How the US military gave Five Finger Death Punch a huge boost

Metal fans have die-hard opinions on bands they love — and bands they hate. Regardless of which side of the line Five Finger Death Punch falls on for you, there's one group they connect with like no other: troops of the United States Military.

Maybe it's their firmly anti-communist point of view (Five Finger Death Punch founder Zoltan Bathory was born in Soviet-dominated Hungary and appreciates American democracy on another level). Or maybe it's because they never forget the troops or law enforcement (Bathory even assisted a cop on the freeway one time). It might also be because of all the songs they write specifically for soldiers.

According to Stereogum, if Billboard's Top 200 was still based purely on album sales, Five Finger Death Punch would have had the #1 album in 2016. When adjusted for streaming sales, they were still a close second. The band debuted at #2 with their three previous albums and at #3 with their 2011 album, American Capitalist.

(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Daniel Yarnall)

Look at their album titles: A Decade of Destruction, Got Your Six, War Is The Answer, Way of the Fist, Pre-Emptive Strike. It's clear that the fighting men and women of the United States are never far from their minds — or their work. That might have something to do with all of the USO shows where they've performed for troops in combat zones like Iraq.

Ivan Moody, the band's frontman told Stereogum:

"When we were over in Iraq playing our USO tour, I had one soldier come up to me, and he laid a burnt iPod down on the table. He didn't ask me to sign it. He wanted me to keep it. I looked at him a bit funny at first. He told me one of his closest friends went out on a mission and didn't make it back. Let's leave it at that. When they found him and his things, his iPod was stuck on 'The Bleeding.' The last thing he was listening to before he went was one of our songs. I literally teared up."

Including war imagery in songs and playing for the troops is nothing new, but Five Finger Death Punch takes it a step further by employing a slew of veterans in their shows, tours, and other material.

They raise money for PTSD awareness through a merchandise site, which also offers links to get help. They even help U.S. combat vets fight poachers in Africa. Their affection for veterans earned them the Soldier Appreciation Award from the Association of the United States Army and dog tags donated from their military-veteran fans to adorn their "Wall of Heroes" and soaring album sales from the troops who love them.

Beyond writing songs for troops and performing in USO tours, Five Finger Death Punch is there for veterans long after they get out of the military.