If they didn’t make it clear on 2009’s WAR IS THE ANSWER, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH are a divisive outfit when it comes to their sonic merits. If you didn’t like the band then, you sure as hell won’t enjoy AMERICAN CAPITALIST, so you might as well close your browser or surf elsewhere rather than reading any further. For their third album, the band builds upon the structure of their first two and comes off bigger, badder, and ready to aim and fire at detractors.
There’s a military theme that tends to surround 5FDP, from their impressive live shows to their lyrical content and the loyalty of their increasing fanbase. The album opener and title track American Capitalist shares an oddly similar intro riff to Under and Over It, the second track and first single from the record. The Pride could be viewed as Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire revamped for a new generation with it’s rapid-fire pop culture references and brand-name bomb-dropping.
There have long-been comparisons made between the 5FDP and SLIPKNOT camps, and AMERICAN CAPITALIST brings the two closer together. Like Corey Taylor, 5FDP frontman Ivan Moody manages to shift between the gravel-scraping screams and the smooth melodies when he wants to. Both bands have also been able to balance staying true to their fans while crafting a few songs just mainstream enough to make the jump to terrestrial radio (still important). Listen closely to the dynamics between the dual guitar attack and the rhythm section, and you’re bound to pick up other similarities as well. Listen to Menace.
The Bottom Line: AMERICAN CAPITALIST is a big rock record for a wide audience, and one that is very… American. International audiences may dig the grooves, but lyrically this is a record firmly rooted in the red, white, and blue.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
