Whatever, the Onion A/V Club...

The Onion's A/V club recently published a big ass list of what they felt to be the worst band names of 2008, and included in said list was one band I actually like quite a bit. Five Finger Death Punch. Not only is it a fantastic name that I'm pretty sure is a Fist of the North Star reference, they are a great band that plays a metal/hardcore hybrid without the "DO IT YOURSELF YOU CAN SUCCEED" inspirational crap that other bands tend towards in the genre. Instead, they favor a "Disagree with me all you want, I'll beat the shit out of you" type of message, mixed in with a healthy dose of angsty issues about their upbringing, and other usual metal fodder. 

Here is the video for the title track of their debut album, "The Way Of The Fist"

Now, it may well be a cheap attempt at piggy backing on the current popularity of Ultimate Fighting (which is as many of you know, my favorite thing on television), but the song speaks relatively well for itself. I was also dismayed to learn that just before the guitar solo in the beginning, he is not yelling "Sultan, up in the sky"... I somehow assumed that he would be as the melodic minor stuff that follows is stereotypically Arabic sounding, but in fact he is saying "Zoltan"... Which led me to my next gruesome discovery that makes the band at once more ridiculous and more awesome: the guitar player goes by the stage name Zoltan Bathory. 

His first name may actually be Zoltan, as he is Hungarian by birth, but I feel like Bathory is more of an homage to Swedish Black Metal originators Bathory, and Hungary's own Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who supposedly bathed in the blood of virgins blah blah metal credibility blah. 

I don't really care. I'm a little sad he's not yelling "Sultan" because that would also be an awesome nickname for someone. Maybe I should take that one. 

That's all for now.

RJ "The Sultan" C

Also, for that Onion list, see: 
Here.