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 | Avenged SevenfoldWaking The Fallen2003 Hopeless 
 Review by: FortyMinutesWest See others by this writer ![[staff]](/images/icons/staffsticker.gif){kind=icon}
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Published on August 26th 2003 Heavy fucking metal! If it was possible for me to write a three word review, I’d leave it at that; but I’m obligated to write a full review, so here you go. Avenged Sevenfold first caught my eye when I was browsing through the pamphlet/zine that came with the first “Plea for Peace” compilation. The Good Life Records band was compared to Guns n Roses, Queen, and Social Distortion. I don’t know where the Social D comparison came from, but their first album “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet” was one of the most eclectic releases I’ve heard in a long time. Hopeless was also impressed, as they quickly snatched the band up and released the album. So that leaves us here, two years after the original version of “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet” was released. “Waking The Fallen” is definitely a more focused effort than their past material, and it takes strides away from metalcore. I’d have to say that this album is a lot more melodic as well, with Matt’s singing taking more of a center stage this time around. His voice sounds better as well, as his range has improved. The almost opera-like backing vocals make their return, but they are better utilized than before and they really add something to the songs. Make no mistake though, he can still belt out a throat destroying scream with the best of them. The guitar playing also seems to be more refined, with intricate dual guitar work and blazing solos. This album is basically a combination between the many different varieties of metal. You get the Slayerish solo at the beginning of “Eternal Rest”, the power metal meets Metallica vibe of “Chapter Four”, the melodic death metal of “Second Heartbeat”, and who could forget the Iron Maiden influence that is very apparent throughout this disc. The only thing that is missing is a straight up punk track, ala “Streets”. I really enjoyed this band’s take on Bad Religion style punk, and I was hoping for another song like that. You can’t have everything, I suppose. One of my few complaints here would be the new version of “Second Heartbeat”. I don’t know why they had to mess with a good thing, the version of this song on “Hopelessly Devoted to You” was virtually flawless and it is probably my favorite Avenged Sevenfold song. The new version is still very good, but the urgency that was so prevalent in the original is gone. I can’t really figure out what has happened here, it seems slower yet heavier, but this is only a minor complaint. Avenged Sevenfold is a band that is really doing something different and as such they’ve managed to distance themselves from the pack. A lot of bands attempt to mix metal with other styles, but they often fail because they try to do more than they’re capable of doing. Not this band, every stylistic change on here goes off without a hitch. Expect to hear a lot about this release very soon, and for once I can say this: believe the hype. People who liked this also liked:           Please login or register to post comments. What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
hey coffinfullofnails shut the fuck up! a7x rocks! and you know it! you just want to be the one person wha has to hate a band for success and its bull shit! i bet if they werer still "underground" you would love them! " the thing about it is that a7x fans r diehard and dont just like them 4 stupid reasons!! and if there "ripping off music and other bands" tell me y i kno so many ppl who r ready to do anything 4 them (like myself) b/c of there music!??" ur an idoit! Wow, you know what I am done. Did you even read what you wrote? I never said anything about you cutting or any of that shit, they sold american flag shirts that said "love it or die"(talking about our country). you know what, I cant argue with you anymore because the stupidity of this band, and it's retarded, mall based, fan base is making my head hurt. Again all i have to say is FUCK THIS BAND. well fuck u! u may not like there music or beliefs but i do!!! i agree w/ EVERYTHING! the stand 4!! the thing about it is that a7x fans r diehard and dont just like them 4 stupid reasons!! and if there "ripping off music and other bands" tell me y i kno so many ppl who r ready to do anything 4 them (like myself) b/c of there music!?? and 4 ur information they dont say to go kill urself ir cut urself there one of the main reasons i dont cut myself anymore!! so if u dont like them to bad!! and ur right i will "worship" them amd always love them! infact im getting a deathbat tattoo! now if u will please shut up and go away it would really give all true a7x fans peace from the annoyance that is u! Holy shit. Did you even fucking read the shit I wrote before. To put it plain and simple for you, since you obviously need it put that way. I fucking love music, and not just one genre i'm talking music in fucking general is my passion. The reason i hate them so much is they embody everything wrong with music today. Since you seem to fairly represent their fan base, low IQ and head so far up your ass you cant tell origianl music from the shit it is ripping off even though they do it horribly, im going to say this, like what you like,I'm not bashing you for that, I'm bashing on these fucks because they are pieces of shit that, like hawthorne heights, are ruining music today. go worship a7x, and love our government or die like they say, while I enjoy the music that I like and support my beliefs which since they differ from yours you probably won't like, but I hate this band and what they do enough that i see fit to voice my opinion. ya know what if u dont like them get over it!! i dont know what ur problem is but i dont need to hear it! GET OFF THIER SITE IF U DONT LIKE THEM!!! there usic is great and is origianl (probally spelled wrong) so wutever!! u dont c me going around talking bad about other bands? y do u have a problem w/ them so much? - ERIKA They themselves have admitted to the glam rock thing and trying to be guns and roses, and im sorry thats not punk hardcore or anything punk,just really shitty pop metal hardcore and it is generic and bland. eyeshadow is not punk rock and it doesnt matter what color its still makeup and they are into their fashion and the way they look so i guess they might be fashion rock instead of glam rock but either way its crap compared to the other bands in the genres they claim to be a part of. all i have to say is fuck this band and everything they stand for. what i meant was how there music is diffrent from all the other music on today...............but to the person who is calling them glam rock you r totally wrong! glam rock was defined that b/c they were PINK EYESHADOW and BLUE LINER! and r really girly!! a7x is hardcore/punk thats y they wear black eyeliner besides if u actually listened to there music they ROCK!! A7X 4EVER! - Erika vvv tell me that was a typo or joke. what is cool about a band being apart from the crowd? bands that actually get into the energy with their fans and jump in the crowd are the fun ones. they are the true showmen or women. this is the best band EVER!! i love how they r always apart from the crowd!! this band is a joke. they are a perfect example of what is wrong with music today. they think they are glam rock and want to be guns and roses, fuck them, they act like they are fucking rockstars but will freak out if they gain a pound or mess up their make-up/hair/clothes.galm rock went out in the 80's for a reason, don't try to bring it back by mixing it with the most watered down shitty hardcore you can find. go listen to curl up and die or countervail. another flash in the pan band, this one just pisses me off, and to the person below a lot of people post anonymously because they dont have an account. but i read your profile ... this is the fucking internet people will talk shit and say whatever the fuck they want and thats what is awesome. if a band wants to get butt hurt cuz someone is talking shit about them or because someone doesn't like them they are in the wrong business. my friends band has had shit talked about them on hear and they thought it was funny cuz people talk out of their asses but you cant stop them. so go cry about it and listen to all that crap you listed as your favorite music and stop trying to be some internet badass. i will voice when i hate a band ezpecially if the reaons are strong enough to me. come on you like a7x you are all about america right? total proud to be americans. well eat my first ammendment... and go fuck yourself, cuz ill say what i want till i want and you cant do shit about it. okay person below me needs to get some balls and not post anonymously because if ur gonna write that at least fess up to it and pay the price. I LOVE THIS BAND AND IF YOU DONT THEM TOO BAD I DONT WANT TO HEAR IT! to the comment below i Would rather die than be associated with or even listen to this abomination to music. i hope this band dies. I was very happy when i got this 2 years ago, screaming was solid, singing was pretty melodic, solid band and well done songs. "Fight Paris" is way better than these guys. shit. a7x's first album was pretty good. I literally almost cried after hearing this sack of shit. WTF!? aside from the solos, everything else was a piece of crap! atreyu is way better than these posers. a7x's guitars have nothing on atreyu. ever. and their singer sucks ass now hes a faggot. these asses needs to listen to atreyu for like a week straight and then they can finally make some good records. and not this album, but city of evil is even more of a joke than this piece of shit. WTF happened to his voice? he sounds like guns and roses, one of the most homosexual bands ive ever heard! After buying their latest release, City of Evil, I was hooked. I immediately ordered Waking the Fallen from Hopeless (Priority Mail). I was so excited when it came like a little kid at Christmas that I ripped open the envelope violently, tearing an enclosed poster and sticker in half, too. But I didn't care! I had the CD at last and rushed to the stereo to play it. As expected, the CD was awesome, too...and it didn't sound exactly like the other one as most bands do anymore. A7x kicks ass. Fuck off if you dont like them. When I originally heard AX7 I knew they played some amazing music but I couldn't get past the vocals. First the screaming was hard to enjoy and I HATED the parts where he sounds like metallica; yuck... but it wasn't long before I realized how good M.Shadows screams are, and his singing voice is great it's just an aquired taste. Eventually you realize it goes perfectly with the music. I think the only real problem with this band is trying to classify them... Call it metal, punk, rock, pop, whatever you want just appreciate the quality for what it is. They'll be one of the bands I'll be looking forward to seeing at Warped Tour this summer. best band ever fuck you if you dont like them you are stupid. You obviously dont know tallent you green day listening pussies. My favourite band what else can I say My favorite band. The creativity and skill that went into this album is truely amazing. I really enjoyed this album. I haven't heard an album that has a mixture of metal, punk, & emo. "Metal" for scene kids who do not have a clue. Ditch this shit, pick up some At The Gates or something... god even DIMMU BORGIR kills this trash... Tthis is a what you call a realy great album its a nice combination metal-core whit punk only i dont like the song thats made a clip for but nothing is perfect it still is a fucking great album !! so do your thing guys !! "Honestly, when they can get someone who can sing, I'll check this band out again." "Honestly, when they can get someone who can sing, I'll check this band out again." Again I bought this album today along with the first sounding the seventh trumpet and fucking hell how I loved the second album it's just fucking heavy metal!!! i would give this album a 20 if i could but i cant so i gave it a 10.avenged sevenfold is the greatest band around now they geniuses at making music and if i had chance i would hang out with them everyday and watch all there shows but i cant so i see them when i can and whatever. i'm back again. my brother and his friend are stupid. thay hate avenged sevenfold. i take alot of smack for liking them. which is great!! although i do have to admit m. shadows beautiful singing does sound a little cheesy at times, but i still think a7x and they are the greatest band ever. pick up this months REVOLVER magazine. m. shadows is in it. and pick up Hopelessly devoted to you vol.5. it has an enhanced cd part on it that has the unholy confessions video. however my fucking computer couldn't handle the enhanced part so i couldn't watch the video. if anyone can figure out how to make it work on a windows 98, pleez let me know. rock on A7X fans!!! kick ass album. but if you hear their first album " sounding the seventh trumpet", its more punkish. i like punk and metal, but i like metal more. i've been a fan for 8 months now and if you don't own their first album yet, you suck. anyways go to wakingthefallen.com. its a fansite for A7X. not as good as the official, of course, but they update it more than the official. Best Album ever... not even anything close. At first i didnt like it because of the screaming... but if you just ignor that and listen to the music its truly unbeleivable. The guitar work is not only musically but technically speaking amazing. Every song is hit (no second heartbeat is not the only great song on the album.. (besides the intro) i'd say everything on the album is amazing). The regular sung vocals are amazing, and lyrically the band is so poetic and so dark i love it. this is the greatest album ever!!! i don't care if anyone thinks thay suck. i've been a fan for 7 months now!! great review!! this comment sounds queer This is one hell of a pile of shit dude avenged sevenfold fucking ROCKS for life fuck you guyz who ever thinks they suck your the ones who sucks 4r not likeing them!!!!!!!!!! HARDCORE METAL ROCKS a7x fuckin rocks...one of the few bands out there to be excited about! get this disc. horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible I love the guitar work (quite possibly one of my favourites of any band out there) but the vocals are so horrid it makes my spinal cord shiver in fear. I mean a7x. Opps. And the ones that dont like avenged sevenfold go fuck off. Dude, I love this CD so much. I only been to only one of there concerts and it was the best thing in the world..I fell in love with this band.! A&X 4 life! How the hell did this album get on whats supposed to be like punk album reviews? This CD barely shows any signs of punk in it. This album is a fuckload more metal-influenced than STST. You can hear some of the Swedish melo-death in here, you can hear Iron Maiden in it, random thrash that brings Pantera and Metallica to the mind, and just a short short short tad bit of punkiness, most obvious in Second Heartbeat. This isn't for punkers, this is metalcore, not punk by any means. I can see why they are disliked by quite a few on the board, this isn't punk, do not get this if you are looking for punk. And its not power-metal if you're looking for that, its just good music, and fuck you if don't like M. Shadows voice, his screaming, I call it screaming because it doesn't really sound like growling, and his clean voice isn't really power metaly, its decent. He's not a half-bad vocalist, I in fact like his vocals. I'll just say, this isn't for somebody who's looking for one type of sound, its a fusion of influences, thats done rather well. If you're looking for one type of sound, whether it be plain punk, plain power-metal, plain-thrash, you won't like this. The musicians are rather talented, as heard in the riffing, the shred solo's in Eternal Rest, Second Heartbeat, and I wont see you tonight part two, there drummer is obviously rather talented, and they have a decent vocalist. I don't like heavy metal (infact, I hate it) but I love punk rock. Would I have any reason to buy this record? (not a rhetorical question, i would appreciate an answer ;) ) ...and the hype is... avenged sevenfold sucks. Worse than the Casualties. If this is even possible. I'm so glad I found a site where people have decent grammar skills. death to false metal??? What the fuck are u talkin about??? Whoever sed that insert gun to mouth and pull the fuckin trigger. Avenged Sevenfold is the real deal. Avenged blows me away everytime i see them. The new album is amazing!!!! I cant wait to see them in 16 days! This cd blew my mind.....get it right now.....it's a mix between punk-hardcore-metal-emo-flat out great singing.....this is what music was meant to be like. i only hate kevin11 because he talks about michigan, the scumhole of the earth. i would rather not be reminded of the pieces of shit and vomit-faced cocksuckers that inhabit that worthless pockmark on america. by the way....the only reason michigan is still a state is because they manufacture (shitty) cars. in my humble opinion, i think we should throw all of the michigan-dwellers into a giant vat, melt them down, and use them as rubber for tires on decent (read: non-american) cars. and FUCK YOU if you think you are allowed to like these shitfaces because you *think* you know what metal is. this is the most disgusting shit i have EVER HEARD. these guys are the epitome of what is wrong with "punk" today. do any of you realize that they are on the "Madden 2004" football game for ps2, and have altered their lyrics for "chapter four" on the game itself??? it is THE MOST FUCKING RIDICULOUS THING I HAVE EVER HEARD. instead of "i'm coming to kill you/won't leave until you die", it's "i'm coming to tell you/won't leave unitl you try" on the game.....WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN????? FUCK THESE GUYS. FUCK HOPELESS RECS. THESE GUYS SUCK REALLY BAD....IF YOU DON'T THINK SO, YOU ARE BEING BRAINWASHED. oh, and by the way -- fuck you (really, REALLY hard) if you like them, because you are what is ruining my lifelong love for punk rock. Oh yeah, I forgot about that. haha, well it aint that bad. At least its shot creatively. Oh, and about Thrice's polititcal posing, I'm talking about their stupid radio single and music video with a bunch of fashion punks stormig a police barricade. It reminded me of something from a bad death metal video, minus the gore. Well if you're fond of a strong r-section, then you'd like the fact that the Clash's two drummers were two of the best in the history of the genre... Their second was the best. I understand everything you just said perfectly fine BSD, and to be quite honest, I dont consider any of this punk either. But I dont just like punk, I happen to like whatever the fuck this shit is called this month as well. (Although the lyrical department is SORELY lacking. Most of these bands need to try to branch out a bit) I havent heard a "punk" band in a long time. Im tempted ot say The Bronx...but there lyrics are rather self obsessed. And saying I dont like older punk is a bit of a overstatement, as I do have a thing for the Buzzcocks, but they really werent that much of a punk band either(again from a lyrical stand point). I dont really dig the older punk style at all. Actually, I really dont dig any older music now that i think about it. Actually you saying everything is "sound manipulation to a beat" really makes sense to me, as the rhythm section of the band is usually the point I pay most attention to and enjoy the most. There is no arguing that drumming has gotten more advanced over the years, and that might be why I really cant dig into older material, as it usually has a relatively simple and boring beat. But anyway, my loss or not, thats just my preferences, and unfortunately I cant get into my brainto fix them. Ill give the Clash more of a shot (as I always ment to, but never did). These vocals are terrible I think. I dig the music. He doesn't sound much like Hetfield, except on "Chapter Four" where there's a little bit of a similarity. He sounds like Axl Rose on some of the later tracks, but much better. Still he does sing power metal styled vocals as well, he doesn't go as over the top as some of the other bands, but nonetheless, the comparison remains. "Im not very much clash. I dont really know the names of the songs. Im not really into older punk. I have heard enough to know they are better then 90% of the bands that are considered "punk" today. And they are far more creative then Thrice (although, again, I love Thrice, but they arent exactly innovative). Refused on the other hand, is pretty much the embodiment of everyhting I like in music. So i like them better then the Clash. Although I guess im not really the best authourity on them to begin with, now am I?" No no no no... His clean voice is not power metal'ish in the least. Don't compare those horrible clean vocals to the likes of Lost horizon, Sonata Arctica, Hammer Fall, Freedom Call, Rhapsody, Dream Evil, Helloween, or hell, even fucking Sinergy. Im not very much clash. I dont really know the names of the songs. Im not really into older punk. I have heard enough to know they are better then 90% of the bands that are considered "punk" today. And they are far more creative then Thrice (although, again, I love Thrice, but they arent exactly innovative). Refused on the other hand, is pretty much the embodiment of everyhting I like in music. So i like them better then the Clash. Although I guess im not really the best authourity on them to begin with, now am I? This is metal. I don't care if you can buy it at Hot Topic or whatever, hell I don't even care if any shops there. I don't, but what does it even matter? The elitism coming out of metal lately wasn't something I expected, it's kind of sad really. If you buy the new Avenged Sevenfold His clean voice is just typical power metal singing, without the swordfights and dragons that usually fill those songs. If you'll scroll down, you'll see I said "Predicted score 45-0, mark it dudes" when speaking of the Michigan Central Michigan game, the score right now is 45-7. I'm just saying... Which Clash S/T songs have you heard, Green Vandal? This band is good at what they do... but the guy's clean voice is extremely grating. I own everlasting and fanning the flames of discontent. I rarely ever listen to either anymore. Yeah right. Which songs have you heard GreenVandal? Forty, correction, I fucking LOVE getting a rise out of people on this site. The best ones are when I post something and then I get 20 responses of all "dude, get your balls out your mouth faggot!" or "dude, your a faggot" or "shut up, faggot. Check the archives man, it's all there. If they only knew, if they didn't call me "faggot" or didn't say such childish things, I would just stop posting! Am I the only one who doesn't hate Kevin11? I think his reviews are funny, he obviously likes to get a rise out of you guys, and he does it very well. ....I said the Clash are better then Thrice. but I still can see how he would think that. I wont get into how, seeing as understanding someone else perspective is a lost cause with you. Fuck the lack of plus sign-workage on this site. Me BSD combine to make the "new" Wussemorock, because honestly I don't think either of us can be THAT lame by ourselves. Think about it. It's like looking for the next Michael Jordon. songs to fan the flames of discontent and everlasting are both incredible album/ep's on their own right, they might not take the direction that shape of punk to come, but they are still incredibly solid. other than that though, you have to be a fan to enjoy the rest of their work. "Yeah, thats what i was trying to say. "The Shape of Punk to come" owns everything. Too bad all the albums before it were just boring generic hardcore..." "Conclusion of these comments: Kevin11 likes balls in his mouth." Yeah, thats what i was trying to say. "The Shape of Punk to come" owns everything. Too bad all the albums before it were just boring generic hardcore... How mush is Warner Bros spending on promoting this crap while using Hopeless as a facade for the indie cred. refused are not even in thrice's league, refused has no league, refused needs no league! they destroy leagues! fhkdfksdzf! So Kevin11, you openly admit to ripping off buddyhead and I'm the idiot for not knowing this already? That's interesting. Not having your own thoughts is pretty cool because you don't have to think! fuck you, the clash rule, it doesn't matter how old they are. I think you were trying to say that thrice were better than the clash, but you didn't exactly say that. Thrice is good but goddamn the clash are fucking punk legends. The clash were the only band that mattered Conclusion of these comments: Kevin11 likes balls in his mouth. haha, ZClash, that sounds cool. Sorry BSD, times change. How about you try a different website? Or build a time machine? OR REVIEW THE SHIT YOU LIKE YOURSELF. "The Locust On the other hand, some of it is really terrible. But some of it isn't. So I guess as a whole the entire album cancels itself out. It's like it was never there. But you all are forgetting about how on the 2nd song on the Streetlight Manifesto there is like 3 seconds of metal. This record is starting to grow on me; it's pretty much straight up metal stuff; but I started out listening to punk and old Metallica anyway, so perhaps it's appealing to some nostalgic part of me. i like the album...really, i do. but doesn't it come across (esp. lyrically) as really cheesy??? almost like a spinal tap? this is definitely my pick for worst album of 2003. goddamn, what a pile of fucking shit! Oh, I forgot. I was thinking that Eddie guy. You're the guy who reviews the worst of the current scene... And what the fuck does a right wing news magazine have to do with me? Death by Stereo as well, you know, that really poppy band...! BSD, you're sort of like the Bill O' Reilly of the site, and yes, I cover sooo much pop punk. Here is a list of pop punk bands i have reviewed. Oh yeah, and props out to FortyMinutesWest, cos even though I think the majority of his taste in music sucks, at least he submited the two best new reviews. As far as I'm concerned, this is a music review site. Reviewers often write crappy reviews, sometimes good ones. must take credit for all tampon related comments i write... this thread reminds me of american gladiators where the fought each other with those giant tampons. that was cool. you know what, youre exactly write. "b. because you think were going to accept you (contrary to your beliefs, we're not)" *Clang* "Except Wuss likes Simple Plan. I like good bands, and i'm much wittier in person I assure you." They are quite possibly the worst band oh sorry, youre right, i meant on the contrary kevin11, thriceequalsgod spends the majority of his time sitting on his ass in florida and writing shitty reviews while pissing people off in his attempts to replace hitler as the most hated man alive or dead, aside from his common acitivities of throwing out cliches and sweeping generalizations based on no grounds towards both internet users and bands alike. oh, did i mention the SWEEPING GENERALIZATIONS? hey kevin11, you're name should be "GayMPM" you sack of shit. "I dunno....Wuss occasionally had smart comments. This guy just makes me want to kill someone." I dunno....Wuss occasionally had smart comments. This guy just makes me want to kill someone. "keven11: 0" "I didn't think it was possible, but Kevin11 is the new WussEmoRock. This band is fucking badass. I still prefer Mastadon over these guys, but I guess it could be considered apples & oranges to some. I still can't wait to see these guys with the Suicide Machines this fall. This record rocks, and sounds like a cross between In Flames, Queen, and what St. Anger SHOULD have sounded like. Unreal. If you have the last album and havent' heard the new one, I can only describe it as a HUGE step forward in every way. Better production, better songwriting, airtight playing, jaw-dropping vocals ... All I can say is wow. great album. totally won me over on the first listen. heard some from the last one, but wasn't hooked. these guys are the fuckin' shit. punk rock meets dream theater. never thought it could be done (and done well) but this band has accomplished it. Avenged Sevenfold rules. Period. This album owns. "I didn't think it was possible, but Kevin11 is the new WussEmoRock. |
