Five Finger Death Punch, ‘American Capitalist’

There's a reason that Five Finger Death Punch have become one of the most popular metal bands of the past several years.

The band certainly siphons from the nu metal genre of yore; okay, so maybe a decade-and-a-half ago isn't that long ago and "yore" is a little bit of an exaggeration, the point is that the genre has been dormant and existed in a time and a place! 5FDP fuse the crunchy, sometimes low-ended riffs with vocals that shift from vitriolic barks and guttural growls in the verses to clean, melodic and sounds-good-on-the radio choruses, all of which were nu metal hallmarks.

It's a tried, trued and tested formula. But with 'American Capitalist,' 5FDP play into the hands of all that is meat 'n' potatoes when it comes to rock 'n' roll, and they do so with solid songwriting and a genuine pissed off-ness.

But 5FDP songs aren't simply designed for young, angry men that hate their jobs while they fight to attain the American dream to enjoy. They are certainly deft at creating songs that appeal to that faction of the country, thanks to the band's ability to tap into the disaffected human being vein. With 'American Capitalist,' the band's third album, they've honed their skills as players. This isn't simplistic mook rock that goes down easy; 5FDP are well beyond that stage and have the ability and confidence to shift tempos and get a little more complicated on the record.

Songs such as the title track, the flip-the-bird single 'Under and Over It' (call us blasphemers, but that one reminds us a wee bit of Pro-Pain for a hot second) and 'The Pride' could get a crew of Marine cadets through boot camp with their ferocity and their ability to cause your adrenaline to surge. We admit it: We felt invincible when cranking these tracks. If that's not the sign of quality hard rock, what is?

While it's true that Five Finger Death Punch aren't the Red Chord or Lamb of God, they still don't water down the rage in their music. They are more akin to, say, Mudvayne, especially on a track like 'Coming Down,' but there are lots of layers to explore in the band's music.

The music may not be as cool or as techy as something like Meshuggah, but it's got a strong pulse. Much of the lyrics are of the "You pull me under to save yourself" variety, which ensures they will reach a wide array of people. Isn't that what any self-respecting band is trying to do with the release of an album.

With 'American Capitalist,' 5FDP deliver mid-tempo, fiery, quality hard rock that should further increase their visibility.