Hail to the king --- Avenged Sevenfold --- 2013 (Warner Bros)
Oddly, this is the first time I've heard Avenged Sevenfold. Oh, I've heard of them, sure, but never really listened to any of their music. They seem to be one of the rising stars in the metal scene, and this is their sixth album, their first in three years.
With a dark growling doomy sound attended by pealing bells we're suddenly introduced to a lone electric guitar far down in the mix then what sounds like a trombone but probably isn't anything of the sort. Hold on though: it is! As well as trumpet and tuba. Well I'll be a poseur's uncle! Tough, militaristic percussion cuts slowly in and the guitar then kicks in properly as "Shepherd of fire" (an odd occupation to be sure) opens the album. Vocalist M. Shadows has a raspy, very rock-n-roll voice, sort of brings to mind the likes of Richie Sambora. These guys are fond of using pseduonyms, and so we end up with Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance on guitars, and Johnny Christ (assuming that's not his real name!) on drums. Luckily though they have the talent to back up this penchant.
It's a slow enough opener but with plenty of power and punch, and continues more or less in this vein with the title track, which of course you can imagine them getting great response to onstage, with many horns being thrown no doubt. I like the way the guitars kind of do their own thing, with the rhythm playing its own little riff sort of in the background while the lead punches out, well, the lead melody. Works very well. Slick little solo here too, then "Doing time" is the first one to really kick out the stays as the two axemen go wild, the tempo firing up to ten as Christ batters the drumkit (never thought I'd ever write that sentence!) and powers the whole thing along. "This means war" slows it all back down again though with a tough grinder, touches of Sabbath or Dio in it.
A choral vocal opening in presumably latin to "Requiem", then it's hammering, machine-gun drums and strutting guitars for a dark, dramatic piece with the return of not only the brass section but also strings with violin and cello adding to the atmosphere. Expressive gentle guitar ushers in "Crimson day" which sounds like it could be a ballad. Very laidback with nice vocal harmonies, and when the electric guitar kicks in it really adds something to the song. Could see this as a single, no problem. Like the addition of keyboards, along with more cello and violin, and the guitar solo just puts the icing on the cake. Oh yeah: it is a ballad. Good smokin' rocker then in "Heretic" with a somewhat progressive feel to it, with a great sense of Iron Maiden in "Coming home" --- very close, in fact. Superb extended guitar solo and the reintroduction of keyboards courtesy of producer Mile Elizondo.
Big trumpet and trombone intro to "Planets" with attendant guitar and rattling drums, and when it gets going the song rocks along with power and promise, and a forceful vocal from Shadows. We close on "Acid rain", which gets underway with a beautiful little piano melody courtesy of Jeff Babko, joined by some lovely strings and a crying guitar, which makes me wonder is this a second ballad to finish off the album? Oh yeah there's no doubt, and it's an excellent way to bring the curtain down on this fine album. You all know I'm a sucker for ballads, especially metal ones, and this is one the best I've heard this year. Superb.
TRACKLISTING
1. Shepherd of fire
2. Hail to the king
3. Doing time
4. This means war
5. Requiem
6. Crimson day
7. Heretic
8. Coming home
9. Planets
10. Acid rain
So where have Avenged Sevenfold been all my life? I need to check out some of their other material, because I definitely feel like I've been missing out. "Hail to the king" is without question one of the albums of 2013, metal or otherwise, and is sure to give them a big boost in getting back on top where they belong. I'm not going to use cliched phrases like "the return of the king" or "back on the throne", but if anyone had forgotten them, then this band is avenged more than sevenfold upon them.
Read more here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenged_Sevenfold