CD Review: Avenged Sevenfold
*** 1/2 out of *****
Avenged Sevenfold is the modern day Guns 'N' Roses.
Now, before you start sending in hate mail for the comparison, just think about it. While Guns 'N' Roses is a far better band in terms of classic songwriting, there is no denying the influence Axl Rose has on M. Shadows' vocal patterns.
City of Evil is the band's Appetite for Destruction, with both albums having the feel of being written by groups that have a lot of talent but that you know are on the verge of careening off a "musical cliff" at any moment, because of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle finally taking its toll.
Those hard-partying days are ultimately what led to the early death of longtime drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan in December 2009 at the age of 28.
And finally, the latest Avenged Sevenfold album, Nightmare , is kind of like one of the Guns 'N' Roses' Use Your Illusion discs in that, while it is at times an overly inflated introspective look at the band's career, it also has moments that prove the guys in Avenged Sevenfold are excellent songwriters.
In that regard, the last track on the album, "Save Me," is a highlight in the band's catalogue. The nearly 11-minute-long song combines the heavy screams and riffs the band started out playing with the more accessible vocal hooks of recent albums.
Halfway through the song, guitarists Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance perform dual guitar harmonies that prove why they have been voted some of the top modern-day shredders around.
M. Shadows creates a haunting piano accompanied vocal hook toward the end of the track, repeating the words, "Tonight we all die young," which is likely a reference to the passing of The Rev. And bassist Johnny Christ provides his own signature low-end sound, which can be distinctively heard throughout the song.
On "Save Me," listeners will also be able to tell Mike Portnoy (of Dream Theater) is filling in for The Rev on drums. Portnoy was one of the drummer's heroes, so it seems fitting he is performing the parts The Rev wrote for the album. Anyone who has heard Dream Theater knows the drummer is one of the best around, so it's no surprise when he delivers a solid performance.
As great as the album's closing is, some tracks on the album suffer the same fate of the group's previous self-titled effort and get lost in the mix. It's not that such songs as "Welcome to the Family" and "Natural Born Killer," are bad, they just start to sound similar after a while.
It's surprising to hear so many ballads on Nightmare, but many are well-written, with "Buried Alive" and "Fiction" being some of the highlights. The latter track actually includes The Rev's vocal lines, which are just eerie to listen to now that he is gone.
"Nightmare" is the first single off the album and is a decent rocker. "Danger Line" is a fast-paced metal tune (with an outro that sounds like a throwback to Axl Rose's whistling on Guns 'N' Roses' "Patience"). And "God Hates Us" is the heaviest song the band has performed in years.
At this point in Avenged Sevenfold's career, the band shows it has musical talent and songwriting ability beyond many of the radio-rock bands of today, even though it still falls into some of the same formulaic traps of past albums.
Nightmare is a better album than the group's previous effort, and while it may not satisfy early fans' "appetite" for the heavier sounds on City of Evil, it is the band's best work since that album.
Eric's Picks: "Save Me," "Nightmare," "Buried Alive," "Fiction"
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