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Avenged Sevenfold’s City of Evil comes as a bit of a shock.
October 25, 2005
IN A GENRE where a singer’s ability to release a truly blood-curdling scream is a number one priority for fans, Avenged Sevenfold’s City of Evil comes as a bit of a shock. A group that used to be firmly settled in the metal-hardcore scene and fell somewhere between Atreyu and Shadows Fall, A7X (as they so cutely abbreviate their moniker) now couldn’t mosh its way out of a hardcore show filled with emaciated 12-year-olds.
But the Orange Country fivesome, who formed while still in high school, has a viable excuse. After undergoing throat surgery, singer M Shadows was forced to reel in the growls, giving A7X the opportunity to refine its sound into something more rooted in the ’80s metal sounds of groups like Guns ’N Roses and Iron Maiden.
The new direction has sent old fans running for the Internet message boards, crying foul and begging for the A7X of the past. But it has also unearthed a whole new sect of worshippers to kneel before the group’s altar. The band’s latest single, "Bat Country,"a likable and catchy power rock song, currently resides on the Billboard Top 20, and the video has been in MTV’s "Big Ten,"several slots above Green Day. Clearly, something about A7X’s new sound has struck a rather loud power chord with music listeners, drowning out any shouts of "sellout."
The members of A7X wear their influences on their black, ripped sleeves throughout City of Evil. Shadows yelps and howls with a pretty dead-on Axl Rose impression on songs like "Sidewinder"and "Blinded in Chains,"while his bandmates shred through power chords and guitar solos that hail Metallica and Pantera. But while the harder songs like "Trashed and Scattered"are solid throwbacks to such seminal bands, the power ballads fall miserably to the floor. "Seize the Day"sounds like a reject from the latest Bon Jovi album, and "Betrayed,"the group’s tribute to Dimebag Darrell, makes you mourn the loss of your eardrums more than a legendary musician.
Even though A7X has been in the scene for years, there’s still a sense of immaturity. Although they are musically mature musicians, and the guitarists in particular are talented, the group still insists on going by fake gothic names like Synyster Gates and Johnny Christ and gashing their eyes in enough black eyeliner to justify buying stock in Cover Girl. With an album of mostly solid songs that sound far more evolved than those of most of their Warped Tour tourmates, one would hope A7X could shed the image and let the music and live show speak for themselves.
Though brought on by medical concerns and the pressure of being signed to a major label, the sonic shift has ultimately resulted in something likable, and the band will probably continue to release likable songs. That’s fine, as long as they avoid power ballads. And no matter what the hardcore scensters post online, you know that when "Bat Country"comes on the radio, even the haters know all the words.
Source: Freetimes.com
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