Ultimate-Guitar.com recently caught up with Five Finger Death Punch guitarist/songwriter for a lengthy in-depth interview. An excerpt is available below:

UG: On the War Is the Answer record, guitarist Jason Hook joined. You knew you wanted a second guitar player in the band? 

Bathory: "I always loved bands with two guitars. I was a huge Pantera fan but I always preferred Metallica a little bit over Pantera because of the relation of the two guitars. But at the same time Pantera blew my fucking mind with the big ass grooves. I always wanted to combine those worlds so to me it was always important to have a second guitarist in the band. I switched to baritone guitars maybe 16 years ago or more so I was playing baritone guitars for a long, long time. My string set goes from. 013 to. 070 or from. 013 to. 066 depending on what guitar. 

UG: That is crazy. 

Bathory: "These are like super heavy steel cables basically. What happens is your ability and guitar playing will definitely change. There are certain things like some of the niceties will go away because it's not the same trying to play with those super heavy strings. And also you have to hit the strings harder. You can't just pussyfoot around. So my guitar playing changed because of that. Fifteen years ago when I changed to these baritone guitars, my guitar playing adapted, changed and evolved into something else. It's a very specific way of playing and I needed a counterpart."

UG: You needed someone like Jason Hook to do more of the soloing and single-note stuff? 

Bathory: "I made us more of a rhythm-oriented band and I started to play less and less guitar solos. I needed a guy who would hold down that fort. Jason is an amazing shredder when it comes to guitar solos. He's amazing and at the same time he's a freak of nature. When we started the band, I found Jeremy (Spencer, drummer) first and we started working together and I wanted a second guitar player. Jeremy was showing me some of his drumming he was doing on a recording and actually Jason was the guitar player. I think it was some of the songs from Jason's solo record (Safety Dunce, 2007). Jeremy was showing it to me like, 'That's me playing drums.'"

Go to this location for the complete interview.

After a nearly sold-out headline tour in Europe this past spring, Five Finger Death Punch will make their return to the continent as special guests on the European leg of Judas Priest’s Redeemer of Souls 2015 tour next June. The run kicks off in Helsinki, Finland on June 4th and takes the band all across Europe, winding up in Lodz, Poland on June 27th, 2015.

Bathory: “All of us grew up big Judas Priest fans so it was amazing to work with Rob on “Lift Me Up”. Not only is he a true rock icon but one of the greatest guys you’ll ever meet. To come back to Europe with Judas Priest next year is taking it over the top and a dream come true. We’ve had a fantastic year in Europe and can’t wait to get back again next summer”.

Tour dates:

May

29-31 - Munich, Germany - Rock Bavaria Festival

29-31 - Nürburgring, Germany - Grüne Hölle Festival

June

4 - Helsinki, Finland - Icehall
8 - Hamburg, Germany - Sporthalle
9 - Berlin, Germany - Arena Treptow
16 - Luxembourg - Rockhal
17 - Paris, France - Le Zenith
21 - Hinwil, Switzerland - Rock The Ring Festival
25 - Ostrava, Czech Republic - CEZ Arena
26 - Prague, Czech Republic - O2 Arena
27 - Lodz, Poland - Arena