A LITTLETHE OFFICIAL FAN PIECE NEWSLETTER OF AVENGEDOF SEVENFOLDHEAVEN ISSUE 9 DECEMBER 2011 RECENT SUCCESS he band members admitted in a the album had been completed in New number of interviews that they York City, and Nightmare was finally consideredT disbanding at this point of released worldwide on July 27, 2010.[44] time. However, on February 17, 2010, It met with mixed to positive reviews Avenged Sevenfold stated that they from music critics but was well received had entered the studio, along with by the fans. Nightmare beat sales projec- now-former Dream Theater drummer tions easily, debuting at number one on Mike Portnoy, to drum for the record, the Billboard 200 with sales of 163,000 in place of the Rev. units in its first week.[45] After finishing The single “Nightmare” was digitally recording, in December, Portnoy and the released on May 18, 2010.[41][42] A band posted simultaneous statements on preview for the song was released on their websites stating that he will not be May 6, 2010 on Amazon.com, but was their replacement for The Rev. However, removed soon after for unknown reasons.[42][43] Mixing for Portnoy did travel with the band overseas in December 2010 BACKGROUND venged Sevenfold is an American Seventh Trumpet but their style had support of their fifth album Nightmare heavy metal band from Huntington evolved by their third album and first in 2010 which debuted on the top spot Beach,A California. Formed in 1999, the major label release, City of Evil into a of the Billboard 200, their first number group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, hard rock/heavy metal sound. The band one debut.[5] lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm continued to explore new sounds with guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist their self-titled release and enjoyed con- Johnny Christ. tinued mainstream success before their They are known for their diverse heavy drummer, James “The Rev” Sullivan, metal sound, dramatic imagery in album died in 2009. Despite his death, the covers and t-shirts.[1][2][3][4] Avenged band continued on with help of now- Sevenfold emerged with a metalcore former Dream Theater drummer Mike sound on their debut Sounding the Portnoy and released and toured in 1 A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN DECEMBER 2011 CHART SUCCESS INFLUENCES hey he band has cited bands such as Bad Religion, Guns N’ released Roses, Iron Maiden, Pantera, Dream Theater, Metallica, WakingT the NOFX,T Alice in Chains, Black Flag, Corrosion of Conformity, Fallen on The Misfits, Slayer, The Vandals, Rage Against the Machine, Hopeless Korn, Deftones and AFI as their artistic influences.[53] Records in Avenged Sevenfold’s material spans multiple genres and has August 2003. evolved over the band’s entire career. Initially, the band’s The album debut album Sounding the Seventh Trumpet consisted almost featured a entirely of metalcore sound; however, there were several de- more refined viations to this genre, most notably in “Streets” which adopts and mature a punk style and “Warmness on the Soul,” which is a piano- sound pro- oriented ballad.[54] On Waking the Fallen, the band displayed duction in comparison to their previous album. The band the contemporary metalcore style once more, but added more received profiles in Billboard and The Boston Globe, and clean vocals as played in the Vans Warped Tour. In 2004, Avenged Seven- well as more fold toured again on the Vans Warped Tour and recorded a mature and video for their song “Unholy Confessions” which went into intricate musi- rotation on MTV2’s Headbanger’s Ball.[14] Shortly after the cal elements. release of Waking the Fallen, Avenged Sevenfold left Hope- In the band’s less Records and were signed to Warner Bros. Records. DVD All City of Evil, the band’s third album and major label debut, Excess, pro- was released on June 7, 2005 and debuted at No.30 on the ducer Andrew Billboard 200 chart, selling over 30,000 copies in its first Mudrock week of release. It utilized a more classic metal sound than explained this Avenged Sevenfold’s previous albums, which had been transition: grouped into the metalcore genre. The album is also notable “When I met the band after Sounding the Seventh Trumpet for the absence of screamed and growled vocals; M. Shad- had come out before they had recorded Waking the Fallen, ows worked with vocal coach Ron Anderson—whose clients M. Shadows said to me ‘This record is screaming. The record have included Axl Rose and Chris Cornell—for months we want to make is going to be half-screaming half-singing. before the album’s release to achieve a sound that had “grit I don’t want to scream anymore. And the record after that is while still going to be all singing.’” having the On City of Evil, Avenged Sevenfold’s third album, the band tone”.[17][19] chose to abandon the metalcore genre, developing a more The album hard rock style. Avenged Sevenfold’s self-titled album, again, received consists of several deviations to less consistent genres and steller reviews styles from the album’s main hard rock and heavy metal from several songs, most notably in “Dear God”, which adopts a country magazines and style and “A Little Piece of Heaven”, which is circled within websites and the influence of Broadway show tunes, using primarily brass is credited instruments and stringed orchestra to take over most of the for propelling role of the lead and rhythm guitar. Nightmare contains further the band into deviations, including a piano ballad called “Fiction” and a brief international return to their metalcore roots on “God Hates Us”. The band popularity. has changed considerably since their first album, in which They returned to the Vans Warped Tour, this time head- during that time they have been characterized as a heavy band lining and then continued on their own “Cities of Evil with a screamed and growled vocal style combined with clean Tour.”[21] In addition, their lead single “Bat Country” vocals, chugging guitar riffs and breakdowns that one can reached No.2 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Charts, No.6 expect from the metalcore genre. on Billboard’s Modern Rock Charts and the accompanying video made it to No.1 on MTV’s Total Request Live.[22] Propelled by this success, the album sold well and became Avenged Sevenfold’s first gold record.[23] It was later certi- fied platinum in August 2009. 2 DECEMBER 2011 A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN A7X AND DEATH n the fall 2006 tour to matter, however, Warner Valentine, Blessthefall and within the upcoming months. record new music.[25] Brothers only released it to Idiot Pilot.[29] They used the [32] They also announced In the interim, the band registered MVI users over footage from their last show that they will be playing at Ireleased their first DVD the internet. The third single, in Long Beach for Live in Rock on the Range, from titled All Excess on July 17, “Afterlife” and its video was the LBC & Diamonds in the May 16–17, 2009.[33] On April 2007.[26] All Excess, which released Rough, a 16, they performed a version debuted as the No.1 DVD in January two-disc of Guns N’ Roses’ “It’s So in the USA, included live 2008. B-sides Easy” onstage with Slash, at performances and backstage Their CD and the Nokia Theater in Los An- footage that spanned the fourth live DVD geles.[34] On December 28, band’s eight year career. Two single, which was 2009, drummer James “The tribute albums, Strung Out “Dear released Rev” Sullivan was found dead on Avenged Sevenfold: Bat God”, was on Sep- at his home at the age of Wings and Broken Strings released tember 28.[35] Autopsy results were and Strung Out on Avenged on June 16, 2008. inconclusive,[36] but on June Sevenfold: The String Tribute 15, 2008. They also 9, 2010, the cause of death were also released in October Although recorded was revealed to have been an 2007. critical numerous “acute polydrug intoxication Avenged Sevenfold, the recep- covers, due to combined effects of band’s fourth album, was tion was including Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, released on October 30, generally Pantera’s Diazepam/Nordiazepam and 2007, debuting at No.4 on mixed the “Walk”, ethanol”.[37] In a statement the Billboard 200 with over self-titled Iron by the band, they expressed 90,000 copies sold.[27] Two album Maiden’s their grief over the passing singles, “Critical Acclaim” and went on to sell over 500,000 “Flash of the Blade” and of The Rev and later posted “Almost Easy” were released copies and was awarded Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”. a message from Sullivan’s prior to the album’s debut. In “Album of the Year” at the [29][30][31] family which expressed their December 2007, an animated Kerrang! Awards.[28] In January 2009, M. Shad- gratitude to his fans for their video was made for “A Little Avenged Sevenfold headlined ows confirmed that the band support. Piece of Heaven.” Due to the the 2008 Taste of Chaos tour was writing the follow-up to song’s controversial subject with Atreyu, Bullet for My their self-titled fourth album RECENT SUCCESS CONTINUED for three shows in Iraq and Kuwait sponsored by the USO. They played for US Soldiers at Camp Adder, Camp Beuhring, and Balad Air Base.[46] On January 20, 2011, Avenged Sevenfold announced via Facebook that former Confide drummer Arin Ilejay will tour with them starting this year. Whether or not he will be joining the band on a permanent basis has not been decided yet.[47][48] Avenged Sevenfold performed at the Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals on June 3–5, 2011 alongside other bands such as Alter Bridge, System of a Down, and In Flames.[49] On April 2011, the band headlined the Golden God Awards held by Metal Hammer.