Avenged Sevenfold - The Rise of Dark Rock

The American band Avenged Sevenfold first saw the light of day in Huntington Beach, California when the then 18 year old founding band members came together. The band name was the idea of vocalist M. Shadows. Although the name carries sinister suggestions, it is actually a direct reference to the biblical story of Cain and Abel. The group has clarified though, that they are not a religious band.

In addition to the band's unique name, its members also carry nicknames that clearly reflect the group's fascination with dark underpinnings. Among the founding members are Zacky Vengeance, James "The Rev" Sullivan and Matt Wendt. Joining Shadows and Vengeance in its current roster are Synyster Gates on lead guitar and Johnny Christ on bass. At the outset, the group appropriately took on metalcore tones which seemed to fit perfectly with their image. This was evident in their first album Sounding the Seventh Trumpet which was released under Good Life Recordings in 2001 and under Hopeless Records in 2002. In the following year, the group saw more action with the release of Walking the Fallen. In the same year, the group saw greater recognition as they played in the Vans Warped Tour in both 2003 and 2004. After this Avenged Sevenfold album release, their eventual move to mainstream was marked by their move to Warner Bros. Records. It was under their current, more popularly known label that the band released its third album, City of Evil in 2005. Although considered definitive by many music critics, this release showed a marked difference in the band's musical style. Rather than sticking to its metalcore roots, Avenged Sevenfold transitioned to rock. The transformation is apparent because of the absence of intensely screamed vocal renditions. In 2006, the group gained acclaim as MTV Video Music Awards' Best New Artist. In this same year, they returned to the Vans Warped Tour, played in Ozzfest and launched their own world tour covering the US, UK and Australia among other locations. As if to highlight their new popular status, the band capped 2007 with the release of their self-titled fourth album, Avenged Sevenfold which debuted at the #4 spot. The end of 2009 cast a pall on the rising fame of this gritty band. Drummer James "The Rev" Sullivan was found dead due to drug-related causes. He was only 28. The timing was unfortunate since the band had come in second place on the same month to Metallica in Ultimate Guitar's list of Top Ten Bands of the Decade. Although the band mourned the loss of its member, they eventually decided to move on in February of 2010 with new drummer Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater. With a new drummer and a new year, fans wonder what's in store for 2010. Shadows has spoken of a fifth album due this July that will be darker and more emotional. Fans got a taste of this in May with the release of the single "Nightmare." Despite the apparent genre switch, Avenged Sevenfold seems to be on more solid ground than many other genre bands. There is no question where the band is headed. By all appearances, they have become leaders in deeply emotional, dark music.

Avenged Sevenfold Nightmare - A Fitting Tribute

Album Review

A Note to Our Readers:
When I started this piece, I thought I'd provide readers with all the history behind the album, starting with the untimely death of Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, A7X's drummer, and ending with the CD and tour circumstances. But then I realized that most anybody who follows the band already knows this stuff from months of press, and the reason they're here now is to read a music review and answer questions like Should I buy the album or Does this guy know what the @$%* he's talking about?

Avenged Sevenfold Concert Dates 2011

So I'll forego the history and just talk about the music.

The Album:
I'm a huge Dream Theater and Rush fan. I've never gotten into the "mainstream" metal segment, so when this project was passed along, I didn't know how I'd respond to a genre that I have such little experience with. I also knew that Dream Theater's drummer, Mike Portnoy, was filling in for The Rev in studio and on tour. I actually wondered, because of the age/genre differences between the Avenged Sevenfold guys and Mr. Portnoy, if the sound of the album would be altered or incongruous in any way.

I was very surprised.

What I found as I listened to the tracks was a very personal introspection and commentary (something purported to be in low supply for this genre). Another first listening note was how incredibly similar Portnoy's drum sound and playing were to The Rev's. Jimmy had actually recorded his parts for the album at home on an electronic drum kit, so I'm assuming Portnoy used these tracks for reference as he recorded on Nightmare. But the production team did an awesome job of making Portnoy's recordings sound like an A7X mix.

Also present for time-weathered Avenged Sevenfold fans is their classic mixture of hard rock and metal instrumentation. You'll find soaring harmonized electrics with a patina of effects, tasty and clever double bass arrangements, and M. Shadows' gritty, strained tenor that fluctuates between screamcore sections (minimal) and melodic expression.

The entire album is rife with layers, depth exuding from the instrumentation, the lyrics, and band members' musical expression. It's got the dream-esque metal "Nightmare" title track (which scored a #1 on the music charts), it's got the acoustic ballad "So Far Away" (tribute to The Rev), it's got a gospel soloist on "Victim," it's got strings, it's got some awesome piano work in "Fiction," and it's got M. Shadows' all-out screams in "God Hates Us." The entire album has so much more than I was expecting from its genre - in fact, I've been listening to it over and over in my car, not yet growing tired of the music and listening for nuances I haven't yet discovered.

So, my conclusion? The album is true metal, it's true hard rock that morphs into prog rock at times, and it's a very personal and diverse expression from the grieving veteran band. Nightmare succeeds admirably as a hard rock album; more importantly, it is a product The Rev would be honored to have dedicated to his name.

Stand-out Tracks: Nightmare, Welcome to the Family, Buried Alive, Natural Born Killer, So Far Away, Fiction, God Hates Us.

Who Will Listen? Avenged Sevenfold fans, Mike Portnoy fans, Metalheads, Hard and Prog Rock fans, Listeners who want/need to be converted to the genre.

Reviewed by Jonathan W. Edwards

Avenged Sevenfold Nightmare - A Fitting Tribute

Jonathan W. Edwards

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