Five Finger Death Punch's Zoltan Bathory on Martial Arts, Madden NFL

Five Finger Death Punch’s Zoltan Bathory on Martial Arts, Madden NFL

2011-11-18

Story by Charles Ken

Five Finger Death Punch guitarist trains in the martial arts

When Five Finger Death Punch’s Zoltan Bathory isn’t smashing down on the strings of his six-string guitar, it’s not uncommon to find him training in martial arts. Bathory has spent time training with UFC fighter Kyle Watson, and he often trains out on tour, so it’s obvious he’s serious dead about the sport.

Bathory says fighting is not all that different from being on stage with Five Finger Death Punch. “You know what, I’m just so into [it],” he told ESPN Sports. “When I fight, it’s almost like a chess game for me. People have a certain kind of anxiety maybe, or they have a certain kind of nervousness before they fight. I don’t get that. I love competitions. I love to go to jiu-jitsu tournaments because I have this euphoric state. Somehow, my mind clears and there is a flow. It’s actually very similar to being onstage.”

He went on to explain how Five Finger Death Punch worked out a deal to include a track on the popular “Madden NFL 2012” video game. “We just happened to be in a lucky position,” he said. “When ‘Madden 2012’ was coming out and they were looking for bands, it was a huge opportunity for us because being on the soundtrack is obviously huge. But also it’s a perfect fit. That’s why this conversation started between us and the creators of ‘Madden,’ because they knew the band.

“We are a band that, we share the audience. We have the same crowd. People who are into football and action sports — high-adrenaline things — are probably going to be into Five Finger Death Punch because that’s kind of what we represent. They needed a song; we just happened to have one.” Read our review of Five Finger Death Punch’s latest album, American Capitalist, and find out why it packs throat-grating vocals, tight metal and He-Man power.

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Charles Ken

Meet the expert - Charles Ken is a graduate of Michigan State University where he studied writing and history. He's a longtime music buff and covers classic rock for Audio Ink Radio. Contact him at ken@audioinkradio.com.