WARNING: The following review contains opinions
Cpt_Oblivious picked up this album on release day[footnote]It was released on 26 July in the UK, 27 in the US. I didn't write the review because I was busy listening to it all night.[/footnote], which is unusual, expect brilliant things from...
[HEADING=1]Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare[/HEADING]
This'll count as my 8000th post celebration.
[img_inline align='left' height='250' src='http://www.fearnet.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2010516/A7X_Nightmare.jpg']
Today I shall be reviewing possibly the most hyped album of the year, if not longer. The band started writing it late last year and were about to begin recording when the sudden death of drummer, The Rev, on December 28 shocked everyone. After an initial period of mourning the band decided that they record had to be released, as a tribute to their departed friend. And with Mike Portnoy of Dream Theatre stepping in to drum for them, this is what they created...
The album opens with the title track, Nightmare. The mood is set perfectly with what sounds like the steady chiming of an old music box before the thunderous arrival of guitars and drums, reaching a peak before descending into the nightmare. The pace that had been missing from the previous album is back and takes you hurtling through the song like a rollercoaster. Next up is Welcome to the Family, which is an instant anthem to fans from the yelled verses to the smooth, fluid and, most of all, instantly memorable chorus. Danger Line provides a slight change musically, whilst going back to an Avenged Sevenfold lyrical mainstay - the military. This is the end of the opening trio and the first to feature the return of the piano and backing vocals from the rest of the band.
The final of the previously released singles - Buried Alive slows down the pacing of the album's introduction and brings a mournful tone to the guitar playing and singing, sadly dropped in the yelled choruses and outro. Natural Born Killer brings in the killer riffs and is much more obviously focused on the death of The Rev, as seen in "Die alone, this is the one thing that I won't do - Say your prayers, because I ain't leaving here without you" and the sorrow felt by the band is audible through vocalist M. Shadows' voice. Nightmare's answer to previous hit Seize the Day is So Far Away, incredibly similar to the former but, as with Natural Born Killer, with far more feeling to it. This song, in my opinion, will eclipse Seize the Day as their ballad that'll be loved and remembered.
Now, the odd one out: God Hates Us. I heard this and thought it was some sort of mix between Cradle of Filth [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujeQBGS70lA] and Slayer [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wufl37-lKVI]. It's definately going back to the band's metalcore roots vocally - with very little actually being understandable. Yet this heavier style is not out of place, it's just something a little experimental.
[img_inline= caption='The Rev' align='right' height='300' src='http://inlog.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/jimmy-the-rev-sullivan.jpg']Victim opens sounding very much like Bullet for my Valentine before seeping into Sevenfold's style, albeit with what appears to be a gospel singer wailing for a while. Much like So Far Away, this is another ballad pulled off brilliantly. Filled with emotion, this nearly brought me to tears as I'm sure it will for many others. The following track, Tonight the World Dies, continues this feel, bring the album into the emotional climax and ending.
The penultimate song is Fiction, and, as guitarist Synyster Gates said in an interview: "The eeriest thing about it is it started out with the title "Death". And the song was the last song The Rev wrote for the album, and when he handed it in, he said, that?s it, that?s the last song for this record. And then 3 days later, he died". Knowing this makes listening a very different experience. It turns into a beautiful, respectful tribute to the band's lost drummer and friend. Where Victim failed, Fiction succeeds and managed to bring me to tears.
The song, almost entirely on piano, comes across as a suicide note when one listens to the lyrics and part of it is sung by The Rev himself, recorded vocals from when he wrote the song that have been put in to make a beautiful duet with M. Shadows.
Finally, there is Save Me. Which takes us on one final dark journey that feels as though it's the song they waited their entire lives to make, incorporating every staple of their songs but, in my mind, just falling short of the mark set by the previous songs, though it's final minute does leave a spectacular ending to the album.
Overall I'd say this is a record that should be bought by all rock and metal fans, whether they like Avenged Sevenfold or not, it's worth a try and this truly is their masterpiece. I doubt it can get much better if they do decide to continue. Half the tracks will be online somewhere by now, so go listen!
Cpt_Oblivious picked up this album on release day[footnote]It was released on 26 July in the UK, 27 in the US. I didn't write the review because I was busy listening to it all night.[/footnote], which is unusual, expect brilliant things from...
[HEADING=1]Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare[/HEADING]
This'll count as my 8000th post celebration.
[img_inline align='left' height='250' src='http://www.fearnet.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2010516/A7X_Nightmare.jpg']
Today I shall be reviewing possibly the most hyped album of the year, if not longer. The band started writing it late last year and were about to begin recording when the sudden death of drummer, The Rev, on December 28 shocked everyone. After an initial period of mourning the band decided that they record had to be released, as a tribute to their departed friend. And with Mike Portnoy of Dream Theatre stepping in to drum for them, this is what they created...
The album opens with the title track, Nightmare. The mood is set perfectly with what sounds like the steady chiming of an old music box before the thunderous arrival of guitars and drums, reaching a peak before descending into the nightmare. The pace that had been missing from the previous album is back and takes you hurtling through the song like a rollercoaster. Next up is Welcome to the Family, which is an instant anthem to fans from the yelled verses to the smooth, fluid and, most of all, instantly memorable chorus. Danger Line provides a slight change musically, whilst going back to an Avenged Sevenfold lyrical mainstay - the military. This is the end of the opening trio and the first to feature the return of the piano and backing vocals from the rest of the band.
The final of the previously released singles - Buried Alive slows down the pacing of the album's introduction and brings a mournful tone to the guitar playing and singing, sadly dropped in the yelled choruses and outro. Natural Born Killer brings in the killer riffs and is much more obviously focused on the death of The Rev, as seen in "Die alone, this is the one thing that I won't do - Say your prayers, because I ain't leaving here without you" and the sorrow felt by the band is audible through vocalist M. Shadows' voice. Nightmare's answer to previous hit Seize the Day is So Far Away, incredibly similar to the former but, as with Natural Born Killer, with far more feeling to it. This song, in my opinion, will eclipse Seize the Day as their ballad that'll be loved and remembered.
Now, the odd one out: God Hates Us. I heard this and thought it was some sort of mix between Cradle of Filth [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujeQBGS70lA] and Slayer [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wufl37-lKVI]. It's definately going back to the band's metalcore roots vocally - with very little actually being understandable. Yet this heavier style is not out of place, it's just something a little experimental.
[img_inline= caption='The Rev' align='right' height='300' src='http://inlog.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/jimmy-the-rev-sullivan.jpg']Victim opens sounding very much like Bullet for my Valentine before seeping into Sevenfold's style, albeit with what appears to be a gospel singer wailing for a while. Much like So Far Away, this is another ballad pulled off brilliantly. Filled with emotion, this nearly brought me to tears as I'm sure it will for many others. The following track, Tonight the World Dies, continues this feel, bring the album into the emotional climax and ending.
The penultimate song is Fiction, and, as guitarist Synyster Gates said in an interview: "The eeriest thing about it is it started out with the title "Death". And the song was the last song The Rev wrote for the album, and when he handed it in, he said, that?s it, that?s the last song for this record. And then 3 days later, he died". Knowing this makes listening a very different experience. It turns into a beautiful, respectful tribute to the band's lost drummer and friend. Where Victim failed, Fiction succeeds and managed to bring me to tears.
The song, almost entirely on piano, comes across as a suicide note when one listens to the lyrics and part of it is sung by The Rev himself, recorded vocals from when he wrote the song that have been put in to make a beautiful duet with M. Shadows.
Finally, there is Save Me. Which takes us on one final dark journey that feels as though it's the song they waited their entire lives to make, incorporating every staple of their songs but, in my mind, just falling short of the mark set by the previous songs, though it's final minute does leave a spectacular ending to the album.
Overall I'd say this is a record that should be bought by all rock and metal fans, whether they like Avenged Sevenfold or not, it's worth a try and this truly is their masterpiece. I doubt it can get much better if they do decide to continue. Half the tracks will be online somewhere by now, so go listen!
