Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory has issued a statement on the group’s most recent video for the song “Living the Dream,” which was released on Friday (16th). The clip featured images that ended up being interpreted as an unofficial anti-mask campaign. Bathory has shared a message on social media, denying these assumptions.

Read Bathory’s full statement below:

“As much as some *news sites* used “anti-mask” as a clickbait title (And I must applaud the capitalist in them or I myself would be a hypocrite) Let’s make this crystal clear: In a fictional story, Amongst shopping cart zombies, Tide Pod eating fat superheroes and all the other metaphors, why would anyone think the mask scene isn’t one.

The mask segments are about hypocrisy on the highest level. When the rules are made for you but those who made them are exempt. Pretty much the standard in all dictatorships and totalitarian regimes (I had the displeasure of growing up in one) hence the reference.

So no – The scene in question is not about the masks – it’s NOT an Anti-Mask message… in fact you can go to FiveFingerDeathPunch.com  Right now and buy some cool ones…

Just as I prefaced it:  “We as artists, have a unique opportunity to portray and ridicule the absurd to prevent it from *becoming* reality….   If I must explain this The whole video is in the frame work of fiction, a dystopian nightmare of one of the founding fathers right before he signs the constitution… 

I often say, ask us!!! The immigrants… the Cubans, the Venezuelans, the North Koreans, anyone from the former Soviet block… Talk to us and we will tell you …. WE were lucky, because we had a place to escape to. We are fortunate that we could come here…. but If America is gone, where will you go? 

We immigrants also remember how our freedom slipped away, how our rights were ripped from us, how we were kept under the thumb and in fear of our own governments. So maybe, just maybe… we have valuable experience we can tell you about, we can forewarn you of the things we have seen before.

So We the people must do everything in our power to stay free as a society. We must prevent the rise of tyranny in all shapes and forms, we must resist the would be dictators and the totalitarian ideals. This is what the founding fathers worried about and tried to prevent by creating the constitution. Believe it. America is a miracle, and I LOVE this country…  and I will never shut up about it

Anyway – not anti mask – and If you reduced this entire video to that scene and missed the metaphor behind it … Well… the good news is – It is STILL America so you have the right to have and even print your own opinion”