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The Gauntlet: Five Finger Death Punch |
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Five Finger Death Punch Album Review
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Tracklist
1. Ashes
2. The Way Of the Fist
3. Salvation
4. The Bleeding
5. A Place To Die
6. The Devil's Own
7. White Knuckles
8. Can't Heal You
9. Death Before Dishonor
10. Meet the Monster
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What does it take to make the best heavy metal record possible?
It’s a question that was obviously on the minds of Five Finger Death Punch during the making of “The Way Of The Fist.” Taking the time to ensure each aspect of the record was completely perfect was a wise choice for the Los Angeles-based group. In all truthfulness, it’s taken many highly established artists much longer to deliver worse records. No matter, its obvious that the band gave this one its all, bringing to life a brawling, burly metal monstrosity that flattens the listener more like a piece of heavy industrial machinery than a fist.
This record will leave a striking impression on any metal fan, featuring varied songwriting that boasts piercing leads, hammering beats and face-smashing riffing alongside the band’s pissed-off center of charisma, vocalist Ivan Moody, who represents the middle finger on the Death Punch fist. Moody utilizes a wide variety of voices on the album, this being one of the many keys to the success of tracks of “The Way Of The Fist.”
Rarely is an album important enough to take on a track-by-track synopsis, but every song here is noteworthy enough to be of mention. Here’s the breakdown:
Ashes - “Bring it.” – Ivan Moody This cut’s explosive half-tempo verse lays waste to all in its path as Moody spits blunt, in-your-face lyrics with a venomous fervor. A soaring, catchy hook breaks things up nicely and makes the cut instantly memorable. Whipping double kick drums by Jeremy Spencer multiply the intensity as the track progresses. A great opener, this track is perfect for setting the tone of the album.
The Way Of The Fist - Ripping thrash riffing by guitarists Zoltan Bathory and Darrell Roberts whips this title track into a fury before breaking down into a sneaking groove. As Bathory lets loose with a ripping lead, Moody bursts into the track’s lyrics like a man possessed. The dynamics of this song are really interesting, but the “Step To Me” chorus, with all of its macho bravado, will draw comparisons to “Nu-metal” Who cares? This track is killer.
Salvation - Kicking in with another thrashing groove, this song moves right along, with the clean guitars of Bathory offsetting the steely riffing of Roberts in great fashion. Moody is pissed off here, but his soulful, passionate vocals during the hooks are some of his best on the record. With deadly effectiveness, the guitar tandem of Bathory and Roberts weaves a neck-snapping web of caustic metal riffs, offset by strong lead breaks that bring plenty of melody to the mayhem. The engineering of Stevo "Shotgun" Bruno (Mötley Crüe, Prong) is geared toward maximum intensity, with a taut low end holding up the variation in guitar tones and Moody’s powerful pipes with authority.
The Bleeding - Here’s the first single and easily the catchiest song on the record. Guitarwise, this is more reminiscent of Bathory’s former band U.P.O. A blues based lead with plenty of shredding gives way to the track’s smooth verse, building to a razor-edged crescendo. Slowly, this song becomes more powerful and as Moody relays heartfelt promises of separation, you’ll find yourself singing along instantly. This song is the best-rounded metal single of the year.
A Place To Die - Another fast-tempo ass-kicker that will have knuckleheads bashing each other in the mosh pit. Spencer’s drumming sounds very similar to the style of Vinnie Paul on this track. A classically-influenced bridge grows into an earth-smashing giant. Here, the influence of Morgan Lander, who mixed and mastered the album, rises to the surface with a strong emphasis on the band’s guitar sound.
The Devil’s Own - Powerful vocals from Moody and precision strikes from the guitar team shape the identity of this track. You’ll notice that the more intense the vocals of Moody tend to become, the more inspired Bathory is to get acrobatic on the fretboard. Spencer and bassist Matt Snell keep this one grounded with a compact rhythm. Iron Maiden references during this track’s bridge gives an almost metalcore atmosphere.
White Knuckles - A massive, Texas-style powergroove prefaces a verse that slowly builds in intensity. This track’s chorus is stellar, geared toward crowd participation but not sugar-coated. Witness the furious groove during the bridge, one of the shining moments of the album, this cut is pit-proven and throttling. Bathory really goes off on this track’s lead, a guitar magazine transcription-worthy performance. This is one of the standout songs on the record.
Can’t Heal You - Here’s a good example of the ability of 5FDP to switch things up, an odd melding of Pantera and Faith No More that’s similar in some sense to newer American Head Charge. As Moody recites cryptic spoken messages, the cut launches into another solid Bathory solo.
Death Before Dishonor - This song builds up from a lurching chug to a feel that’s most often associated with power metal before breaking down into the track’s verse, where Moody changes up his vocals to match the feel of the track’s violent, mid-paced riffing.
Meet The Monster - Closing things out with a bang, this track gives a nod to Slayer in terms of riffing. Vocally, Moody goes for a modern singing approach, recalling the spirit of Jonathan Davis during the track’s more deranged moments. Most vocalists would try a different type of approach over such powerful guitar work, but the varied voices explored my the frontman make this song sound very unique, indeed.
There you have it, an album that easily nabs debut metal record of the year honors. This uncompromisingly aggressive album establishes Five Finger Death Punch as a major metal force to be reckoned with right out of the box. Though the band touches on many different styles and influences throughout this record, it’s successful in building a singular sonic identity. 5FDP is confident, commanding and leaves a major impact with every single song of “The Way Of The Fist.” Metal fans, get ready for the fight of your life.
Review by: E.F.
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