Someone needs to diagnose Avenged Sevenfold with severe case of D.I.D. What started as a typical metalcore venture, Avenged Sevenfold morphed into a hard-rock/punk/nu-metal act almost overnight. When the band\'s third full-length album City of Evil hit stores courtesy of Warner Bros. Records in 2005, they gained a whole new following while completely alienating another.
"Hard rock saviors!" one group cheered.
"Sell-outs! Backstabbers!" the other group cried.
So with Avenged Sevenfold\'s new self-titled release, frontman M. Shadows has stated it\'ll bring the warring fan groups together with a sound that\'s unique, yet familiar. A bold claim, indeed. Although, a peaceful resolution in the Middle-east is about as likely as old and new Avenged Sevenfold fans calling each other "friends."
"Critical Acclaim" starts off in appropriate Avenged Sevenfold fashion - a haunting, Phantom of the Opera piano number mixed with power chord riffing and speed drumming. M. Shadows, as he did on City of Evil, ditches the metalcore screams for typical hard rock singing. After all, M.Shadows wants you to hear what he\'s preaching: "Critical Acclaim" is fueled with political fire that looks to burn anyone that hears it.
"So, how does it feel to know that someone\\s kid in the heart of America / has blood on their hands fighting to defend your rights / so you can maintain the lifestyle that insults his family\'s existence?"
Props to these Huntington Beach natives for attempting to show maturity in their lyrical content. Some might claim that political-inspired songs are getting cliché, but in this time of political indecisiveness, it\'s expected and I for one don‘t mind it (better than singing about teen angst or high school love). However, once "Critical Acclaim" ends, Avenged Sevenfold ‘s raging fire slowly dwindles down to nothing more than a candlelight flicker.
The mish-mash of influences becomes a massive roadblock on Avenged Sevenfold\'s path to hard-rock supremacy. "Afterlife" flirts with the band\'s punk background, but it\'s generic punk-rock at best littered with standard riffs and a whiney chorus. "Gunslinger" channels the 80s rock ballad spirits - which permanently need to be exorcised. "Unbound (The Wild Ride)" hectic piano keystrokes add some flavor to an otherwise City of Evil B-side track.
But out of all the Avenged Sevenfold tracks, the eight minute "A Little Piece of Heaven" tops ‘em all in the completely bizarre category.
The Nightmare Before Christmas meets Pee-Wee\'s Playhouse meets Ringling Brothers Circus; all fused together with cheesy male/female vocals and an occasional guitar riff. Heck, pseudo-Marilyn Manson vocals decide to join the smorgasbord of Hell near the song\'s seven minute mark. At any moment, I was expecting Jack Skellington\'s nemesis, Oogie Boogie Man to chime in with a "You\'re jokin\'? You\'re jokin\'? I can\'t believe my ears!" Naturally, he would proceed to throw-up a chunk of worms due to this musical mess.
Avenged Sevenfold closes with "Dear God": a twangy country-inspired ballad that\'ll barely put a hole in your demin overalls. When the whirlwind of genres comes to an end, Avenged Sevenfold represents the band throwing a bunch of genres against a wall to see what sticks. Nothing about this album represents a union of Avenged Sevenfold\'s past and present. Fans of City of Evil-Avenged Sevenfold can chalk up this self-titled release as a victory for their team - virtually no elements of Sounding The Seventh Trumpet or Walking The Fallen are found as promised.
But then again, if Avenged Sevenfold is considered a glorious victory, most people won\'t mind being on the losing side for once.
"Avenged Sevenfold" is on sale October 30, 2007 from Warner.
