I just discovered Avenged Sevenfold - please help me out here....

dmoney1980

Platinum Member
Jan 17, 2008
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I know, I know, I'm a little late here! I've been hearing their "nightmare" song on my local rock radio station for a while now (rock stations are dead in Illinois).

Anyways, I went youtubing and noticed that their older stuff is vastly different from their newer stuff. For example:

Older: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIRNdveLnJI

Newer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DelhLppPSxY

If I watched both of these videos without the title I'd venture to say that these were 2 bands. The lead singer looks and sounds totally different. Hell, the music style sounds totally different to me. I really like their newer songs but can't say the same for their older songs. Any A7x fans here that can comment on the band ? was this a progressive change, or did they suddenly decide to go for a more "Metallica" sound?
 

dmoney1980

Platinum Member
Jan 17, 2008
2,471
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the newer stuff looks and sounds like metallica...

thats not a good thing

It is if you liked music from that era. I happen to like Metallica, Megadeath, Pantera, etc. I've only listened to about 6 songs so far, but I have to say that "hail to the king" and "this means war" are much better than the older songs I heard. But hey, that's just my opinion
 
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phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
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Nightmare came out like three (ish?) years ago. Kind of odd that you just started hearing it on the radio.

the newer stuff looks and sounds like metallica...

thats not a good thing

This pretty much summarizes your latter link. It's not awful music, but it's sad for A7X.

I expected the first link to be one of their earlier metalcore songs. 'Afterlife' is not so much a departure as much as it is the epitome of what they're typically known for. You should listen to City of Evil and their self-titled album. I also like Nightmare, though a lot of fans of the previous albums did not care so much for it.

The newer one, from what I've heard...just kinda sucks.
 

dmoney1980

Platinum Member
Jan 17, 2008
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Nightmare came out like three (ish?) years ago. Kind of odd that you just started hearing it on the radio.

I've been hearing that song for a while now, but that was the only A7x song they played. I don't mean to piss off any old school A7x fans here, I just like the newer songs more. I was also puzzled just how different it sounds. I had to google the lead singer because he looks and sounds so different in the 2 songs I linked.
 

phucheneh

Diamond Member
Jun 30, 2012
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1 reason: the drummer changed.

I think it played a large part. It was confusing to me that Nightmare was still quite good, though...then I saw that The Rev had writing credits on a lot of the songs. So maybe there was a bit of a sonic shift, but it would seem that his influence still made it interesting.

OP should listen to Buried Alive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dx-09Zkjj4

IMO that song was more like the previous two albums. I was quite impressed with it's sort-of-progginess. Not a lot of six and a half minute long songs getting steady radio airplay out there.

edit:

I've been hearing that song for a while now, but that was the only A7x song they played. I don't mean to piss off any old school A7x fans here, I just like the newer songs more. I was also puzzled just how different it sounds. I had to google the lead singer because he looks and sounds so different in the 2 songs I linked.

You're not gonna piss anyone off. You might get some shit from some of the resident metalheads for like 'OMG MAINSTREAM' A7X. But meh, I say if you're not one of the resident Taylor Swift/that fat Korean guy/whatever fans, you're alright in my book. Lots of guys will be happy to give you recommendations if you share what style of rock/metal you're into. Lot of people into prog metal, melodic death metal, and related genres, especially.

edit2: listening through Nightmare again. I actually forgot...the title track is still pretty badass; I had just gotten sick of it. Mike Portnoy tears that shit up...
 
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dmoney1980

Platinum Member
Jan 17, 2008
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Thanks phucheneh! So I'm reading up on this band to get some back-story. I just read about The Rev, their founder / drummer / songwriter. Interesting stuff I'm learning about this band
 

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
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If you get a chance to see them you should not pass it up. They put on a good show.

I saw them on the uproar tour in 2010, they were by far the best of the main stage. I like disturbed's studio stuff but apparently he just can't do it live. I even gave them another chance a year or so later, same opinion.

I would, however, go out of my way to see A7X again.

Viper GTS
 

VulgarDisplay

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2009
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If you get a chance to see them you should not pass it up. They put on a good show.

I saw them on the uproar tour in 2010, they were by far the best of the main stage. I like disturbed's studio stuff but apparently he just can't do it live. I even gave them another chance a year or so later, same opinion.

I would, however, go out of my way to see A7X again.

Viper GTS

I've seen distrubed live at a secret show in their home town. He can do it live.

The headliner was a "disturbed" cover band, but my buddy had been a bouncer at that club so someone let him know what was actually going on. One of the better live shows I have seen.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,739
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Bat Country is still their best track IMO. It has so much energy it's just fun to listen to. The biggest drawback is how whiny/nasaly the singer is, especially in the early albums.
 

ControlD

Diamond Member
Apr 25, 2005
5,440
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A7X really started out as more of a metalcore band and slowly morphed into a straight ahead metal act over the years. The early stuff has a lot more screamed vocals, which I'm pretty sure destroyed whatever voice the lead singer had. It did sort of gave him a good, slightly worn out, metal voice however.

I don't mind some A7X when I'm looking to mellow out a little bit.
 

SP33Demon

Lifer
Jun 22, 2001
27,928
142
106
Been listening to them since Sounding the Seventh Trumpet days, and they are better now than old school when they used to scream but kind of miss that. Old school tracks that are still on my playlist include Second Heartbeat, Chapter Four, and Remenissions. All great old school tracks where they still used to scream a bit but mixed in clean vocals.
 

z1ggy

Lifer
May 17, 2008
10,009
65
91
I think skill wise, they are pretty under rated. Syn is awesome at guitar and Shadows has a great baritone voice. I used to be into them in their early years as opposed to now, although I haven't listened to the new CD much.

I also put a lot of weight into how a band performs live and I haven't seen them yet so I can't say for certain how good they are.
 

SP33Demon

Lifer
Jun 22, 2001
27,928
142
106
I think skill wise, they are pretty under rated. Syn is awesome at guitar and Shadows has a great baritone voice. I used to be into them in their early years as opposed to now, although I haven't listened to the new CD much.

I also put a lot of weight into how a band performs live and I haven't seen them yet so I can't say for certain how good they are.

They are fantastic live (seen them twice). Get the Live in the LBC DVD as proof.
 

Kev

Lifer
Dec 17, 2001
16,367
4
81
It is if you liked music from that era. I happen to like Metallica, Megadeath, Pantera, etc. I've only listened to about 6 songs so far, but I have to say that "hail to the king" and "this means war" are much better than the older songs I heard. But hey, that's just my opinion

eew. no.
 

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
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You probably don't like changes in tempo.

Must be... I've never thought their song composition is ass. Even with they got experimental with weird things on their self-titled album, the composition still "made sense" to me.

Waking the Fallen could have used a little more of the flair they developed with City of Evil.

Which, btw, I consider City of Evil to be their best album... Nightmare is a close second, imho. I also enjoy many tracks off of every album they have released. Hail to the King had some good tunes, but also had some generic tunes. The self-titled was rather soft, but I can enjoy it.

I'll be honest and admit I don't give Sounding the Seventh Trumpet that many listens, and so I haven't even really gotten a feel for any favorite tracks. Overall, it was an era of A7X that didn't really fit my interests - when they mellowed, I enjoyed them. Waking the Fallen wasn't too heavy at all, but if they approached that style with the craftsmanship of their more recent efforts (or even City of Evil), it would have been an insane album. As it was, they were still a little rough around the edges at that point.

I think I enjoy City of Evil as much as I do, not just because they are epic song writers, but because so many of the songs are epic in scope and feel. I love the stories.

To go back and compare Hail to the King to Avenged Sevenfold (the self-titled album), it kind of a travesty. That's not the album to which one should compare other A7X albums. They really had settled on a very different sound for that one. I like the album, but it's not the best demonstration of their efforts.