David Wolff – Patrick/RedfernsFive Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory has denied that the band’s new “Living the Dream” video is promoting an anti-mask message.
In the clip, which premiered Friday, a man is handed a mask by an authority figure, who’s wearing a pin that reads “Exempt.” When he puts the mask on, he’s given a pin to wear that reads “Compliant,” and features the hammer-and-sickle logo often associated with communism.
In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Bathory says the scene is about “hypocrisy on the highest level.”
“When the rules are made for you but those who made them are exempt,” Bathory says. “Pretty much the standard in all dictatorships and totalitarian regimes (I had the displeasure of growing up in one) hence the reference.”
“It’s NOT an Anti-Mask message,” he adds. “In fact you can go to FiveFingerDeathPunch.com right now and buy some cool ones.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you wear a mask in public settings to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
“Masks are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings,” reads a statement on the CDC website.
“Living the Dream” is a song off Five Finger Death Punch’s new album F8.
By Josh Johnson
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