Avenged Sevenfold
The thing about singing/screaming at the top of your lungs is that it can easily damage vocal chords. After two albums (and countless shows), Avenged Sevenfold's vocalist M. Shadows had to undergo surgery to repair his pipes. This led the group to take a more melodic, less thrash, approach. In the end, it worked for the Hunnington Beach, CA group.
Starting in '99, while still in high school, Avenged Sevenfold had, in addition to Shadows, Zacky Vengeance (guitar), Synyster Gates (guitar), Johnny Christ (bass) and The Reverend (drums)- no doubt those are their actual birth names.
The group developed a harsh Metal/Punk hybrid that got them signed by indie label, Hopeless. Their '01 debut "Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (Good Life)" was followed two years later by "Waking the Fallen."
With Shadows on the mend A7X began to incorporate Prog Rock structures, extending their songs, while tossing in Judas Priest and Iron Maiden influences. They also jumped from Hopeless to a major label, Warner Brothers, for '05 release "City Of Evil" and a main stage run on that summer's Warped Tour.
A7X spent much of the following year touring Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. As the group was working on their fourth studio album they released the DVD All Access, which as the name implied contained extensive concert footage, some dating back to '99, and videos. The documentary was screened in several theaters prior to release.
With the group's '07 self-titled album completed Shadows went public with a hint about the album's direction - or rather where it wasn't going. "It will not be 'City Of Evil Part 2' or 'Waking The Fallen Part 2' but… it will attract fans of both albums while still being a surprise."
"We all like really super eclectic stuff," added Christ. "Country falls in there. The way Country artists write their music is so different. There's a heavy emphasis on lyrics and melodies . . . We had to give it a shot."
Avenged Sevenfold has got the Priest thing down - searing vocals, call-and-response guitar riffs and thunderous drum attacks. If there is a problem with "City Of Evil" it's that there isn't enough. The ballad "Seize The Day" is a sleeper and "The Wicked End" has a lot to go through to get to a good song.
When they bear down on "Beast And The Harlot," with the alternating vocal tracks, "Burn It Down" and "Bat Country" ("tomorrow might not make it but everything's all right") Avenged Sevenfold are at their strongest.
The good news about "City Of Evil" is A7X is working a less worn and predictable track (even if it's kinda retro). "Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (Good Life)" and "Waking the Fallen" are more intense albums. Easy to see why Shadows had the vocal problem. It's powerful stuff but they don't sound any different than countless other groups.
"Avenged Sevenfold" begins as expected. But it's the twists and turns that follow - namely the acoustic, almost Country songs, "Gunslinger" and "Dear God" - draw immediate attention. In the '80s and '90s when Metal or Grunge bands did an acoustic ballad or unplugged set critics and some fans were surprised the band had it in them. It's no different here. Then there's the melodic Rocker "(Unbound) The Wild Ride" and the campy, music hall derived "A Little Piece Of Heaven." True to their word, A7X took a diverse approach on this outing.
The album's first four tracks are typical A7X material. Lead single, "Critical Acclaim" is a dense, rhythmic blast. There's also the plodding "Brompton Cocktail" and "Lost." The latter has the most going for it though Shadows seems to be straining a bit.