Zoltan Bathory spills all on the band DMX collaboration, what fans can expect from the bands upcoming shows, his favourite rap metal collabs and more with BraveWords.
Five Finger Death Punch’s Zoltan Bathory recently spoke with BraveWords about the newly expanded edition of ‘AfterLife’, the bands DMX track, and also the group’s upcoming tour, which will see them touring the US this summer on a bill also featuring Marilyn Manson and Slaughter to Prevail. Check out some of the extracts from the interview below and check out the full interview over on BraveWords.
On his thoughts on the AfterLife album two years on:
“It’s still one of my favorite records. There are definitely signs of the evolution. Every band starts at somewhere and that’s the hardest part. You have to keep your sound. You can’t just say, ‘We’re going to be a jazz band now.’ So, you have fans and people who love you for a specific reason. Like, AC/DC will always sound like AC/DC, and Iron Maiden will always sound like Iron Maiden. But then you also have to progress. And that’s the test: how do I keep the sound but also progress and bring in different elements. Our musical taste is very eclectic, so there are other influences we want to bring in, but we have to be careful of how much of that comes in. And that last record to me was a perfect concoction of these various influences. It does sound like Death Punch to me – it doesn’t stick out from the rest of the albums, so it’s a continuation of what we have done before. But there are different influences and vibes on that record. That was always the goal with every record – one more step, one more push, a little evolution, a little something new. And it’s in there.”
On his favourite Rap Metal collaborations:
“Everyone is aware of the Run-DMC collabs. And that stuff was cool – when hip-hop and heavy metal collaborated. But if you think about what happened in the nu metal era, to me that whole nu metal era was a collaboration in some way. Because even if you didn’t collaborate with a specific artist, that sound and the groove was in nu metal. So, the Limp Bizkits and the Linkin Parks of the world, they had a massive influence derived from that hip-hop scene. To me, that was a cultural collaboration to begin with. And then later on we did one – we did LL Cool J’s ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ and we had Tech N9ne come in as a guest on that. And then we got to perform that live with Tech N9ne.”
On what fans can expect from the bands upcoming tour dates in 2024:
“We were always a band who understood that you can listen to an album, and when you listen to the album, you get your best stereo system or headphones and you listen to an album. But when you go to a show, it’s a different environment. It’s supposed to be an experience – you’re not there to listen, you’re there to rock out, connect and feel the togetherness of the crowd. It’s a tribal experience. We always understood that different. So, we modified things – some songs are played differently for that reason. And when it comes to the stage show, we always push that envelope. And for the next tour…we always wanted to do big shows. Because look, whether you like or don’t like KISS or whether you like or don’t like Rammstein, you’re going to go and see those bands – because of the show. We always wanted to be one of those bands. And for this next tour, we have Brian Hartley who is a production designer, and we finally got to work with him – who is responsible for Trans-Siberian Orchestra and for some of the KISS shows. So, he does giant shows. And designing this new show with him…man, it’s out of control. It’s insane. It was a pretty big show to begin with, but this is really out there. So, you’re going to have to come see this show, because it’s not just the music – it’s the experience
Read Zoltan Bathory’s FULL interview with BraveWords here
Five Finger Death Punch released the digital deluxe edition of ‘Afterlife’, Friday 5 April 2024 via Better Noise Music. The deluxe version includes the original 12 tracks recorded with the band’s long time producer Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne) in addition to four bonus tracks: acoustic versions of the album’s songs ‘The End’, ‘Judgement Day’ and, ‘Thanks For Asking’.
The deluxe digital edition also includes a brand new song, ‘This Is The Way’ featuring the legendary late rapper DMX. The official music video for ‘This Is The Way’ (feat. DMX) was directed by influential filmmaker Hype Williams, a longtime friend and close collaborator of the late DMX.
Speaking on the collaboration with DMX, Five Finger Death Punch’s Zoltan Bathory said, “Music is meant to be shared, and it starts at the top with us, the artists. We have always embraced the mixing of genres, whether it be the remake of LL Cool J’s ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ featuring Tech N9ne as a guest or our collaboration with blues warrior Kenny Wayne Shepherd, country star Brantley Gilbert, and Brian May, the legendary guitarist of Queen, on the song ‘Blue On Black’.”
“The idea of collaborating with DMX had been in discussion for years, and it was a long and winding road to turn this particular item on our wish list into reality. He was a lyrical warrior, a true original who spoke his mind incorruptibly. We have always viewed DMX as ‘the metalhead of hip-hop’ because of his aggressive, raw, and untamed style. He growled and snarled, aiming to rattle some cages — an attitude we share, as Five Finger Death Punch has always been drawn to the fearless and the real. It made all the sense in the world, but today this is more than just a song; it’s a salute to a legend, a way to honor DMX’s memory.”