- bAker -

Avenged Sevenfold.

The name alone can invoke many different thoughts into the heart of a die-hard A7X fan.  Some fans may say genius, amazing, flawless attempt, while other fans may say the exact opposite of this increasingly more popular band, such as sellout, old news, feeble attempt.

But nobody can deny the recent success of this band.  It’s a simple fact that this band has risen from the underground to grow into one of the most popular names in the metal scene today.  And with success, there will always be those fans that may believe the band has lost their original ‘pizazz’, or have strayed too far from their roots.  Is this all just part of the music evolution, or did Avenged Sevenfold really sell out?

No matter what the personal opinions are on the band’s status, everyone can agree they have made amazing music, on each of their albums.  So before I get into the new album review, I would like to recap their last releases for those of you reading this that may not be familiar with past albums.

:::::  Brutal album, sheer metal/metalcore sound, screaming all the way through, deafening assault of drums meets thrash guitar.

:::::  Fused elements of post-hardcore with metal, screamo with metalcore.  Truly a unique album for it’s time, loved by all.  Known as A7X’s ‘best’ album to most.

:::::  No screaming whatsoever, greatly evolved and mature musical sound, but still known as too different and radio-friendly for most hardcore A7X fans.

So its easy to see why some would be somewhat afraid of hearing the new album, for fear of it being again too far a stray from the original sound Avenged Sevenfold is known for.  But is this really the case?  Is this the end for the Avenged Sevenfold we’ve grown to love?  Or is this A7X trying to regain the fans they lost with City of Evil?  Now to find out.

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Putting “Avenged Sevenfold” in my car stereo for the first time was a time of great anticipation, and even some fear.  I was afraid of what the band may had done with this album.  Although I loved the singles “Critical Acclaim” and “Almost Easy”, it unnerved me that statements from the band themselves read “These songs do not portray the new album in any sense”.  All I could think was, “Why not!?”  These are great songs, if anything I would hope for the album to be like this!

And then I heard it for myself.

I will now review each track for specifics, and then give my overall opinion afterward.

:::::::  This was the single that was a breath of relief for old-school A7X fans.  The scream in the intro of the song eased every inch of doubt in my body for the new album.  The song itself is a much heavier, darker, and more mature style than that appearing on “City of Evil”.  Also, the addition of The Rev’s vocals were an amazing touch.  Being a fan of Pinkly Smooth, this again was a great sign for the new album.  The harmony of Shadows and Rev’s voices is near perfect, and makes one wonder why they hadn’t tried this sooner.

:::::::  With a guitar intro that was screaming Avenged Sevenfold and then breaking into a much faster-paced, drum-driven verse, how could this song go wrong?  Very catchy beat with great vocals by M. Shadows.  The ability to go from a fast-paced metal beat to an uplifting chorus appears to be perfected by this band.  Great song with an undeniable A7X feel.

:::::::  The first song I had not heard previously.  Opens up with a very catchy guitar riff along with sinister-like vocals from Shadows.  Moving into an old-school chorus, the song continually gets better.  The evolution throughout the song is very well done, and ends up being a song you want to replay over and over.  At this point in the album,  one begins to feel that Avenged Sevenfold may have just hit the spot.

:::::::  Very peaceful introduction, then cut out by amazing guitar-work from Gates and Vengeance.  From the beginning, vocals from Shadows are quite unique and different from other work, suddenly growing into “Waking the Fallen” vocals.  A very relieving feel.  This  song blends “City of Evil” and “Waking the Fallen” almost perfectly.  Just like all the others, a very catchy feel to it, making you want to sing along the entire time.

:::::::  Very slow start, acoustic only.  Lyrics are portrayed well, Shadows singing voice sounds solid, then broken through with heartfelt guitar and drums.  Definitally one of the slower songs on the album, but good nonetheless.  It is a song that feels like it should have been on “City of Evil” instead.  Nothing new here.

:::::::  Waits for nothing, jumps right in with dual guitars squealing and drums blazing.  Almost genius piano integration with singing.  Very unique song with elements from every single previous Avenged Sevenfold album integrated in.  This is a perfect choice for A7X fans of all albums.  Solid work.

:::::::  Eerie introduction, followed up with a surprising assault of guitar and somewhat tribal drums.  Violin-work behind Shadow’s amazing vocals catches the ears very well.  The type of song that makes you move to the edge of your seat.  A very well structured song, and very epic.  Remember the feeling you got from “I Won’t See You Tonight”?  This is that feeling all over again.  Amazing work.

:::::::  Dual-guitars?  Check.  Double-bass slapping drums?  Check.  Great song?  Check.  This song is screaming “Waking the Fallen”.  Personally, it is the best song on the album.  The similarities to “Waking the Fallen” are too great, and it also fuses all the successes of “City of Evil” as well.  This song could not have been more well done if they tried.

:::::::  Odd song.  Very odd song.  Remind you of A Nightmare Before Christmas?  It should.  Thats exactly what they had in mind for this one.  Childish yet dark, brooding beat topped with eerie vocals from Shadows and The Rev.   A song that will leave you both laughing and singing along, very nice touch.

:::::::  Simply amazing.  Something that I really didn’t see coming from this band, and something I normally wouldn’t like all that much.  Amazing lyrics that are portrayed perfectly with Shadow’s voice.  The music, too, is perfect for the song.  It is simply the best ballad that could be put on the album.  It gives you the same feeling that you got the first time you heard “Sieze the Day”.

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This album truly is an amazing attempt by Avenged Sevenfold.  It blends all of their previous material in a very creative and catchy way, with the overall feel leaning towards “Waking the Fallen”.  This will be the album for any A7X fan, no matter which album was your preference.  I normally never score any albums or songs as high as I have on this album, but what can I say.  The album really is just that good.

Bottom line, go out and buy this album the day it comes out.  And if you were one of those fans that believes Avenged Sevenfold sold out with City of Evil, guess what?  They just redeemed themselves.