Avenged Sevenfold are known for their diverse rock sound and dramatic imagery in album covers and merchandise.[1] The band emerged with ametalcore sound on their debut albumSounding the Seventh Trumpet; they largely continued this sound through their second albumWaking the Fallen. The band's style had evolved by their third album and first major label release,City of Evil, into a more traditional heavy metal style. The band continued to explore new sounds with itsself-titled release and enjoyed continued mainstream success before their founding drummer,Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, died in 2009. Despite his death, Avenged Sevenfold continued on with the help ofDream Theater memberMike Portnoy, and released and toured in support of their fifth albumNightmare in 2010, which debuted atop theBillboard 200, their first number one debut.[2]
In 2011, drummer Arin Ilejay joined the band on tours and recording. The band's sixth studio albumHail to the King, which was released in 2013, marked the only Avenged Sevenfold album featuring Ilejay. It would feature a heavy metal and hard rock style, with it being written as a tribute to their influences.Hail to the King charted as number 1 on theBillboard 200, the UK Albums chart, as well as the Finnish, Brazilian, Canadian, and Irish charts. Ilejay left the band in late 2014 and was replaced by formerBad Religion drummerBrooks Wackerman, but the lineup change was not announced to the public until 2015. The band then surprise-released their seventh studio albumThe Stage in October 2016, which debuted as number 4 on theBillboard 200 chart in the US.The Stage is their firstconceptual album and marked another stylistic change for the band, moving towards aprogressive metal sound. The band released their eighth studio album,Life Is But a Dream..., a highly experimental record, in June 2023.
To date, Avenged Sevenfold have released eight studio albums, one live album/DVD, two compilation albums and eighteen singles and have sold over 8 million albums worldwide,[3] and their records have received numerous certification awards, including five platinum album awards from their home country's institution (RIAA). They have also created four original songs for theCall of Duty: Black Ops series, all of which were compiled together in the 2018 EPBlack Reign. The band were ranked No. 47 onLoudwire's list of Top 50 Metal Bands of All Time.[4] Christina Fuoco ofAllMusic called Avenged Sevenfold "one of the more successful and accessible metalcore outfits of the early 21st century."[5]
History
Formation andSounding the Seventh Trumpet (1999–2002)
Avenged Sevenfold was formed in 1999 inHuntington Beach, California byMatt Sanders,James Sullivan, Zachary Baker and Matt Wendt.[6][7] Although they are not a religious band, Sanders came up with the name as a reference to the story ofCain and Abel from the Bible, which can be found in Genesis 4:24.[8] All four members already had experience performing in bands, with Sanders being the vocalist and Wendt the bassist for the punk band Successful Failure,[9] Baker playing guitar in the punk bands Society Down and MPA (short for Mad Porn Action/Addiction),[9][7] and Sullivan being the drummer for the ska bandSuburban Legends (formerly known as Bomb Squad).[9]
Avenged Sevenfold's first creative output was a three-song-demo recorded in October 1999 at the A-Room Studios in Orange County, California.[10][11] The band played their first show at theWalnut, California City Hall on February 11, 2000.[12] Around this time, they were asked by Sadistic Records to contribute to two compilations,[7] so the band recorded two new songs and released them along with the previously recorded songs on a second demo.[11] They sent this demo to the Belgian labelGood Life Recordings and were subsequently signed.[13] Afterwards, the band participated in another two compilation albums, their label'sGoodLife 4 and Novocaine Records'Scrape III compilations.[14] Around this time, Matt Wendt left for college and Justin Meacham, the previous bassist ofSuburban Legends, joined Avenged Sevenfold. In late 2000, the foursome took on their initial stage names – M. Shadows, Zacky Vengeance, Justin Sane and The Rev – and recorded their debut album,Sounding the Seventh Trumpet.[15] In early 2001, lead guitarist and old friendSynyster Gates joined the band and they re-recorded the introductory track "To End the Rapture" for the album's lead-single/EP,Warmness on the Soul, released in April 2001. Although their debut album's release was initially planned for the same month, it was pushed back multiple times and eventually released on July 24, 2001, on Good Life Recordings.[16]
Around August 2001, Meacham attempted suicide by drinking excessive amounts of cough syrup.[17][18] This event was the reason for Avenged Sevenfold to join theTake Action Tour in 2003.[17] During Meacham's hospitalization, he remained in poor condition and had to leave the band.[18] In an interview, lead singerM. Shadows said of Meacham that "he perma-fried his brain and was in a mental institution for a long time, and when you have someone in your band who does that, it ruins everything that's going on all around you, and it makes you want to do something to prevent it from happening to other people."[18] His replacement was Frank Melcom, stage name Dameon Ash, who performed with the band for the following months, but does not appear on any releases.
On January 18, 2002, Avenged Sevenfold left Good Life Recordings and signed withHopeless Records.[19] They re-released their debut album on March 19 and also appeared on theHopelessly Devoted To You Vol. 4 sampler in April. The band started to receive recognition, performing with bands such asMushroomhead andShadows Fall.[20] They spent the year touring in support of their debut album and participated in theVans Warped Tour. In September, Dameon Ash left Avenged Sevenfold and their current bassist Johnny Christ joined them, completing their best known line-up.[21]
Waking the Fallen andCity of Evil (2003–2005)
Having found a new bassist, the group released their second studio album titledWaking the Fallen on Hopeless Records in August 2003. The album featured a more refined and mature sound production in comparison to their previous album. The band received profiles inBillboard andThe Boston Globe, and again played on the Vans Warped and Take Action tours.[22][23][24] Baker recalled: "We didn’t care if [the bands we were playing with] wereheavy-metal bands; we didn’t care if they were fuckingpop-punk bands; we didn’t care, we were opening for everyone. And people started taking notice. You know if your band is going crazy andbreaking your instruments and playing the fastest, craziest music at a pop-punk show, people take notice, whether it’s good or it’s bad."[25] Shortly after the release ofWaking the Fallen, Avenged Sevenfold left Hopeless Records and were officially signed toWarner Bros. Records on November 1, 2003.[26] The band then toured Europe for the first time in its career. M. Shadows recalled, "It was everything you would imagine it to be: puredebauchery." Synyster Gates remarked: "It’s unbelievable that we survived that [tour]. Really, any night could just escalate – not just because of us, but because of being in a foreign place, being out too late. There were people around you that just wouldn’t stop buying you shots. One time I had 10 shots of Aftershock in my hand, and next to me was mySnakebite and black. I should’ve died ofalcohol poisoning! By the end of that first UK tour, we were10 pounds heavier and pretty fucked.”[27] In 2004, Avenged Sevenfold toured again on the Vans Warped Tour and recorded a video for their song "Unholy Confessions" which went into rotation onMTV2'sHeadbangers Ball.[28]
City of Evil, the band's third album andmajor label debut, was released on June 6, 2005, and debuted at No. 30 on theBillboard 200 chart, selling over 30,000 copies in its first week of release.[29][30] It utilized a more classic metal sound than Avenged Sevenfold's previous albums, which had been grouped into themetalcore genre.[31][32] The album is also notable for the absence ofscreamed and growled vocals; M. Shadows worked with vocal coach Ron Anderson—whose clients have includedAxl Rose andChris Cornell—for months before the album's release to achieve a sound that had "grit while still having the tone".[31][33] The album received positive reviews from several magazines and websites and is credited for propelling the band into international popularity.
Avenged Sevenfold (2006–2008)
The band performing in 2008
After playingOzzfest in 2006, Avenged Sevenfold memorably beat outR&B singersRihanna andChris Brown,Panic! at the Disco,Angels & Airwaves andJames Blunt for the title of Best New Artist at theMTV Video Music Awards, thanks in part to theirFear and Loathing in Las Vegas-inspired song "Bat Country."[34] They returned to the Vans Warped Tour, this time headlining and then continued on their own "Cities of Evil Tour."[35] In addition, their lead single "Bat Country" reached No. 2 on theBillboard Mainstream Rock Charts, No.6 on theBillboard Modern Rock Charts and the accompanying video made it to No. 1 on MTV'sTotal Request Live.[36] Propelled by this success, the album sold well and became Avenged Sevenfold's firstGold record.[37] It was later certified platinum in August 2009.Avenged Sevenfold was invited to joinOzzfest tour on the main stage, alongside other well known rock/heavy metal acts such asDragonForce,Lacuna Coil,Hatebreed,Disturbed andSystem of a Down for the first time in 2006.[38] That same year they also completed a worldwide tour, including the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. After a sixteen-month promotion ofCity of Evil, the band announced that they were cancelling their Fall 2006 tour to record new music.[39] In the interim, the band released their first DVD titledAll Excess on July 17, 2007.[40]All Excess, which debuted as the No. 1 DVD in the US, included live performances and backstage footage that spanned the band's eight-year career. Two tribute albums,Strung Out on Avenged Sevenfold: Bat Wings and Broken Strings andStrung Out on Avenged Sevenfold: The String Tribute were also released in October 2007.
On October 30, 2007, Avenged Sevenfold released theirself-titled album, the band's fourth studio album. It debuted at No. 4 on theBillboard 200 with over 90,000 copies sold.[41] Two singles, "Critical Acclaim" and "Almost Easy" were released prior to the album's debut. In December 2007, an animated video was made for "A Little Piece of Heaven". Due to the song's controversial subject matter, however, Warner Brothers only released it to registeredMVI users over the internet. The third single, "Afterlife" and its video was released in January 2008. Their fourth single, "Dear God", was released on June 15, 2008. Although critical reception was generally mixed the self-titled album went on to sell over 500,000 copies and was awarded "Album of the Year" at theKerrang! Awards.[42]
Avenged Sevenfold performing at theSonisphere Festival on August 2, 2009. This was The Rev's final show with the band before his death.
In January 2009, M. Shadows confirmed that the band was writing the follow-up to their self-titled fourth album within the upcoming months.[46] They also played atRock on the Range, from May 16–17, 2009.[47] On April 16, they performed a version ofGuns N' Roses' "It's So Easy" onstage withSlash, at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.[48] On December 28, 2009, the band's drummerJames "The Rev" Sullivan was found dead at his home at the age of 28.[49] The band announced his death with a statement saying: "It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we tell you of the passing today of Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan. Jimmy was not only one of the world’s best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jimmy’s family and we hope that you will respect their privacy during this difficult time."[50] Autopsy results were inconclusive,[51] but on June 9, 2010, the cause of death was revealed to have been an "acute polydrug intoxication due to combined effects of Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, Diazepam/Nordiazepam and ethanol".[52] In a statement by the band, they expressed their grief over the death of The Rev and later posted a message from Sullivan's family which expressed their gratitude to his fans for their support.[53][54]
The band members admitted in a number of interviews that they considered disbanding at this point in time,[55][56] however, on February 17, 2010, they stated that they had entered the studio, along withDream Theater drummerMike Portnoy, to drum for the album, in place of The Rev.[57]
Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates live in Norway in 2011
The single "Nightmare" was digitally released on May 18, 2010.[58][59] The song was leaked on May 6, 2010, onAmazon.com, but was removed soon after.[60][59] Mixing for the album had been completed in New York City, andNightmare was finally released on July 27, 2010,[61] in the United States. It met with mixed to positive reviews from music critics but was well received by the fans.Nightmare beat sales projections easily, debuting at number one on theBillboard 200 with sales of 163,000 units in its first week.[62] After finishing recording, in December, Portnoy and the band posted simultaneous statements on their websites stating that he would not be their replacement for The Rev. However, Portnoy did travel with the band overseas in December 2010 for three shows in Iraq and Kuwait sponsored by theUSO. They played for U.S. Soldiers at Camp Adder, Camp Beuhring, andBalad Air Base.[63] On January 20, 2011, Avenged Sevenfold announced via Facebook that formerConfide drummer Arin Ilejay would begin touring with them that year. He was not yet considered a full-time member at this point.[64][65]
Avenged Sevenfold performed at theRock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals on June 3–5, 2011 alongside other bands such asAlter Bridge,System of a Down, andIn Flames.[66] In April 2011, the band headlined the Golden God Awards held byMetal Hammer. The same night the band won three awards for "Best Vocalist" (M. Shadows), "Epiphone Best Guitarist(s)" (Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance), and "Affliction's Album of The Year" forNightmare, while Mike Portnoy won the award for "Drum Workshop's Best Drummer" for his work on the album.
Hail to the King andWaking the Fallen: Resurrected (2012–2014)
On April 11, 2012, Avenged Sevenfold won the award for "Best Live Band" and "Most Dedicated Fans" at theRevolver Golden Gods awards.[69]The band toured through Asia into April and early May, and played at theOrion Music + More, Festival on June 23 and 24 in Atlantic City, New Jersey alongsideMetallica andCage the Elephant among many others.[70]
On September 24, 2012, Avenged Sevenfold released a new song, titled "Carry On"; it was featured in the video gameCall of Duty: Black Ops II.[71] On November 15, 2012, vocalist M. Shadows said that the band had been working on a new album since the recording of "Carry On" in August 2012.[72] The band began recording material for the album in January 2013.[73] The band then started streaming snippets of the album in May 2013 on their new radio app.[74] There, Arin Ilejay was confirmed as an official band member and replacement of deceased The Rev.M. Shadows said that the album would sound moreblues rock-influenced and more like classic rock/metal likeBlack Sabbath andLed Zeppelin.[75]
The band was confirmed to play at the 2013Rock in Rio festival on September 22, 2013.[76] On May 24, 2013, the band have announced dates for their European tour withFive Finger Death Punch andDevice serving as their support bands.
The album, entitledHail to the King, was released on August 23, 2013.[77] This is the first Avenged Sevenfold album without any musical contributions from late drummer, The Rev. The album's lead single and title track was released on July 15, 2013.Hail to the King charted as No. 1 on the USBillboard 200, the UK albums chart, as well as the Finnish, Brazilian, Canadian, and Irish charts, and was commercially and critically acclaimed. The band headlinedMonster Energy's Welcome to Rockville two-day music festival in Jacksonville, Florida, April 26–27, 2014, joined by more than 25 rock acts, such asMotörhead,Rob Zombie,Chevelle,Korn,Staind,Alter Bridge,the Cult,Five Finger Death Punch,Volbeat,Black Label Society, andSeether.[78] On June 13, the band headlined the Friday night ofDownload Festival 2014. The band also headlined theMayhem Festival 2014 withKorn,Asking Alexandria, andTrivium.
In March 2014, vocalist M. Shadows revealed in an interview withLoudwire that the band had plans in the works to put something out for the overdue 10th anniversary ofWaking the Fallen.[79]Waking the Fallen: Resurrected was released August 25, 2014.[80] The reissue charted No. 10 on the USBillboard 200.[81]
Drummer change andThe Stage (2015–2017)
In October 2014, M. Shadows confirmed that the band would begin writing their seventh album during mid-2015.[82]
In July 2015, the band announced on their website that they would part ways with drummer Arin Ilejay, due to "creative differences".[83] Ilejay has stated that he was not expecting his firing. He recalled: "I was totally shocked and scared out of my mind when Synyster Gates called to let me go. I was like, ‘Oh my God – my wife is about to have a baby. How am I going to support my family now?" M. Shadows recounted the band's side of the situation toUltimate Guitar, saying: "Arin got more and more distanced as time went on. It's kind of like everyone goes through their honeymoon period and it's all great, but then you start realizing that we're four guys that have a way we do things and then there's someone else that just doesn't really fit into that at all. And as nice of a guy as he is, there were just a bunch of things that didn't represent us at all, and you can't have that, especially when we've worked for so long and so hard at what we do. And the last thing we care about is our public perception of what we should do with our lives."[84][50]
Although Ilejay was fired in July 2015, his dismissal and replacement had reportedly been planned as early as mid-2014.[85][86] In October 2015, the band announced on their website that they had been working with a new drummer for over a year, making sure that it was a good fit before making sudden changes.[87] On October 21, in an interview withKerrang! magazine, guitarist Zacky Vengeance revealed that the band had been working on the new album for the past couple of months and that a couple of songs had already been completely written.[88] On November 4, 2015, the band announced thatBrooks Wackerman would replace Arin Ilejay as the drummer for Avenged Sevenfold.[89] In an interview withKerrang! magazine on December 3, guitarist Zacky Vengeance said that the new album went in all sorts of aggressive and melodic directions and described it as very "aggro".[90]
On January 14, 2016,Billboard reported that Avenged Sevenfold had been sued byWarner Bros. for trying to leave the label. The band later released a statement clarifying that they wanted to leave because a majority of the executives who helped sign the band to Warner Bros were no longer at the label. They also revealed that the band was going to be entering the studio to record their new album very soon, intending to release it later in 2016.[91] On March 31, the band posted a teaser of their upcoming album on their website.[92]
On August 18, 2016, the band performed a free live show for 1500 people in Minnesota, marking it the first live performance with new drummer Brooks Wackerman.[93] The band was announced as support forMetallica withVolbeat in theU.S. Bank Stadium on August 20, 2016, making it the first ever rock show in the stadium.[94] The band was announced as a headliner ofMonster Energy Rock Allegiance 2016, along withAlice in Chains,Slayer,The Offspring,Breaking Benjamin and others.[95] Avenged Sevenfold also performed on "Louder Than Life" festival as headliners on October 1, withSlipknot,Slayer,Disturbed,Korn and other artists.[96] On June 21, the band announced a U.S. Fall tour with Volbeat,Killswitch Engage, andAvatar.[97] The band also announced a UK tour for January 2017 with Disturbed andIn Flames.[98] Avenged Sevenfold was announced as a headliner of 2016 edition ofKnotfest Mexico.[99] The band also announced the European Tour for February and March 2017 along with Disturbed and Chevelle.
On October 3, 2016, the band's logo Deathbat started appearing as a projection in London. After that, Deathbat also started appearing in Berlin, Toronto and Paris, indicating a release of the new album. On October 12,Chris Jericho posted an Instagram photo of the Deathbat logo with a date 12/9/16 underneath it. He then revealed the supposed title of the album,Voltaic Oceans,[100] It was later revealed that the new album would actually be calledThe Stage, aconcept album about artificial intelligence, which was released on October 28, 2016, viaCapitol Records.[101] The album was released to generally favorable reviews,[102] and the band decided to make a unique stage production for it, hiringCirque du Soleil directors for its making.[103]
Avenged Sevenfold was announced as the main support act onMetallica'sWorldWired 2017 stadium summer tour in the US and Canada, alongsideVolbeat andGojira.[104] The band also announced a series of 2017 US headlining summer shows ofThe Stage World Tour, with Volbeat,Motionless in White, andA Day to Remember as special guests across various dates.[105]
Avenged Sevenfold on stage in Dublin, Ireland, 2017
On December 22, 2017, the band released a deluxe edition ofThe Stage that included one new original track, six cover songs, and four live tracks from their European tour earlier that year.
In a December 2017 interview withBillboard, M. Shadows revealed that the band are planning "a big US summer 2018 tour", and that the band would start working on the follow-up toThe Stage in late 2018.[106]End of the World tour withProphets of Rage was later announced for summer 2018.[107][108] The band was also announced as one of the headliners of 2018'sRock on the Range andDownload Festival, in addition to appearing atHellfest,Graspop Metal Meeting,Rock am Ring andRock im Park the same year.[109][110] Due to a blood blister forming in M. Shadows' throat, the band cancelled remaining dates from their summer tour with Prophets of Rage.[111]
The band released a single titled "Mad Hatter" in September 2018, which was made specifically for the video gameCall of Duty: Black Ops 4.[113] It would later be a part of theBlack Reign EP released later that month, which comprises all four of the songs Avenged Sevenfold made for theCall of Duty franchise.[114]
Life Is But a Dream... (since 2018)
In a December 2017 interview withBillboard, M. Shadows revealed that the band are planning "a big US summer 2018 tour", and that the band would start working on the follow-up toThe Stage in late 2018.[106] Bassist Johnny Christ in a May 2018 interview confirmed that the band is currently getting ideas and writing in their own studios to start the next record in September or October 2018.[115]
In September 2018, Synyster Gates revealed in an interview withLoudwire that the band has started working on their eighth studio album, saying "It's still early on, but we're working on a bunch of stuff".[116] In March 2019, Zacky Vengeance stated the band would take the rest of the year off tour to concentrate on the upcoming album, saying the band is really focused on the new material.[117] In January 2020, Avenged Sevenfold released "Set Me Free", an unreleased song recorded during theHail to the King recording sessions. They also announced that the song would be included in a remastered re-release ofLive in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough, released on March 6. A limited edition clear vinyl ofDiamonds in the Rough was also released.[118]
On March 14, 2023, after several days of teaser videos, the band released the first single, "Nobody", along with a music video. At the same time, they officially announced that their eighth studio album,Life Is But a Dream..., was set for release on June 2, 2023 while also revealed the album cover and the track list.[119]
The band's initial style in their first two albums was primarily categorized asmetalcore,[122][123][143] which according to Johnny Loftus ofAllMusic, also "freely incorporatedemo,screamo andpost-hardcore elements."[144] The band's debut albumSounding the Seventh Trumpet, while consisting largely of ahardcore or metalcore sound, has several deviations from this genre, most notably in "Warmness on the Soul", which is a pianoballad.[145][146] OnWaking the Fallen, the band continued the metalcore style, but incorporated more clean singing, and leaning more towards heavy metal than hardcore punk.[123] According to M. Shadows, "We had two intentions. We wanted to be the heaviest and most melodic band at that time.”[27] In the band's DVDAll Excess, producerAndrew Murdock explained this transition: "When I met the band afterSounding the Seventh Trumpet had come out before they had recordedWaking the Fallen, M. Shadows said to me 'This record is screaming. The record we want to make is going to be half-screaming half-singing. I don't want to scream anymore. And the record after that is going to be all singing'."[citation needed] Zacky Vengeance recalled the transition: "Waking was the first time we pushed [Shadows] to sing more. I remember at the beginning of [the album cycle], he was all screaming, and one time he was, like, kind of dicking around, singing the melody instead of screaming, and we were like, ‘Dude, you have to sing that!’ And so he did, and it was incredible, you know, and then we were like, ‘OK, all right, we’re allowed to fucking sing. If you have a good voice, you don’t have to scream just to scream.'"[27]
On Avenged Sevenfold's third albumCity of Evil, the band chose to outright abandon the metalcore genre,[147] creating a "sleazy" sound consistent with hard rock, heavy metal,[148] and progressive metal.[149][27] Sanders drew influence from Europeanpower metal for his vocals during this time.[150] Avenged Sevenfold'sself-titled album experiments with an even wider array of musical genres than that fromCity of Evil, most notably in "Dear God", which shows acountry style and "A Little Piece of Heaven", which is circled within the influence ofBroadway show tunes, using primarilybrass instruments and stringedorchestra to take over most of the role of thelead andrhythm guitar.[151]Nightmare contains further deviations, including a piano ballad called "Fiction", progressive metal-oriented track "Save Me" and a heavy metal sound with extreme vocals and heavier instrumentation on "God Hates Us". The band's sixth studio albumHail to the King shows more of aclassic metal sound and ariff-oriented approach. On their seventh albumThe Stage, the band explores further into progressive metal,[130] blending it with elements ofthrash metal. Their eighth album,Life Is But a Dream... shows the band taking on more of anavant-garde metal sound.[152]
Lyrical themes
The band's lyrics occasionally incorporateBiblical imagery. When asked if Avenged Sevenfold is aChristian band, M. Shadows replied: "Absolutely not. I don’t believe in those things. I try not to get into that because a lot of our fans are Christians and a lot aren’t." The band's lyrics have also incorporatedpolitical themes, such as in "Critical Acclaim". In 2006, Shadows said: "Most people know we're kind of one of the only bands around right now that will admit that we'reRepublican. When we went on theWarped Tour last year — all of those bands, they're not only anti-war, they're anti-everything our country stands for. We were like, 'fuck this.' We're going to wear our America shirts." Shadows stated the band had shifted stances slightly in 2020, saying in an open letter: "I am aware that in the past Avenged has antagonized with some of our lyrics and imagery. We have also used confederate flags in our artwork while paying tribute to artists we grew up listening to or simply trying to start controversy. I'm sure we will be called out, and rightfully so, by people reading this. No excuses. But everyone grows up at some point, and I feel grateful that we have an audience that has allowed us to evolve with them."[50]
Legacy
Avenged Sevenfold is one of the notable acts of thenew wave of American heavy metal.[153] Despite being classified as such by most publications, some have suggested that Avenged Sevenfold is not "metal enough".[121][154] Vocalist M. Shadows said: "we play music for the sake of music, not so that we can be labeled a metal band. That's like telling us we aren't punk enough. Who cares?"[154] Similarly, he opined: "If someone calls us a hardcore band we’re just like, ‘Oh... whatever. Are you gonna listen toHatebreed or are you gonna listen to us?’ Most fucking hardcore bands want to be metal bands anyway but they just can’t play well enough."[50] Eli Enis ofRevolver assessed: "sure, if you takeCannibal Corpse with yourafternoon tea then maybe theO.C. band don't cut it."[155]
Speaking of the band's mainstream exposure throughMTV programs such asTotal Request Live, Zachy Vengeance said, "you have a five-and-a-half-minute song on the radio, and you have a video with a band, fucking tattoos from head to toe, No. 1 onTRL and with guitar solos and shit. [...] And we're just kind of like, the joke's onmainstream music at that point. Here we are, fucking metal, punks, fucking who knows what kind of band, getting attention." M. Shadows recalled, "We found out that 80 percent of the kids that bought [City of Evil] were Avenged fans, and about 20 percent of them wereTRL fans, like, 'I like 'Bat Country.' But I think that it got the attention of a lot of people, active-rock listeners or, you know, like, older metal people that are watching."[156] Zacky Vengeance recalled the band's transition from underground to mainstream success: "[Ozzfest] peopledon't want the band that's on fucking MTV, a bunch of fucking 23-year-old assholes. They love people that they respect, and we're like, Wow, MTV and all that shit, it doesn't fucking make you a giant band, it doesn't give you longevity, and it doesn't win these fucking people over."[156]
^Decker, Ashley (October 2003)."Interviews: Avenged Sevenfold".Skratch Magazine. Archived from the original on February 21, 2008. RetrievedNovember 8, 2014.
^Brace, Eric. "The Circuit."The Washington Post. Accessed viaLexisNexis. "Cleveland's excellent envelope-pushing metal band Mushroomhead performs Wednesday night at Jaxx (703-569-5940), along with Shadows Fall, Avenged Sevenfold and High on Fire." October 18, 2002.
^"Artists to Watch: Avenged Sevenfold."Billboard. "Orange County, Calif.'s Avenged Sevenfold stands at a crossroads. Kielty, Tom "Music Review The Vans Off the Wall Tour Suicide Machines, the Unseen and Avenged Sevenfold"The Boston Globe. Accessed viaLexisNexis. "Earlier, Avenged Sevenfold showed a dramatic flair, opening its set with a sample of the theme from "The Exorcist" before combining impressive harmonies with a muscular melody that recalled early A.F.I."
^abWarped Tour outlasted by putting teenagers' interests firstThe Orange County Register. July 6, 2005. "We were lumped into metalcore, but with this record we really wanted to get out of it... We didn't even know why we were screaming. One day, we were just like, '(Bleep) this, there's no way we're gonna scream on the next record.'"
^"Avenged Sevenfold: City of Evil."The New Zealand Herald accessed viaLexisNexis. September 11, 2005. "But City of Evil is some of the most exciting and epic rock'n'roll around at the moment. In fact, this album is a snorting and snarling mongrel that is as much for fans of classic rock as it is for those into metal."
^"M Shadows Wants The New Avenged Sevenfold Album To Be A Metal/Rock Classic". Metal Hammer. February 13, 2013. Archived fromthe original on June 21, 2013. "The new album has a lot more of a Sabbath and Zeppelin feel to it", he states. "There's definitely more Sabbath in what we're writing, and we're proud of 'Carry On', but this album is going to be on a whole new level. We're shooting for late January, early February [to enter the studio] and to have the album out in the summer. I'm pretty sure that we're looking to go overseas first, so you guys will be seeing it before everyone else... We're going back to Sabbath stuff. We're looking at blues chords they're playing most of their stuff in. We're listening to Zeppelin. We're going backwards with what we want this record to feel like. I wanna write a classic metal record, a classic rock record in 2013."
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