Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory has opened up about the band’s turbulent early years and the surprising warning they received from Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx.
Bathory reflected on the band’s 20-year journey, expressing disbelief at their longevity and success. He also acknowledged the chaos that unfolded behind the scenes — chaos they deliberately kept hidden from the public eye.
“It’s amazing that we’ve managed to stay around for 20 years and actually build a legacy,” Bathory said. “You know, sometimes I’m standing on stage in front of 50,000 people and I’m just shaking my head. I’m like, what is this? I’m just making noise, right? I can’t believe you get paid for this shit.”
Despite the band’s growing profile, Bathory revealed that things were far from stable internally during those early years.
“What was going on inside the band back in the day, we hid it from the world, we hid it from the press as long as we could,” he said. “The band was getting bigger and bigger but inside it was an absolute tornado with flying cows and cars and debris!”
Bathory then recalled a candid moment when Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe stepped in with a stark warning during a shared tour. Sixx is a man no stranger to rock and roll excess.
“When we played with Mötley Crüe, Nikki came to our dressing room and said to us, ‘We did some dumb stuff in our career, but man, you guys need to step on the brakes!'” Bathory recalled. “So you can imagine the insanity.”
The remarks offer a rare glimpse into the internal struggles Five Finger Death Punch faced during their rise. They also underscore just how far the band has come over the course of two decades.
Bathory’s reflections come at a milestone moment for the Las Vegas hard rock outfit. The band marks 20 years with a wave of new releases and a major world tour that signals they have no intention of slowing down.
Five Finger Death Punch has announced their tenth studio album, titled Legacy. It is set for digital release on July 31, 2026, with CD and vinyl versions to follow. The album includes the new track “De Oppresso Liber,” written as a direct celebration of the band’s two-decade run. The band also launched their 20th Anniversary World Tour, kicking off in North America on July 20, 2026, in Camden, NJ, with special guests Cody Jinks and Eva Under Fire. UK and European dates for 2027 have also been announced, with Lamb of God and Bleed From Within joining as support acts.
To further honor the anniversary, Five Finger Death Punch released Best Of – Volume 1 on July 18, 2026. The collection features newly re-recorded versions of their biggest hits, including the number one single “I Refuse” with In This Moment’s Maria Brink. A companion release, Best Of – Volume 2, features the number one single “The End” with BABYMETAL. The two collections showcase the band’s evolution across two decades while reintroducing their defining anthems to a new generation of fans.
Beyond the music, the band has used the anniversary as an opportunity to expand its long-standing philanthropic mission. Five Finger Death Punch has donated over one million dollars from ticket sales, record royalties, and streaming revenue to causes including veterans’ support, suicide prevention, youth homelessness, cancer relief, and families of fallen first responders. In 2026, the band launched a new charitable campaign aligned with the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. Each member selected a Team USA beneficiary as part of the initiative.
Bathory chose USA Judo — the National Governing Body for Judo in the United States — as his personal contribution to the campaign. The choice reflects his commitment to discipline and athletic excellence. It also underscores a side of Five Finger Death Punch that often goes unnoticed amid the band’s hard-hitting image: a group that has consistently channeled its platform into meaningful causes throughout its career. With over 15 billion global streams, a new album on the way, and a world tour underway, the band that once needed Nikki Sixx to tell them to pump the brakes is now firmly in control of its own legacy.
