AVENGED SEVENFOLD - review added 21st October 2008
Album Review: Avenged Sevenfold (Self Titled) (2008)
For fans of: alternative metal... and country songs gone rock!
Yeah, so the cover is a nasty looking skull with bat wings. Ooh how creepy! Hold on, there's a parental advisory sign in the bottom right hand corner too. Surely this album is going to be more nasty than a cereal killer in a Kellogg's factory?
Well, actually, no. Apart from a few naughty words you'll find in any good dictionary, this eponymous album by Avenged Sevenfold is actually rather accessible, and also rather splendid.
M. Shadows, Synyster Gates and the boys have explored just about every avenue of rock with this album. They've also taken a few strange detours as if guided by the world's crappiest sat-nav. As well as the expected bursts of complex prog metal, there is a huge theatrical number that wouldn't be out of place in an Andrew Lloyd Webber nightmare, a semi-acoustic country rock number which, against all odds, is stunning, and a large chunk of Cher-style distorted singing which manages to not make you want to kill yourself - a feat in itself.
M. Shadows voice is as ropey yet brilliantly characterful as ever, and Mr Gates once more proves what a force in the guitar world he is. The best things about Avenged Sevenfold though are the balance of talent on display - no member completely dominates the sound - and the fact they are definitely not afraid to experiment. Plenty of bands like to play around with different sounds (boo hiss Metallica) but Avenged Sevenfold have made such a good effort of it they make most other bands look as boring as a lone sock.
Hats off to A.S. for making this album. It takes a few listens to grab hold of all the little details they've squeezed in, but once you've got your hands and ears full of this aural menagerie you may not want to let go.
Check out... 'Dear God'. What the Eagles would sound like if they were crossed with Slayer.
Track List:
1. Critical Acclaim
2. Almost Easy
3. Scream
4. Afterlife
5. Gunslinger
6. Unbound (The Wild Ride)
7. Brompton Cocktail
8. Lost
9. Little Piece Of Heaven
10. Dear God
Label: Warner Brothers Records
Band websites: Avenged Sevenfold , MySpace
