Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold Review
Posted by Matt Reno on 12.05.2007
Can they avenge their criticism? And if so, how many times can they do it?
Avenged Sevenfold made a huge leap in popularity thanks to their third album, 2005's City of Evil. The breakout was due in large part to the band scaling their previous metalcore sound almost all the way back, opting instead for a more melodic, Guns ‘n’ Roses-esque style of hard rock, though not without tons of heavy riffage to keep their metal fans pleased. Their fourth album Avenged Sevenfold continues with the style that made them famous but with even more ambition than before.
What kept City of Evil from being a truly great rock record was its lack of direction. They piled on awesome riff after awesome riff with some catchy choruses, but few of the songs really went anywhere. So despite having some great material to headbang to, most of the songs were fairly forgettable. Luckily, on this new album, A7X improves vastly in this respect. A few songs tend to meander in places, but for the most part, the songs have the direction they need to make them stand out and stick in your mind long after the music stops.
The band's ambition is most apparent toward the album's end. The closing track, "Dear God," is a slower but still upbeat piece of country-metal. Those who've accused the band of selling out might call this the last straw due to not only the musical style but also the lyrics about missing a loved one: "Dear God / The only thing I ask of you / Is to hold her when I'm not around / When I'm much too far away." But I'm sure most people will ignore the criticism and realize that this is actually a pretty cool song and a bold move for these hard rockers. Another surprise is the eight-minute "A Little Piece of Heaven." With its theatrical music and twisted imagery, this song sounds like it came straight from the soundtrack of a Tim Burton movie. It may be long, but thanks to its catchy chorus and overall fun nature, "A Little Piece of Heaven" stays enjoyable throughout.
Of course, if all you're looking for is some straight up hard rock, this album has what you need. Aside from the more midtempo "Gunslinger," the bulk of Avenged Sevenfold is beefy, blistering rock thanks mainly to big riffs and speedy solos courtesy of A7X's guitar team of Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates. Johnny Christ (bass) and The Rev (drums) add to the heaviness while M. Shadows delivers gritty vocals with plenty of passion. When put together, we get something that harks back to '80s metal while retaining a current feel.
The album opens with "Critical Acclaim," which has Shadows seesawing between singing and near-yelling spoken word as he rages against those who criticize American soldiers. More heaviness follows in "Almost Easy," a song that pleads for forgiveness from a loved one, though without an ounce of sappiness. The catchy-as-hell "Afterlife," sinister "Scream," high-speed "Lost," and several others also provide material that any metalhead could proudly blast out of the car windows. However, the band peppers many of their songs with different musical elements such as strings, organ, and even a choral group. These additions are not as blatant as in "A Little Piece of Heaven," but they certainly enhance the magnitude for many of these tracks.
While this album may not be strong enough to propel the band to megastardom, Avenged Sevenfold is certainly on their way to being one of the major players in modern rock, and this album backs up that status. Avenged Sevenfold may not be a classic, but it is a solid album with enough memorable material to increase their fan base while giving hard rockers something new to enjoy.
The 411: This is a big improvement from their last album. The songs are more focused, ambitious and memorable, and most importantly, there's plenty of good hard rock. Worth a listen.
