Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare

Released: Jul 27, 2010
Genre: Heavy metal, alternative metal, hard rock
Label: Warner Bros.
Number Of Tracks: 11
In the wake of their drummer's tragic and untimely passing, Avenged Sevenfold rise to the occasion and make one of their strongest albums in one of the most vulnerable periods in their history.

Sound: Let’s get this out of the way first: Nightmare is Avenged Sevenfold’s first record since the tragic death of their drummer, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan. The band recruited Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy to fill in on the record (and for their upcoming tour dates.) Given the fact that A7X were always some of the most skilled players who came up in an era when metal bands didn’t know how to play their instruments, much less solo or pull off intricate parts, Portnoy fits the band perfectly and the band stays true to the same sound they’ve been crafting since the early ‘00s. Throughout their career (and their successes), many have taken to hating on the band, as they were dangerous in their image, proudly not givin’ a f--k like a modern Guns N’ Roses or, well, Eminem! Many people, namely early fans or those who like to shit talk and care about concepts more than reality, felt the band was abandoning some imagined hardcore roots, when in reality, A7X were never a hardcore band that pledged any allegiance to that scene; they were taking Iron Maiden-riffs and in turn screaming and singing over them, coming up with a modern and unheard of sound from the very beginning, so no one I quite sure how “hardcore” got thrown into the mix! That said, Nightmare reminds me of a mix of Waking the Fallen, which is my favorite A7X record, and City of Evil, their commercial breakthrough which allowed them to graduate to the next level of success. Nightmare is crisp and clean; you could perform surgery using this record since it’s so clean-sounding. But it’s not sterile. Their is so much emotion coursing through the album and follows the A7X formula of noodly riffs and longer-than-normally-radio-friendly-songs with a melodically accessible bend. The title track is spooky and creepy with its key opening and it could easily have been used in the reboot of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, while “Buried Alive” and “Welcome the Family” will remind one of Metallica and/or Guns N’ Roses. The band mixes ballads with ragers and “God Hates Us” feels like a bit of a nod to Slayer, who have an album named God Hates Us All and it’s easily one of the album’s most gnarly tracks which feel like a series of kicks to the taint. A7X haven’t sounded this angry in quite some time and they have reason and right to use the vehicle of their music for that catharsis. Go ahead, guys. You deserve it. “Natural Born Killer” also kicked my ass to the curb and left me in a heaving pile with its bluster. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: Vocalist M Shadows is a triple threat and he certainly positions himself like a young, hungry James Hetfield. He can sing, scream and employ the mid-level growl that shows just enough teeth to elicit a fleeting “fight or flight” response, but in the end, you’ll stick around and listen, because while his voice asserts itself, it’s not intimidating. This quality is what made Metallica songs great – to straddle the line between aggressive and appealing without sacrificing any of the song’s heft and ferocity- and A7X have found a way to do just that. They take that formula and shape it to their sound. Shadows can sing and scream, and he mostly sings, but he’s got enough power in his voice so the heaviness is never sacrificed even when he lets his voice soar. When he sings, “God save us” and then “God hates us” in the same chorus on “God Hates Us,” I can practically feel his spit hitting me in the face. He’s getting the red out and he’s never sounded stronger. All the “kids” who thought A7X were “selling out” when they chose to sing more need to be knocked off their soapboxes with a swift kick. Rare is the band that can scream less and sound heavier, but A7X does that with Nightmare. // 9

Impression: The Tim Burton-style artwork. The darkly romantic imagery. The element of danger. The squalling guitars. The Iron Maiden influence. The groundswell of emotion from losing their drummer while writing the album. Those are all the batteries that power up Nightmare. Much of the album reminds me of the best parts of Waking the Fallen, which in my opinion, was all great parts! It’s heavy. It’s melodic. It mixes the two without any sort of detraction from the other. It’s seamless. It’s like a modern version of Metallica and Guns N’ Roses. And those are never bad things. But lest we forget: it’s still Avenged Sevenfold doing what they’ve always done and sticking to their own musical vision.