In un mercato sempre più spietato dove trovare delle fresche novità è sempre più difficile, i "Five Finger Death Punch" sono state una delle poche note positive del Metal d'oltreoceano degli ultimi anni.
La band di Los Angeles non è altro che frutto della fusione di più membri di altri gruppi non di particolare successo quali Motograter, U.P.O. e Ghost Machine, ma ciò è di relativa importanza per quanto concerne la stesura del loro disco d'esordio, "The Way Of The Fist".
Parto subito dicendo che ci possono essere delle ambiguità e delle diverse interpretazioni circa lo stile che la band propone, non mancano gli spunti Groove proposti dal cantante Ivan Moody, che spesso alterna un cantato Groove appunto ad uno stile più 'clean', per intenderci meglio, una fusione che tanto rimanda ai vari 'Corey Taylor' (Slipknot) ma anche al Metalcore moderno. Sicuramente ciò che c'è da apprezzare di questo disco è la grinta mista alla melodia che pezzi come "Ashes" e il singolo di lancio "The Bleeding" riescono a trasmettere, brani che incalzano perfettamente con episodi più crudi senza però mai eccedere, come la title track "The Way Of The Fist" e la 'heavy' "Salvation". Fa piacere inoltre sottolineare l'ottimo lavoro del batterista J. Spencer, che grazie al suo contributo riesce spesso a 'colorare' pezzi che per forza d'inerzia rischierebbero di stereotiparsi troppo. Il resto dell'orchestra tuttavia non è da meno, ottime infatti le melodie offerte in pezzi più radio-friendly come "White Knucles" e "Never Enough", con chitarre che tendono all'alternative Metal senza comunque perdere adrenalina. Da notare che l'ultimo dei pezzi citati, ovvero "Never Enough" è stato inserito solo in una seconda versione del disco, il parere personale è che in qualche modo il disco stesse commercialmente funzionando, sicchè l'idea di rimasterizzarlo con l'innesto di linfa fresca (e melodica, "Never Enough" difatti è il pezzo più soft del disco), credo sia stata una scelta quantomeno condivisibile.
Proseguendo nella descrizione dell'album, degna di nota è "Death Before Dishonour", pezzo che sfiorando il prog, rende l'idea di quanto la band abbia un senso di eterogeneità che oggi non è semplice trovare in altre band tipicamente Metalcore. Chiusura col botto con la buona "Meet The Monster", le capacità canore e melodiche di Ivan Moody sono di spessore, ci tengo a sottolineare infatti come non sia semplice in un genere come quello espresso dai 5FDP (nome abbreviato), essere in grado di gestire una mole musicale certamente di potenza, spessore e aggressività, condendo il tutto con quel pizzico di orecchiabilità che faccia si che un disco come il presente, possa risultare 'vincente' e possa in qualche modo tenere contenti tutti. Mi sento di affermare che i Five Finger Death Punch sono una realtà ormai affermata e "The Way Of The Fist" ne è la testimonianza. Consiglio l'ascolto ai fan del Metalcore, Heavy Metal, ma perchè no anche a chi è abituato a dischi più 'soft' tendenti all'hard rock.
Nota: sconsiglio l'ascolto dei pezzi su Myspace, in quanto la maggior parte dei brani presenti non fanno parte di questo disco, parte delle canzoni fanno parte del secondo album del gruppo, "War Is The Answer", disco marcatamente più soft.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Ashes (03:44)
You don't understand me, and you probably never will (probably never will)
A tendency to self destruct, and a soft spot for the filth
A hair trigger temperament a switchblade for a tongue(switchblade for a tongue)
I'm a walking one-man-genocide black belt in corrupt
Everything I touch turns to ashes
Falls away, it falls away
Everything I touch turns to ashes
It slips right through my hands
Love me
Hate me
Isolate me, everyday that I'm alive
Strait up, mentally unstable
You dont have to like my life
I'm a jinx, a curse
Some say, "the worst"
I'm a savage, rabid beast (savage rabid beast)
been called so many fuckin' things, it doesn't affect me in the least(NOO)
I've stolen, lied, been crucified, but I don't regret a thing(don't regret a thing)
I'm an egocentric masochist with a sadist's point of bleak
Everything I touch turns to ashes
Falls away, it falls away
Everything I touch turns to ashes
It slips right through my hands
Love me
Hate me
Isolate me, everyday that I'm alive
Live to prove you wrong, it's easy, when your heart is filled with ice
Chapters in my life define me
Changed me into this deprived
Strait up, mentally unstable
You dont have to like my life
Everything I touch turns to ashes
Falls away, it falls away
Everything I touch turns to ashes
It slips right through my hands
02 The Way of the Fist (03:58)
Break this shit down!
Zoltan, open the sky!
[V1:]
You want it, you got it
Everything you needed and more
You said it, I heard it
Careful what you wish for
Deleted, defeated everything you've ever been
No mercy, it's the way of the fist
[Pre-Chorus:]
Strapped with rage, got no patience for victims
Sick and tired of the whole fuckin' world
[Chorus:]
I don't remember asking you about your imperfections
You might win one battle
But know this, I'll win the fucking war!
End of the goddamn road! (Right!)
Step to me, step to me motherfucker
Zip your lip, you've run out of time
Step to me, step to me motherfucker
Talk the talk, now walk the damn line
[V2:]
Deserve it, you earned it, got yourself a fuckin' war
Believe it, you need it, face down on the fuckin' floor
I hate it, can't take it
Wanna break your fuckin' bones
No mercy, you faggot
Should've left it all alone
[Pre-Chorus:]
Strapped with rage, got no patience for victims
Sick and tired of the whole fuckin' world
[Chorus:]
I don't remember asking you about your imperfections
You might win one battle
But know this, I'll win the fucking war!
As you crash and burn
1, 2, fuck you! (Right!)
Step to me, step to me motherfucker
Zip your lip, you've run out of time
Step to me, step to me motherfucker
Talk the talk, now walk the damn line!
Step to me, step to me motherfucker
Shut your face, it's your turn to die
Step to me, step to me anybody
Talk the shit, your ass is mine!
[Chorus:]
I don't remember asking you about your imperfections
You might win one battle
But know this, I'll win the fucking war!
03 Salvation (03:20)
Go!
Right!
Disgusted by your weakness
You have no right to live
To know you is to hate you
But your life's yours to give
You monkey see, you monkey do
You're always doing what they tell you to
You're such a puppet on a string
You don't get it
I won't bow to something that I've never seen
Can't believe in something that doesn't believe in me
I'm not blood of your blood
I am no son of your god
I've no faith in your fate
Still I find salvation
(Guitar solo)
You think you have the answers
To every last detail
In your eyes you're the victor
In mine you've all but failed
You monkey see, you monkey do
You're always doing what they tell you to
You're such a puppet on a string
You don't get it
You monkey see, you monkey do
You're always doing what they tell you to
You're such a puppet on a string
You don't get it
I won't bow to something that I've never seen
Can't believe in something that doesn't believe in me
I'm not blood of your blood
I am no son of your god
I've no faith in your fate
Still I find salvation
04 The Bleeding (04:28)
I remember when all the games began.
Remember every little lie
and every last goodbye.
Promises you broke, words you choked on
and I never walked away. Its still a mystery to me
Well I'm so empty
I'm better off without you and you're better off without me.
Well you're so UNCLEAN!!
I'm better off without you and YOU'RE BETTER OFF WITHOUT ME!!
THE LYING!!
THE BLEEDING!!
THE SCREAMING!!!
WAS TEARING ME APART!!
THE HATRED!!
DECEIVING!!
THE BLEEDING!!
IT'S OVER!!!
Paint the mirrors black (to forget you)
I still picture your face and the way you used to taste.
Roses in a glass dead and wilted.
To you this all was nothing,
everything to you is nothing
Well you're so filthy...
I'm better off without you and you're better off without me.
Well I'm so UGLY!!
You'rebetter off without me and I'M BETTER OFF WITHOUT!!!
THE LYING!!
THE BLEEDING!!
THE SCREAMING!!
WAS TEARING ME APART!!!
THE HATRED!!
THE BEATINGS!!
DISASTER!!!
IT'S OVER!!
As wicked as you are...you're beautiful to me.
You're the darkest burning star, your MY PERFECT DIESEASE!
THE LYING!!
THE BLEEDING!!
THE SCREAMING!!!
WAS TEARING ME APART!!
THE HATRED!!
THE BEATINGS!!
IT'S OVER!!!
DISASTER!! It's over now.
08 Can't Heal You (03:03)
The deeper you get, the farther you fall down
The closer I get, the more you dissolve
You're lost inside, your pale addictions
Bury you, with the demons in the ash
Can't heal you, don't want to
cause you can't save yourself
Can't heal you, don't need to
cause you won't save yourself
You are the one who made the decision
stuck in a prison, shattered and broken
I am the one who, expected to heal you, save you from drowning in your endless nightmare
Blessed be, the disillusioned
The banished misfit and the cursed hollow son
Can't heal you, I don't want to
cause you can't save yourself
Can't help you, don't need to
cause you won't save yourself
We're taught to perish but fade away
Become the haunted and die as slaves
Can't heal you, I don't want to
cause you can't save yourself
Can't help you, don't need to
cause you won't save yourself
Can't heal you, don't want to
cause you can't save yourself
Can't heal you, don't need to
cause you won't save yourself
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