Article and Photos by Andrés Alvarado

Showmen like no others, the gang of Five Finger Death Punch rolled into Atlanta to kick ass and take names — musically that is. Performing to a packed Verizon Amphitheatre, Ivan Moody and his mates, came, saw, and conquered the thousands on hand. A spectacle of humongous proportions, the night was lit up with raging tunes, a gigantic laser-beaming skull, dynamic strobes, and, of course, fucking fire.

Spoiling their audience with a grand backdrop and plenty of flair, 5FDP is a joy to watch – both as a fan or a casual admirer. Sporting either red or black attire, each member possesses some serious oomph to their idiosyncrasies. Be it bassist Chris Kael‘s impressive beard, guitarist Zoltan Bathory‘s flailing dreads, drummer Jeremy Spencer‘s skeleton-painted face, guitarist Jason Hook‘s stylish mohawk, or Ivan Moody’s five-finger red colored stamp across the right side of his face, every character carries a gimmick of an eye-catching nature.

Then there’s the anthems the band slings out and the props that elevate the atmosphere. Excitement prevails with each passing song, each passing fireball, and each passing set of lasers. Moody is the steadiest of performers; as he mainly hangs out in close quarters to his skeleton-n-bullets custom mic stand. Kael, Bathory, and Hook roam far and wide across stage and take turns addressing and shredding in immediate proximity to the lucky front row fans.

Though the Sin City quintet were out promoting their new LP, And Justice For None, they gallivanted through their entire seven-record discography. Truth be told, this is one of those phenomenal and fantastic big venue performances that leaves a rather sizeable lasting impression. The instruments are dope, the pageantry otherworldly, the 5FDP chaps are heavily involved, and their fans are a rowdy bunch. Simply put, must see live music. Cheers!