal was kind of rising up from the ashes, but wasn't really happening as far as "what was out there" You had badly dressed poseurs with way more make up then any damn man should wear… Screaming and gargling up lyrics nobody could make out… it was probably about their girlfriends raping them with a strap on anyway…
Personally, I wanted to do something that was honest, brutally heavy but not completely void of melodies. I was so over all the cookie monster vocal bands.
When I heard a couple of Zoltan's tracks and instantly took a liking to them. There was an energy and a frenetic rythmical style that was really out there. When we got together in a rehearsal space, we both knew right away that this was gonna be "that band" ... within a couple of months we actually started to track the record… just the two of us.
In the meantime Zoltan found Matt who was kind of a "rent an insane bass player" character at the time, producing bands, recording shit for everyone and jumping in to help out different bands when they needed a sick player for a tour or a show… He came down… and we all knew… he just found a home. He was down with the shreddage… and you could tell immediately that he was gonna be there for the whole ride...
We needed the front man… not just A front man.. We needed THE front man.
That person had to have the 'magic' … somebody who can sing melodies without losing his balls, and At the same time he has to melt your face off when we push the ugly button… That person was Ivan. Zoltan saw him tearing it up at Ozzfest, and had been in contact with him on and off for a while and finally sent him the tracks. Ivan was blown away and he knew this was the band he had to be in.
We had a couple insanely talented second guitarists, but they were not the 'right guys' despite their musical ability… I'm sure you'll see them pop up sooner or later, they're too good to not to make it… but for us we needed the right personality as well… I was briefly in WASP a few years ago and immediately hit it off their guitar player Darrell. Not only could he shred his ass off, but also he was bullet proof on stage and had toured the world many times over. When he walked away from WASP I gave him a CD… Next day… the Tank was complete, armed and ready roll. So, it all just kind of fell into place like that.
Me- Who would you say are your biggest metal influences?
Jeremy- Personally my influences are pretty wide…. But As far as metal goes, it was different bands for different needs. For straight up ballsy groove and power it was Pantera. Old Metallica was huge for me growing up as well. Slayer kicked my ass too. For techincal playing, it was bands like Death. Bands with lots of double bass....
Ivan- Pantera, King Diamond, Metallica, Sepultura… and a million more…
Zoltan- I listen to anything with balls, but as "influence" goes… I was always into bands that also had a way with melodies… so Accept was huge for me… those guys are German – ultra precise and build songs like they build tanks…Very solid players too… You wanna know how to write metal tunes? That's the school right there…. Haha…. And then speed it up!
I also liked WASP, Iron Maiden… the way they constructed their songs – how the melody lines related to the music… fuckin' genius… What's in my CD player right now? Demon Hunter, Killswitch Engage, In Flames, Arch Enemy, Dimmu Borgir…
Me- 5FDP has a unique sound, how would you explain your music?
Jeremy- Kind of like stepping on a garden rake while looking at supermodel. Blissful, yet fucking devastating. We have an energy and a rythmical style that's different than what's happening out there. We have songs that grab you and stay with you and rip your face off. Hooks, balls, melodies and energy...that's us….
Zoltan-Yeah… an Epic scenery… with the picture perfect sunset and grand waterfalls… under heavy machine gun fire...
Ivan- Nahh… I probably would not even explain ….it would take away from the listener. I only know that it is everything that encompasses what I think metal should be. TRUE, HARD, HEAVY, FAST!!!
Me- Hows the LA Metal scene been treating you ?
Zoltan-Huhhhh? Is there a metal seen in LA? Fuck I gotta get out more often… Lol! We are lucky in a sense… or I should say we earned our street cred because all of us came from national/international acts, so from the get go we weren't perceived as a "local band". Our very first show was at the sold out Wiltern with Dragon Force, from there we went to play the Dodge Arena with Fear Factory and Drowning Pool, then the House Of Blues shows with Twisted Sister… When we're shoved into smaller club… we shred that fucker up, so there's no doubt in anybody's mind… we are built for all out war…
Me- List any cds, demos, or metal compilation cds that 5FDP has put out, or
been apart of.
Zoltan- We just went for the glory right away… recorded a full length off the bat … and can't wait to knock out five more… This first one (The Way Of The Fist) is coming out at the end of March…
There is a Movie coming out… Dead Girls… they used "Salvation" somewhere in there… And the tunes are creeping onto major radio stations… That's huge when we don't even have the record out…
Me- Where do you guys see yourselves in 10 years musically?
Jeremy-Crippled and hopefully insured...No seriously, just honoring ourselves, the cause and doing what we feel like doing at that time. I'm sure it will be interesting…
Zoltan-LOL! With my addiction to faaaast machines… huhh I don't think I'd qualify for any kind of insurance… for sure I'll make the step up from ASSTronaut to Astronaut though… I wanna record a guitar solo in zero G For our 12th record… you said 10 years right? So that's 2 live records and 10 studio… unless my parachute doesn't open one day…
Me- Go ahead and list any gig/tour dates that 5FDP will be playing.
Zoltan-We're going out on a US tour in March supporting the record!
There are talks of Ozzfest too… and other 'festivities' – but we'll see about those….
Me- If theres anything else about the band that you want to tell me, do it
here. Like, big name bands that yall have played with, interesting factiods,
your bands website and myspace, what kind of gear you guys play and use,
anything you can think of that would make people want to hear your stuff. Go
ahead and plug it now.
Zoltan-Just a shout out to all the REAL metal heads - who aren't down with the sissy ass fashion bands out there ….
Salvation is here… We're coming brothers!!! True METAL will rule again…
Elbows high the way of the fist!
www.myspace.com/ffdp
www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com
It doesnt get much more real than this people. 5FDP is sitting on the forefront of a movement that is about to bring good ol fashioned in your face Metal back into the limelight. No flash, no fluff, no gimmicks, just horns in the air Metal. And in my opinion, its about fucking time! The Metal scene has been laced with false Metal for way to damn long. The mainstream Metal scene has become way to mainstream, and the underground scene is way to underground. Its time that true Metal retakes its place on the throne in the music world, and theres only one way there mother fuckers. The Way Of The Fist!
So as always, go to their MySpace page, add 5FDP as a friend, and put their music on your page. The 5FDP page also offers all sorts of cool shit to add to your page. From banners to contact boxs to layouts. Theyve got what you need. Go to their website and checkout everything they have to offer, and basically support the living fuck out of these guys. I have great feelings about this band and you should too! True fucking Heavy Metal at its finest. So if you read this interview PLEASE leave some comments, thoughts, or opinions on the band, the music, or the interview itself. Good, bad, or otherwise. The band will be reading this and also linking it on their page. So lets give em a killer showing ok?
Horns High
Bill