Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare
Rating
RIYL
Guns N’ RosesDream Theater
Metallica
Release Date
07/27/2010
Label
Warner Bros.Tracklist
1. Nightmare2. Welcome to the Family
3. Danger Line
4. Buried Alive
5. Natural Born Killer
6. So Far Away
7. God Hates Us
8. Victim
9. Tonight the World Dies
10. Fiction
11. Save Me
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Love them or hate them, there’s no denying that Avenged Sevenfold have had a tough year. On Dec. 9, 2009, drummer Jimmy “The Reverend” Sullivan passed away from an accidental drug overdose, leaving the band with an album’s worth of new material written and no idea how to move forward. When Sullivan’s biggest influence, Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, agreed to record the drum parts for their fifth full-length, Nightmare, the band set out to create an album in memory of their friend. While the album succeeds as a heartfelt tribute, the question still remains: is it any good?
Well, yes and no. Avenged Sevenfold (or as their fanboys know them, A7X) fans have no doubt come to terms with the fact that the band will never record another album as raw as Waking the Fallen, and some managed to stomach through their experimental meanderings on 2005‘s City of Evil and the awful 2007 self-titled release in order to find the occasional riff that reached the band’s musical potential. Where the band has been mostly concerned with progression and integrating various styles on these last two records, Nightmare shows them occasionally returning to their roots, if not in a jaw-dropping or significant way.
The album kicks off with a sufficiently epic and haunting riff proving that Nightmare is leagues beyond their previous effort. M. Shadows quickly slides into the mix with the declarative yell, “Nightmare!” before the verse reverts to a chunky and heavy march while Shadows gives us his best impersonation of James Hetfield, which doesn’t always turn out well. After the obligatory melodic chorus, Shadows creates what is possibly one of the band’s most ludicrous moments yet with the line, “It’s your fuckin’ nightmare!” When all is said and done, however, the opener shows the band having fun with no sign of pretension to be found, which is refreshing to say the least. In very City of Evil fashion, the following two tracks, “Welcome to the Family” and “Danger Line,” feature some of the most energetic offerings on the album, with Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance harmonizing like there’s no tomorrow. “Buried Alive” begins as another forgettable ballad in the band’s career in the vein of the painful “Dear God” from their self-titled record, but ends with a meaty tempo shift and a handful of shredding solos from Gates.
At this point, Nightmare proves that A7X desperately needs to make an album with less than an hour’s running time, as the middle portion of the record blends into one occasionally entertaining but typically repetitive song after the next. Nothing new is brought to the table with “Natural Born Killer,” “So Far Away” and “Victim” with them being “Guns N’ Roses goes country” ballads, and “Tonight the World Dies” is simply a mess. The one redeeming track in the midst of the ballads, “God Hates Us,” does its best to live up to such a great title. By far the heaviest thing the band has recorded since Waking the Fallen’s “Eternal Rest,” the song features Shadows bringing his throaty growls back into the mix and giving one of his best overall vocal performances to date. The track moves ahead like a heat-seeking missile from hell, and the album is better because of it.
“Fiction,” a song entirely written by Sullivan just before he passed, offers some of the most musically interesting and lyrically heartbreaking moments of the album. Lyrics such as, “Now I think I understand how this world can overcome a man, like a friend we saw it through, in the end I gave my life for you,” combined with Sullivan’s committed vocals, create a dense and moving atmosphere against the piano-laden background. When Shadows and Sullivan sing, “I hope you’ll find your own way when I’m not with you,” it is impossible to deny the emotional impact. The album closes with the lengthy but consistently engaging “Save Me,” showing off the band’s progressive talents alongside some convincingly dramatic metal.
Waking the Fallen 2 it certainly is not, and Nightmare isn’t likely to win A7X any new followers, but it successfully washes the taste of the band’s last album out of our mouths with a handful of memorable and poignant moments.
--Jeff VanVickle
Comments
Minnesota
This band is balls, always has been balls, and always will be balls.
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Portland, OR
When I first started listening to the album I instantly settled with giving it a low score, but after giving it several listens I decided to give them some credit for making up for some of the serious missteps they made on the last record. This one isn't necessarily good music by any means, but it shows that they're headed in a better direction.
Plus I remember seeing them live with My Chemical Romance in 2002 before either band was mainstream, and the show was incredible. So I've got some fond memories of their potential, if that makes any sense.
Atascadero, CA
it's decent for being mainstream metal/rock, and I enjoy it for thinking of it in that aspect. There's some rad songs on here though my favorite being "Natural Born Killer"
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West Haven, CT
"He who rips off Hunter S. Thompson will fool the kids into thinking this shit is art."
The Cityscape Burns Brighter By The Hour.
Philadelphia PA
I never thought this band was anything special. Never got what the big deal was with them, even before they started playing butt-rock.
Dubuque
Absolutely no.
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One more reason to never give a damn.
This albums is simply terrible. It's basically one long crappy Guns and Roses knock off with some throaty moments for good measure.
It's like trying to explain Final Fantasy 8 to a lemon.