ZOLTAN BATHORY: FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's Upcoming Tenth Album Is 'A Little Bit Of A Reach Back To The First Three' LPs

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory recently spoke to 93X's Kevin Kellam about the band's latest single, "Eye Of The Storm", which was released two weeks ago. The track serves as the first single from the band's upcoming tenth studio album, which is currently being recorded in Los Angeles and is due later this year. Zoltan said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "'Eye Of The Storm' was in the first batch [of new songs that we wrote and recorded]. Ivan [Moody, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH frontman] is in the studio right now still recording. But from the first batch we had, this was the song kind of that we thought, 'Okay, this gives you a pretty good picture of what's coming.' This is a song that can live on radio. It's a little bit heavier, actually, than… So, it's pushing the envelope a little bit for radio."

After Kellam noted that "Eye Of The Storm" is still quite heavy for a radio single, Bathory concurred. "That's kind of the weird thing that the metal community doesn't understand," Zoltan said. "Like, look, guys, if you want your community to be healthy and big and grow, you're gonna need bands like DISTURBED, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, bands like us, that kind of coast in between, that we have some songs that can live on radio. And there's a limit to that. Again, people are commuting and listening to music. They don't wanna crash. They go, 'Oh, what the hell is going on? What is that?' So from their perspective, it is a heavier song. So when you look at what's the average on radio, it is a little bit heavier than that. But [it's gotten a] huge reaction. Everybody's playing it. That means that the audience is ready for that. Radio audience is accepting it. It's doing really well. And it also gives the people a kind of a pretty good picture of what's coming."

Elaborating on what fans can expect from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's upcoming album, Zoltan said: "This album is a little bit of a reach back to the first three. The first three albums [were] a little bit more aggro… So, yeah, the balance changed a little bit. A little bit more guitars, a tiny bit less drums, less vocals. So we kind of shifted the balance, and that makes it sound a little bit gruffer as well. And we thought, 'Okay, ['Eye Of The Storm'] is the perfect song that will sort of represent what is the new album.' Of course, there is much, much heavier stuff on there. And then we always have a couple of lighter things, because the idea is you wanna give a full picture. If I just gave you 14 really heavy songs, to me, it's boring. Maybe somebody loves that; I don't know. To me, this is the same energy going through. I like the roller coasters. And so kind of look at an album like that. You need two, three, four songs that are lighter. You need about four, five mid-tempo — that's what this is, that mid-range, that middle of the road, for us style-wise, and then you need your barn burners. That's the one that, when you play that, it activates people's dental plan in a mosh pit… So, that's kind of the picture. And then this was sort of at that middle range of what's coming."

Zoltan also addressed criticism from some people who say that FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's songs follow the same formula and tend to sound alike. He said: "[Bands like] IRON MAIDEN, AC/DC, us, all these bands are progressing. The songs are not the same. People say, 'Oh, it's the same thing.' It isn't. And the example I'm gonna make, if you're a beer connoisseur. You're drinking beer. You can tell the difference between every single sort of ale — you're a connoisseur. Or a wine connoisseur — you can tell the difference between wine that was produced in Spain or France or America. You know, because you're a connoisseur. So when you're a person who's into metal, especially when you have a specific band, for you AC/DC does not sound the same, because you're a connoisseur of that band. You understand the difference. Or IRON MAIDEN, or pick all these bands. Somebody as an outsider or a casual listener, just like a casual beer drinker, will go, 'Oh, it's just beer.' Or, 'It's just wine.' They can't really tell the difference. 'Oh, it's the same thing. It's just wine.' No, not really. So if you're a fan of this band, then you definitely see the progression. If you're a casual listener, then I would understand the same way that probably people would say, like, 'Well, AC/DC, the same riff.' No, it isn't, but if you're a casual listener, then for you it is. So there [is] always also a section of the album where we look at it like, okay, we can sacrifice, so to speak, two, three songs into something more progressive that I wouldn't have done before. But you can't do five of those because then now the album completely shifted. So there is this idea of balance. We cook it"

He continued: "There has to be four, five, six songs [on every album] that are core FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH. That's why the fans love us, that's our sound. We have to deliver that, and that's where we operate anyway. It's not something that I go to the studio and say, 'I have to do this.' That's what naturally comes out anyway. That's how we sound. So that's gonna be our regular sort of DEATH PUNCH sound. You have to have, like, five, six, seven songs like that… And then you put, like, three [or] four really heavy [songs] in there, and a couple of ballady stuff in there. And then you have a pretty good even surface of, 'All right. All the facets of the bands are sort of showcased, and I gave you a record that is not just one tone.' If I give you a record with 14 super-heavy songs — well, there are bands that do that, and good for them. I'm not a fan of that. I like variation... It's like a live show, how you put together a live show. Even the songs on the album, what comes after what matters. Just like a live show — you're not gonna open a show with a ballad."

This past January, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH announced the first leg of its 2026-2027 world tour. Produced by Live Nation, the massive 48-city trek will kick off on Monday, July 20 at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey and wrap up on Friday, October 23 at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia. Platinum-certified outlaw country musician Cody Jinks will join the tour as special guest and will promote his current album, "In My Blood". The tour lineup will be rounded out by EVA UNDER FIRE.

In addition to celebrating two decades of music, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is once again using its platform to give back. Long recognized as one of the most charitable bands in rock, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has spent decades giving back to various causes, including U.S. military veterans and first responders and their families. In 2026, the band is continuing that tradition by supporting Team USA and aligning with the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games being held on American soil in Los Angeles in 2028. As part of the tour's commitment to championing America's next generation of athletes, a portion of the ticket sales from the 2026 North American tour will benefit high-performance programs for U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes as they prepare for international competition.

Earlier in the month, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH announced the European leg of its 20th-anniversary world tour, set to take place in early 2027. Featuring special guest LAMB OF GOD, the trek will be rounded out by BLEED FROM WITHIN from Scotland.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's current albums, "Best Of - Volume 1" and "Best Of - Volume 2", feature newly re-recorded versions of the band's biggest hits, including the No. 1 single "I Refuse" featuring IN THIS MOMENT's Maria Brink ("Volume 1") and No. 1 single "The End" featuring BABYMETAL ("Volume 2"). "The End" reached No. 1 on the Japanese iTunes Metal chart and No. 18 on the Japanese all-genres chart, marking a major milestone for an international rock release. In the U.S., the song made history as the first track featuring Japanese lyrics to chart at rock radio, ultimately reaching No. 1. Both albums were created in response to the sale of the band's original masters, a decision made without FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's knowledge or opportunity to reclaim them.