Don’t miss Zoltan Bathory on Metallica’s ‘The Metallica Report’ podcast talking about the early days of Five Finger Death Punch.
Zoltan Bathory recently appeared on Metallica’s ‘The Metallica Report‘ podcast discussing the bands independent and DIY route into the music industry, recording ‘The Way of the Fist’ in his own bedroom, how practicing martial arts translates to his approach to the band and life and much, much more.
‘The Metallica Podcast’ is a new podcast hosted by Metallica which offers fans a quick, weekly hit, including news, updates, exclusive features, and surprises from HQ and beyond. The podcast caught up with Zoltan on the Detroit leg of the M72 World Tour.
On Five Finger Death Punch’s “indie” status and beginnings:
Its always been a massive misconception when it comes to the press, when it comes to the audience, because this band grew really quickly. We connected to the fans and our growth was exponential. Everybody thought that there must be some kind of an industry coming in here with suitcases of cash and they made us, right? And that’s exactly the opposite of the truth.
We signed to an independent label where we were the only band on the label and it never really changed. We never had a major label deal and the band never had tour support. So basically what we did, we designed our own merch, like I designed most of the merch and, we had our own merch guy on the road right and we were just selling our merch and the merch would support the band. And so all the way, like right now obviously we are here, and its been always like that. Its always been an independent band.
On recording 5FDP’s debut album ‘The Way of the Fist’:
The first record [‘The Way of the Fist’] was literally created in my bedroom. The whole record. Every single guitar, bass, everything was recorded in the bedroom. I mean it was a little desk and a computer and just [a] minimal amount of equipment and we did everything there. In the end we went to a better studio to catch the drums and the the vocals and then went back to the home and finished it there. So it’s a home made record. That record is almost platinum now, right, so you can do it. Everybody can do it. Like its, the technology that allows you to.
On the sacrifices he has made persuing music as a career:
I didn’t have a bed. I didn’t want to buy a bed frame so I had a matress. I didn’t want to buy furniture so I only had what was necessary. So it was just studio equipment, a studio desk with my chair and an extra chair. That’s it because I felt like ‘I don’t wanna get comfortable. I don’t wanna have an anchor. I want to go on the road. I wanna be a musician. This is what I want to do.’
I mean I was a musician my whole life but I felt like if I get comfortable then it’s not going to happen so I had a very spartan life style. This is all I wanted to do. So I literally I didn’t buy furniture and that was it. Just a desk, studio equipment and a chair.
On how the martial arts skill and mindset has helped his approach to Five Finger Death Punch:
That’s a martial arts mindset. When you look at life as a martial artist, which I was always a martial artist since I was nine years old, you don’t see things as obstacles, you see them as challenges. You know, I have to go out to the mat and fight somebody, this is not an obstacle, this is a challenge and whatever happens on this mat, I can get into a bad situation, well I have to fight by way out of it. I have to figure out a way. There’s always a way and eventually it becomes almost like a pavlovian reflex, I don’t even think about it. When there’s an obstacle I’m already thinking of a thousand ways to escape it. And, then when you get masterful with it, then it’s not even just ‘I’m in a bad situation so I have to figure out a way around it’ but ‘I’m in a bad situation, I am going to change it, to use it against my opponent.’
So all of a sudden you become a very good crisis manager, when you take a crisis and make it into a positive, not just avoid a crisis, but how do I make this actually a thing. So when there’s a bad news, find an angle and amplify it. It’s news, you know what I mean. So when we have haters, awesome, you know, we need those guys because they’re talking about the band. Just don’t misspell the bands name! Under that say whatever you want. I don’t care. (Laughs).
So that’s kind of how we operated, like it was really a home made project and it always remained that, independent, nobody ever messed with us.
Podcast host’s Steffan Chirazi and Renee Richardson loved speaking to Zoltan so much that they hope to line him up again in 2024 for more in depth discussions on the M72 World Tour. Yes please, say the UK Knuckleheads. We hope they do!
Fans can listen to the FULL podcast episode with Zoltan Bathory (with brief interjections from Chris Kael) below.
Listen to Zoltan Bathory on The Metallica Report Podcast:
Cover photo by Harry Reese Film and Photography.