Tag: avenged sevenfold

Avenged Sevenfold are a band that seemingly aren’t afraid to challenge their fans. I was very intrigued when I read about them releasing a “Prog” album. I’m all for bands pushing the boundaries of what is expected of them, so this had my name written all over it.

They don’t waste any time in getting into the Prog with opener Game Over. A mix of light and shade for sure. I love the clean sound interspersed with maximum crunch. M Shadow’s vocals are a revelation. It’s almost show tunes Broadway time with this one. Mattel takes this vibe further and I have to say I love it, very dramatic! Nobody starts with a very heavy, doomy, electronic vibe and the multi layered vocal harmonies are superb.

There is not a lot that’s straightforward about this record and We Love You is super twisted. It has a very metal double kick intro that flows into max riffage, then a quick change to electronica, all with different grooves. Cosmic is as close as we get to a ballad here and the solo before the heavier groove kicks in is superb. Killer Alice In Chains groove to the opening of Beautiful Morning, and I have to say this is my favourite. It has the right amount of evil mixed with the beauty of that vocal line.

Easier is slightly more straightforward with the riffing and grooves. Again, the solo is so melodic and cool. G opens up Side 4 and it’s like we have walked in on a Zappa session. Killer tune! Ordinary is a change from anything so far with its pop groove and harmonizer vocals. Dreams is next up and fifties crooner springs into my mind. The album plays out with the title track, which is a sole piano.

Well done Avenged Sevenfold for doing something so left field, and delivering an album that you have to play all the way through.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

Now, I’ve always passed Avenged Sevenfold off as a manufactured put together kiddie metal band and have avoided them like the plague. So, why the change of heart I hear you cry? Well, I was intrigued when Mike Portnoy was asked to join them for this recording, and the following tour after the death of The Rev. So I bought the CD and was pleasantly surprised. This version is a recent reissue if anyone was wondering, and it is not a bad album at all.

The title track opens up the album and Portnoy is all over this tune. The riff and groove are simple and kicks ass. Welcome To The Family is a full on Portnoy intro. The heavy kicks are what make this tune, and the pop hook and chorus is what I was expecting from these guys. Danger Line starts with a military drum and guitar and then goes into euro speed metal territory. A lot of parts to this one make it more of a Prog metal vibe. Great track! Buried Alive has a nice quiet guitar intro (very reminiscent of a certain Metallica tune) and then the song changes completely with some killer riffage. Natural Born Killer is probably the fastest Portnoy has drummed in his life with blast beats a plenty, and those kicks! This is my favourite track as it has a killer groove with a huge riff, and I love the vocal melody.

So Far Away is ballad time and where I usually switch off, the only thing stopping me from doing that is the tasteful guitar solo and the killer ending. God Hates Us really explodes after the quiet intro. This baby pounds along with an old school riff to die for. There are parts of this song that remind me of Dream Theater in their heavier moments. Victim is a slower tune with a great vocal from MShadows (real name Arthur Spanner… not really, but you get where I’m coming from). For some reason I get a a Queen vibe from this one.

Great intro to Tonight The World Dies; very dramatic and eerie. It’s quite noticeable how the vibe of the album gets more solemn as it goes along, it’s almost an obituary to their brother, and Fiction carry’s on in this vein. The album closes out with Save Me, a quite joyful and uplifting intro before the evil staccato riff kicks in and that demonic vocal.

It’s not a bad album, and I still enjoy listening to it.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.