Reviewed! Five Finger Death Punch - American Capitalist
Five Finger Death Punch
American Capitalist
Prospect Park
By now, we all know, or should know at the very least,
what Five Finger Death Punch is all about. The band makes no bones about who
they are sonically, and their latest release, American Capitalist, is
proof positive of that. The pop metal merchants know what they are doing, which
is why even though American Capitalist is pretty much more of the
same, it’s still enjoyable.
First off, if you’re looking for anything close to
progression or any sort of changing of the guard in terms of sound, you are
most definitely looking in the wrong place. Continuing the pace from their
previous release War Is the
Answer, American Capitalist picks
up right where the band left off, following much of the same formula and
structure that got them to where they are today – agg-metal verses followed by
soaring, melodic choruses and vice versa. Yes, vocalist Ivan Moody is as good
as he has ever been, and drummer Jeremy Spencer remains a steady beast behind
the kit, though for the most part, American
Capitalist shines its beacon on the
guitar tandem of Zoltan Bathory and Jason Hook, who ring in the new record in
style with some of their best shredding and soloing on the title track, before
giving way to one of the bands most viable singles yet in “Under and Over It.”
“Menace” returns FFDP to their driving, punishing ways, though it’s the albums
lighter moments, the slightly less-heavy ballad-esque moments (“Coming Down,”
“Remember Everything”) that allow Moody to flex his vocal muscles even more so
than during the albums towering, rampant hooks.
Unfortunately, for every standout track, there’s
senseless filler, tracks like “Wicked Ways” and “100 Ways to Hate,” full of
ludicrous, preposterous, and above all else, disposable, songwriting and
recycled riffs, which do their job in dragging the work as a whole down.
No, American Capitalist isn’t quite beating a dead
horse, but by now we all get the gimmick, and as long as the band can
continuously go back to the well to reinterpret pretty much the same sound
while keeping things enjoyable, or perhaps more importantly, marketable, then a
band like Five Finger Death Punch will always have a future. The bottom line
is, if you find yourself a fan of pretty much any of the bands prior work, then
you’ll find yourself easily a fan of American
Capitalist.
Grade: B-
Go Download: “American Capitalist”
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