| CD REVIEW Avenged Sevenfold |
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Band : Avenged Sevenfold Grrrr (very disgruntled Tony)...A7X signed to Roadrunner, and our editor-in-chief takes “advantage” of the situation to have the album reviewed by several of his crew I order to give the band a bigger exposure. And all that while that same crew is completely overworked and behind in their work due too simply too many labels enabling us to join their iPool promotion sites! Oh well, you already got a (relatively short) review of the Belgian version of the album, and The Chief is using the fact that he can also get onto the French branch of his label's iPool, to have me doin' a review as well...and in spite of what you might think I will not shrink from my responsibility to give this album the best promo talk possible. You see, with the exclusion of the band's 2003 sophomore album Waking the Fallen (which we never got sent but I bought afterwards nevertheless) I've reviewed every album in this band's career (prior to 2005 we had a computer crash, but reviews for City Of Evil, the self-titled album, and the 2-disc + DVD Live In The LBC & Diamonds In The Rough can be found posted 30/06/2005, 02/12/2007, and 01/10/2008 respectively). Material for this album was written in early 2009, in between the band's frantic touring schedule, and announced as a return to the band's more Heavy Metal geared sound (as opposed to the self-titled album which was a bit more experimental). Part of the pre-production recordings were already done around June, but at that time the guys were still tossing around ideas. Singer M. Shadows contributed to the song “Nothing To Say” on Slash's debut solo album, and on April 16, 2009, while they were playing a show at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre, they were joined on stage by the former Guns 'N' Roses guitarist to perform their version of “It's So Easy”. In early November guitarist Zacky Vengeance announced that the band (which had just returned from another touring leg) was looking out for a production team to start recording the album. Then, on December 24 of last year, drummer James “The Rev” Sullivan took his own life by polydrug poisoning. 3 days earlier, he'd handed in the final version of the track “Death”, which has since been re-titled to “Fiction” (a nickname Sullivan used, and a way for the band to keep their good friend in memory). Sullivan's role during the actual recordings of the album (started in February 2010) was taken over by his all-time favourite drummer, Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy, whom also occupied the drum seat during the American Uproar Festival tour (including also Disturbed, Stone Sour, Hellyeah and Alestorm) during August, the first A7X tour since The Rev's death. Right...time to talk music, and here's a funny thought: while listening to the album for the umpteenth time I was thinking, “Darn, although Metallica is in a slightly different style, A7X really deserves to have a higher rate of success with material like this!”...and there I see that at the Ultimate Guitar's Top Ten Bands Of The Decade, A7X lost the first place...to Metallica! Well...(silence)!!! Although mixing and mastering for a part of the album still had to be done, the band digitally released the album's first single “Nightmare” in May Now, in spite of the band's announcement that they were goin' back to their heavier sound, there's quite a few calmer passages & songs on the album. On the aforementioned “Fiction”, the guitars are even replaced by piano with strings and drums backgrounds. Which for that fact doesn't mean that the track is almost viciously dark...an atmosphere which exudes from other parts of the album as well! The album already out for a while, it met with mixed feelings from the critics (uh?) but was warmly received by the fans (aha!). I personally belong among the latter, I guess, because I do like what the band does on thís album more than what they did on their previous one. Oh man, these guys have elevated the level of intertwining/ singing guitars and of harmonic lead/ backing vocals (for a Metal act, you know) to a height which will be difficult to match. Personally, I put this band at the very top of the NWoAHM, and I'm sure many of the band's fans agree with that idea. To enjoy a couple of (full-length) songs off the new album (regrettably there's only “Nightmare” and “Buried Alive”) and off previous ones, check myspace.com/avengedsevenfold, or try to catch the band on tour (following more US dates until early October, they're coming over to the UK via Brazil. At the moment, no further European dates are known, so keep checking. Considering the above comments on the new album, I suppose you won't be surprised to find me rating it a top score, I suppose? 98/100 Tony. |