Is FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH A Heavy Metal Band? ZOLTAN BATHORY Responds

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory recently answered the most asked questions on the Internet for the viewers of Impericon. Check out the full Q&A below.

Asked if FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is "metal," Zoltan responded: "Well, look, a lot of people would say, 'No, they're not metal,' because of whatever. To me, it's a strange thing, actually, that heavy metal was [at one point] just heavy metal and generally, the really heavy bands and the lighter bands were all considered metal at one point. And then this whole subgenre segregation came about, and [there's] snocore — whatever the hell that is — and all these crazy subgenres came up.

"We don't really care what people call us. I think we are metal. If you listen to the [FIVE FINGER] songs [that are played] on the radio, that's, I'd say, on the border of hard rock and metal.

"We are completely fine with being called a hard rock band. I don't care. That's fine. But we have a lot of heavy pieces. What do you call that? I think it's metal.

"That's an interesting thing, that people actually Google that."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's latest album, "F8", was released on February 28. The follow-up to 2018's "And Justice For None" caps a turbulent period for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in which singer Ivan Moody finally got sober after a near-fatal struggle with addiction, while co-founding drummer Jeremy Spencer bowed out of the band due to physical issues.

Much of "F8"'s lyrical content deals with Moody's battle with addiction, its aftermath and his recovery. The singer is celebrating two years of sobriety this month.

Spencer announced his departure from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in December 2018 after going through two back surgeries and sitting out a tour. His replacement is Charlie "The Engine" Engen, who makes his recording debut with the band on "F8".