The metal genre was quite predictable for the years between 1990 and 2005. Hard guitar riffs, heavy drums, and loud vocals dominated the scene. And they continue to do so – but not without influence from one of the more recent metal bands, Five Finger Death Punch.

Five Finger Death Punch (FFDP) first got together in 2005, though they didn’t put out their debut until 2007. Instead of throwing themselves under the umbrella of classic metal music, they identify as “groove metal”, a genre they very well may have made up all on their own. So what does this award-winning band do so differently than other metal groups, and how did they get their unique name? You’ll see, below.

The Five Fingers of Death

If the most you know about martial arts films is that Jackie Chan is famous for them, then you probably don’t get the band’s name reference. They took their band name from the movie The Five Fingers of Death, which came out in 1972. Why name your band for a movie that came out when most band members weren’t yet born or old enough to watch it? You’ll have to watch the movie (and see how good it is) to find out.

The Righteous Side of Hell

Name theory aside, FFDP put out their debut album in 2007, which they named The Way of the Fist. They followed it up quickly with War is the Answer, then American Capitalist, all the latter two of which both went gold, then platinum.

When it comes to producing new music, no one can say that Five Finger Death Punch doesn’t work hard. Their fourth album, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell had so many tracks, they had to make it a two-volume set. Since they put out new music so often, they tour more than most bands. That means you should get tickets to see them ASAP before they go reclusive in the studio to work on their next album.