We all like to make lofty comparisons about our work. In the case of musicians, it takes a lot of time, money, effort and just general persistence to put a record out and you should be proud of it! Still, is Queen really the band you want to compare yourself to?
It’s the one that Zoltan Bathory, guitarist for American metal giants Five Finger Death Punch, feels is accurate. Speaking to Metal Hammer, Bathory said that Queen is a big inspiration on Five Finger Death Punch’s upcoming record, AfterLife, because Queen had a core sound that they felt comfortable experimenting in.
“This is the ninth record, and at this point everyone knows who we are and the sound. It’s very difficult to achieve a signature sound, but when you have that, you have nothing to prove and it allows you to venture farther away. Take Queen: you can’t categorize Queen, and that’s the place you want to be, because you can do anything.
“For us, I think this is the record where that’s really starting. For an artist, as much as you want to be free, there’s all this expectation, and you set yourself up, like, ‘I have all these hit songs so I have to keep repeating that.’ That’s why I mentioned Queen, because those guys didn’t give a shit, they wrote whatever the hell they felt like writing. That’s as honest as music can be.”
Last month, singer Ivan Moody explained the band’s ridiculous anti-mask video was not his idea and totally on Bathory.
“I showed up for two days and Zo told me to run across the grass, screaming and holding the American flag, so I was curious to see it. Then when he released it, I called him, like, ‘You implemented your own platform into Five Finger Death Punch, and now I’m gonna have to answer for it, because I’m the singer.’ And it ended up going down like a fart in church!
“There was the mask thing and the awkwardness of the whole thing. That’s what he visualized, but it’s not what I had in mind when I wrote it. For those who understood it, great. And for those who didn’t, I’m sorry, I didn’t agree with it either. I love Zoltan to death, that’s his opinion, but it won’t ever be done with my name on it again.”
AfterLife is out on Friday, which is also the day Five Finger Death Punch kick off a tour to support the new album.
Fri Aug 19 – Portland, OR – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
Sat Aug 20 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheater
Tue Aug 23 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheater
Wed Aug 24 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheater
Fri Aug 26 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
Sat Aug 27 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Tue Aug 30 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
Thu Sep 1 – Del Valle, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Fri Sep 2 – Houston, TX –The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
Tue Sep 6 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Wed Sep 7 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Fri Sep 9 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Sat Sep 10 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Mon Sep 12 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Wed Sep 14 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Thu Sep 15 – Camden, NJ – Waterfront Music Pavilion
Sat Sep 17 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater
Sun Sep 18 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Tue Sep 20 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
Wed Sep 21 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake**
Fri Sep 23 – Scranton, PA – Pavilion at Montage Mountain
Sat Sep 24 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
Tue Sep 27 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater**
Wed Sep 28 –Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Fri Sep 30 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
Sat Oct 1 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Tue Oct 4 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
Wed Oct 5 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Fri Oct 7 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater – Summerfest Grounds
Sat Oct 8 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
Mon Oct 10 – Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Wed Oct 12 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
Fri Oct 14 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Sat Oct 15 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheater
