American Capitalist

American Capitalist is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch, released on October 11, 2011.^[2] It is the band's first album not to feature bassist Matt Snell, as he departed from the band in December 2010.^[3] The first single from the album entitled "Under and Over It", was released on July 27, 2011.^[4] The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 90,000 copies in the first week of release.^[5] In September 2012, the album was certified gold by the RIAA with sales of at least 500,000 copies.^[6] In 2012, the album won a RadioContraband Rock Radio Award for Album of the Year, and the single "Coming Down" won the award for Song of the Year.^[7] As of 2017, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with sales of at least 1,000,000 copies.

American Capitalist
Studio album by Five Finger Death Punch
Released	October 11, 2011 (2011-10-11)
Recorded	2010–2011 at The Hideout studios, Las Vegas, Nevada
Genre	Groove metal[1] alternative metal hard rock
Length	40:13
Label	Prospect Park
Producer	Kevin Churko Five Finger Death Punch
Five Finger Death Punch chronology
War Is the Answer (2009) American Capitalist (2011) The Wrong Side of Heaven, Volume 1 (2013)
Singles from American Capitalist
"Under and Over It" Released: July 27, 2011 "Back for More" Released: September 13, 2011 "Remember Everything" Released: November 2011 "Coming Down" Released: April 24, 2012 "The Pride" Released: October 16, 2012 "The Tragic Truth" Released: January 7, 2022

Singles

Five singles have been released from the album, "Under and Over It", "Back for More", "Remember Everything", "Coming Down", and "The Pride".

"Under and Over It"

Main article: Under and Over It

After its release as a single, "Under and Over It" enjoyed significant success. Its highest charted position on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart was fifth; it reached 20th on the U.S. Rock Songs chart; and even appeared on the Billboard Hot 100. From July through November of 2011, the song was also the number one song on Sirius XM radio's Octane channel.

"The Pride"

Main article: The Pride (Five Finger Death Punch song)

"The Pride" is the third track on the album,^[8] and is often considered a list song. In an interview, guitarist Zoltan Bathory clarified the meaning of the song. "You can be a zebra or join the lion pride. You have to rebel against your circumstances, laziness and mediocrity—not the system."^[9]

"The Tragic Truth"

The song "The Tragic Truth" never made the standard edition of American Capitalist. According to an interview with Zoltan, "The Tragic Truth" was originally going to be on the album, but it wasn't mixed in time. "The Tragic Truth" then ended up on the iTunes edition of the album.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com	[10]
AllMusic	[1]
Artistdirect	[11]
Loudwire	[12]
PopMatters	5/10[13]
Rock Sound	8/10[14]

Terry Bezer of Rock Sound said that "American Capitalist announces them as the world champions at post-Black album piledriving riffs and soaring, US radio-friendly melodies. To knock it for being dumb would be to miss the point entirely."^[14] Amy Sciarretto from Loudwire commended the band for approaching the nu-metal formula with "solid songwriting and a genuine pissed off-ness" that has been masterly crafted throughout the album, revealing layers to the band that goes beyond "simplistic mook rock", concluding that "5FDP deliver mid-tempo, fiery, quality hard rock that should further increase their visibility."^[12] AllMusic editor Gregory Heaney praised the band's musicianship for replicating the "era of post-Pantera groove metal," highlighting the title track and "Menace" for encapsulating that sound but also gave credit to both "Coming Down" and "Remember Everything" for showcasing their ability to give ballads a more rougher edge, concluding that fans of Sevendust and Mudvayne will find interest in them through this record.^[1] PopMatters contributor Chris Colgan praised the overall consistency of the band's instrumentation and Ivan's "raw vocal prowess" being similar to their previous efforts but was critical of the lyrical content expounding messages of America and capitalism that goes against the band's penchant for "emotionally-charged lyrics about individualism, rage and darkness", concluding that "American Capitalist is just an unnecessary and irritating reminder that the American Dream is out of reach for most of us and will remain that way forever."^[13]

Track listing

Standard edition, disc one of deluxe edition and 10th Anniversary Edition vinyl

No.	Title	Length
1.	"American Capitalist"	3:28
2.	"Under and Over It"	3:38
3.	"The Pride"	3:23
4.	"Coming Down"	4:01
5.	"Menace"	3:31
6.	"Generation Dead"	3:43
7.	"Back for More"	3:22
8.	"Remember Everything"	4:38
9.	"Wicked Ways"	3:07
10.	"If I Fall"	3:56
11.	"100 Ways to Hate"	3:21
Total length:		40:13

All tracks are written by Ivan Moody, Zoltan Bathory, Jason Hook, Jeremy Spencer and Kevin Churko, except where noted

iTunes edition and 2019 vinyl re-release bonus track

No.	Title	Length
12.	"The Tragic Truth"	3:55

iTunes deluxe edition

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Under and Over It" (remix)	3:56
13.	"The Pride" (remix)	3:24
14.	"Remember Everything" (remix)	4:50
15.	"100 Ways to Hate" (remix)	3:11
16.	"The Tragic Truth"	3:55
17.	"Under and Over It" (music video)	4:04

Disc two of deluxe edition

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Under and Over It" (remix)	3:56
13.	"The Pride" (remix)	3:24
14.	"Remember Everything" (remix)	4:50
15.	"100 Ways to Hate" (remix)	3:11
Total length:		15:22

Japanese edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"A New Level" (Pantera cover)	Pantera	4:00

2016 vinyl re-issue bonus track

No.	Title	Length
12.	"The Pride" (remix)	3:24

Personnel

Five Finger Death Punch

• Ivan Moody – lead vocals
• Zoltan Bathory – rhythm guitar
• Jason Hook – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Jeremy Spencer – drums
• Chris Kael – bass (credited but did not play)

Additional personnel

• Kevin Churko – production,^[15] engineering, mixing, mastering, bass^[16]
• "Mr. Kane" Churko – engineering,^[15] remixing^[17] and co-wrote "Remember Everything"^[18][19]
• Matt Snell – writing credit on "Remember Everything"

Charts

Album Chart (2011–2012) Peak position Canadian Albums[20] 6 Finnish Albums Chart[21] 14 Scottish Albums[22] 56 UK Albums Chart[23] 57 US Billboard 200[24] 3 US Digital Albums[25] 2 US Independent Albums[24] 1 US Rock Albums[24] 2 US Hard Rock Albums[24] 2 Year-end charts Chart (2011) Position U.S. Billboard 200[26] 191

Singles Year Title Peak chart positions US Alt. US Main.[27] US Rock Rock Airplay 2011 "Under and Over It" 31 6 20 — "Back for More" — — — — "Remember Everything" 25 2 9 — 2012 "Coming Down" — 1[28] 14 — "The Pride" — 12 — 47 "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[29]	Gold	40,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[30]	Silver	60,000‡
United States (RIAA)[31]	Platinum	1,000,000‡
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Heaney, Gregory. "American Capitalist [Clean] - Five Finger Death Punch". AllMusic. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
2. "Five Finger Death Punch will go 'Under It and Over It' with new single premiere". KikAxeMusic. Corpka Entertainment. July 26, 2011. Archived from the original on November 12, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
3. "Five Finger Death Punch Officially Confirms Bassist's Exit". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. April 29, 2011. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
4. "Five Finger Death Punch Announce New Single and Debut Date, Reveal Single Art!". Revolver. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
5. "Evanescence Nets Second No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. September 14, 2009. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
6. "Five Finger Death Punch's American Capitalist GOES GOLD!!!". Five Finger Death Punch. October 11, 2011. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
7. "RadioContraband". Archived from the original on 2017-12-04. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
8. Heaney, Gregory (2011-10-11). "American Capitalist review at Allmusic". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
9. "FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH: More 'American Capitalist' Details Revealed". Roadrunnerrecords.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
10. Jervis, Marcus. "Five Finger Death Punch - American Capitalist Review". About.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
11. "Five Finger Death Punch "American Capitalist" Review — 5 out of 5 stars - ARTISTdirect News". Artistdirect. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
12. Sciarretto, Amy (October 10, 2011). "Five Finger Death Punch, 'American Capitalist' – Album Review". Loudwire. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
13. Colgan, Chris (February 10, 2012). "Five Finger Death Punch: American Capitalist". PopMatters. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
14. Bezer, Terry (October 21, 2011). "FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH - AMERICAN CAPITALIST". Rock Sound. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
15. "American Capitalist [Clean] - Five Finger Death Punch". AllMusic. 2011-10-11. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
16. "Five Finger Death Punch Drummer Jeremy Spencer Talks 'American Capitalist'". Flint's Rock Radio. 3 August 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
17. "American Capitalist [Deluxe Edition] - Five Finger Death Punch". AllMusic. 2011-10-11. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
18. "ASCAP ACE - Search Results". Archived from the original on 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
19. "Cadium - News". Cadiummusic.com. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
20. "Five Finger Death Punch - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
21. "Five Finger Death Punch: American Capitalist" (in Finnish). IFPI.fi. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
22. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
23. "Five Finger Death Punch | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
24. "American Capitalist - Five Finger Death Punch". Billboard. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
25. "Five Finger Death Punch - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
26. "Best of 2011 - Billboard Top 200". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved December 31, 2011.
27. "Five Finger Death Punch – Chart History: Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
28. "Mainstream Rock Songs chart, week of September 1, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
29. "Canadian album certifications – Five Finger Death Punch – American Capitalist". Music Canada. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
30. "British album certifications – Five Finger Death Punch – American Capitalist". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
31. "American album certifications – Five Finger Death Punch – American Capitalist". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 14, 2017.