ZOLTAN BATHORY DISCUSSES NEW 5FDP TRACK FEATURING THE LATE DMX – "'HE'S THE METALHEAD OF HIP-HOP"

ZOLTAN BATHORY DISCUSSES NEW 5FDP TRACK FEATURING THE LATE DMX – "'HE'S THE METALHEAD OF HIP-HOP"




Five Finger Death Punch's ninth studio album overall, AfterLife, was originally released in August 2022, and as with their previous albums, was a sizeable worldwide hit. But just one small thing – a song that the band had their hearts on including on the album was not fully prepared in time, which featured vocal contributions from the late rapper, DMX.

Now that the band has been granted full permission to release the track, entitled “This Is the Way,” it is now included on a newly expanded digital deluxe version of AfterLife, out now.

The group's rhythm guitarist, Zoltan Bathory, spoke with BraveWords correspondent Greg Prato about the newly expanded edition, the 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.






How did the decision come to release a deluxe version of AfterLife, and what is on it?

Zoltan Bathory: "We finished this record now a couple of years ago. And when we finished the record, we had this track that now everybody's talking about – the DMX track, 'This Is the Way.' And the song was done and ready to go on the record. However, because it's a collaboration and because he sadly passed, there is a lot of red tape, a lot of approval processes we have to go through. And we were not sure that we would have all the ducks in a row by the time the record was coming out, so we elected to not to put it on the record. Which, when you make a record, there's a flow to every record, every song has a reason to be there. And the position the song is in on the record, to create that flow, it was like, ‘Man that song was supposed to be there.' So, while it's one of my favorite records of our catalogue, still it missed this element. And then it took us maybe a little bit over a year – we had to talk to every single producer, every single publisher, everybody involved. And then show them this song and get the green light on it. So, this is a serious approval process. And then financially, the big publishers had to sign off on it. And once we got that and we're like, 'OK, now we can release the record the way it was meant to be.' And then we wanted to throw on some goodies, so we had some acoustic versions of some of the songs. So, we put that on, so there are some extra really cool things. In some cases the acoustic version has a different vibe. I'm not going to say I prefer it, but some cases, between the original acoustic version there's such a shift in in vibe that it's hard to for me to decide which one I like better. So, these are songs that sound really cool in the new version, as well. That's basically the deluxe and that's why it's coming out."



 What is the story behind the song that features DMX, “This Is The Way”?

Zoltan Bathory: "The conversation started years and years ago – like maybe 5-6 years ago – and we were trying to work with DMX. We always thought, 'He's the metalhead of hip-hop.' Like, his delivery, he has kind of the gruff voice, the dog bark. Everything about him was kind of like, This guy's metal.' So, when this became a reality and the conversation kind of became a possibility that this is actually going to happen, then he passed. So, we got masters from his team that we were allowed to use. There were songs and then bits and pieces of music that some of them came out on a mix tape before. And then we had tapes that nobody ever heard of, because it wasn't a master. So we got the master with the multitracks that nobody heard before. So we kind of had to put it together and write the song around it. The original verses that you might have heard in a mix tape, they don't even sound the same because some of them are different takes. And again, the music is completely different because we had to rewrite that. So, it was a very interesting collaboration from a sense of like we had to reverse engineer a lot of this. Obviously, unfortunately he wasn't here to hear this song, either. So the best feedback basically is that we ran it by all the greats from Run-DMC to Jurassic 5 – iconic rappers and hip-hop artists and producers were listening to the song, and everybody reacted like, 'Man, this is special.' And this is from their words. Daryl from Run-DMC was like, 'Man, this is a game changer.' I'm hearing it from the guys that are doing it their whole lives. We have a high expectation – I really can't wait for the fans to hear it, because that's the point really."

 Now that it's been two years since the album was released, what are your thoughts on the album now?

Zoltan Bathory: "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."

What were some of your favorite rap-metal collaborations from other artists?

Zoltan Bathory: "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."

 What can fans expect from the upcoming tour?

Zoltan Bathory: "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."



(Photo - Hristo Shindov)

FORMER MEGADETH GUITARIST KIKO LOUREIRO SHARES HIS PRACTICE ROUTINE AND FUTURE PLANS IN NEW LIVESTREAM VIDEO

Former Megadeth guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who was with the band from 2015 - 2023, has shared a new livestream video revealing his practice routine and plans for his future.



For the first time in Europe, embark on an immersive guitar camp with one of the most renowned guitarists in the world: Kiko Loureiro.

ALBUM REVIEW: Banished By Sin – Deicide

Let’s begin with a quote, often attributed to the great Albert Einstein: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results“. In musical terms, this can relate to a few things. Finding a formula that works and driving it into the ground so that even longtime fans are sick of it is one seen to occur often. Another version, however, is persisting with an idea that wasn’t even that good in the first place, hoping it elicits a reaction every so often like that clip of Peter Griffin holding his knee. Anyway, in totally unrelated news, DEICIDE have a new album out.



This is the 13th full length album by Glen Benton and his gang of religion-hating lads. For those of you who don’t know, DEICIDE are essentially the band that your mum/grandmother used to be terrified of in the early 90s. Chock full of anti-religious imagery and lyrics, they admittedly did put out about an hour’s worth of decent death metal before the schtick began to get a little stale. There’s really only so many ways you can say “yeah, fuck Jesus, that guy is lame” until it begins to grate on you. Now, that isn’t saying that it isn’t a viable source of lyrical inspiration for death metal, Benton himself made one of the greatest anti-Christian albums of all time, but with VITAL REMAINS, not DEICIDE… and he would have been better served letting that record be his legacy. As it is, his reputation is that of that guy at the party who just won’t leave, only marginally above Chris Barnes in the credibility stakes. Say one thing for Benton however, he makes the former CANNIBAL CORPSE vocalist seem artistically relevant by comparison.

For this record, Banished By Sin, the band decided to make a statement by committing surely the most evil, offensive and despicable act of their career by far: having an utterly shit album cover generated by artificial intelligence. Lacking any sort of real edge or danger, it reeks of laziness, looking more like a badly designed t-shirt you’d buy as a teenager from a stall in Benidorm than a classic piece of death metal art. If the band are going to use A.I to make the album art, how do we know they haven’t used it to write the record? We don’t, to be honest.


If you’ve heard half of a DEICIDE track ever in your life, then you know what this sounds like. Benton grunts and shouts his way over some death metal backing that is the definition of “yeah, that’ll do“. It isn’t so much meat and potatoes as it is roadkill and balls of dirt. There’s more edge on a tennis ball than in the production. His voice has aged well though, you can give him that. He certainly doesn’t sound like a certain death metal frontman/Twitter block machine. Sadly, he doesn’t seem to want to stretch himself or do anything that he hasn’t done dozens of times before. There are the odd moments of groove or memorability, but they fade quicker than a rub on devil tattoo.

Lyrically, you know what’s coming. Benton isn’t someone known for his deep metaphors or vague lyrics. At times it reads like a 13-year-old’s diary after his parents make him go to Sunday School instead of letting him play on Fortnite. It’s absolutely staggering that in 2024, one of the tracks (Sever Your Tongue) contains the line “fuck your religion” – something that would have felt more than a little cringey 30 years ago. You start to wonder if the record was created in the same way as the artwork. Just prompts of “God suckz lol” into a generator and press go. It’s like a record company shareholder’s idea of what death metal is. You also find yourself thinking back to the A.I cover and wondering how many of these lyrics were scraped from a Chatbot with prompts typed one handed while Benton scrolls through Reddit Atheism threads with the other.

At this point, the death metal genre has left DEICIDE behind. There’s bands making much better shock value music that actually sounds good (SANGUISUGABOGG) and bands taking instrumental risks (TOMB MOLD and HORRENDOUS to name but two). Glen Benton is a relic, an embarrassing figure of the genre’s past that for some reason, refuses to just go away. We get it Benton, Christianity sucks, but we’d rather spend a few hours at Mass than listen to anything DEICIDE has released post 1994. Mind you, it’s better than having to listen to SIX FEET UNDER, so every cloud, eh?

Rating: 3/10



Banished By Sin is set for release on April 26th via Reigning Phoenix Music.

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LIVE REVIEW: Blind Guardian @ Academy, Manchester

Despite a career spanning near four decades, it’s remarkable that we can count on two hands how many times German power metal legends BLIND GUARDIAN have graced UK shores and only their second appearance in Manchester. The eight years since they blew us away at The Ritz feels like an age, but finally, they are back. And given the queue is snaking its way down Oxford Road, it’s fair to say that this will be an occasion to remember.

The Night Eternal live @ Academy, Manchester. Photo Credit: Jess Robinson

As sole support, there’s a lot riding on fellow countrymen THE NIGHT ETERNAL to kick start the evening with a bang and with a sizeable crowd inside Manchester’s Academy to greet them, it could have been easy for the Germans to wilt under the pressure. But thanks a bombastic, no-nonsense thrills homage to 80s heavy metal, the band hit the ground running. Over the course of their eight song set, guitarists Rob Richter and Henry Käseberg dual and gallop as they deploy riff after riff and in Ricardo Baum, the frontman channels the heroes of yesteryear with an energetic stage presence and soaring vocals to boot. Whilst their sound is far from ground-breaking or truly innovative, THE NIGHT ETERNAL deliver denim and leather in fine fashion and their warm reception from the crowd amassed in front of them shows they will be welcome back on our shores with open arms.

Rating: 8/10Blind Guardian live @ Academy, Manchester. Photo Credit: Jess Robinson

Impressive they may be, but tonight is all about BLIND GUARDIAN and in the moments prior to their grand entrance, the excitement is palpable. As the lights dim and the band announce their arrival with Imaginations From The Other Side, the energy is electric as the band, led by the charismatic Hansi Kürsch, built the atmosphere before delivering a knock out punch of bombastic proportions.

From there, the band just excel as they embark on a journey across their extensive discography. Nightfall‘s early outing sees the crowd grin with glee as the guitar harmonies from Marcus Siepen and André Olbrich sound utterly immense in the live arena, whilst material from the band’s latest album (2022’s The God Machine) sit comfortably amongst their decorated back catalogue. Given that technically, this tour is in support of their latest album, it’s somewhat surprising that just three songs from their latest record make a live outing, but BLIND GUARDIAN‘s history is rich and extensive, and they play to what their fans want; a victory lap of masterful power metal.Blind Guardian live @ Academy, Manchester. Photo Credit: Jess Robinson

The Bard’s Song – In The Forest sees two thousand people join the band in singing the sombre folk tale, and it’s a moment that raises the hairs on the back of the neck, whereas Majesty and Traveler In Time injects a ton of adrenaline in the show’s closing stages.

It’s an exhilarating performance, but a triumphant encore ensures that BLIND GUARDIAN finish their time in Manchester with the most epic of finishes. Sacred Worlds soars as the booming symphonics, mix with the epic riffs and Kürsch‘s soaring vocals, Valhalla has the crowd screaming every word back to the band and in finale Mirror Mirror, the band end their time in Manchester with a flourish. And as the crowds filter out of Manchester chanting in unison, “Valhalla – Deliverance, Why’ve you ever forgotten me”, one thing is clear: BLIND GUARDIAN are one of metal’s greatest properties.

Rating: 10/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Jess Robinson here:


























































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