Hail to the King

It has been three long years for fans of Avenged Sevenfold since the critically-acclaimed album 'Nightmare' soared to success in the summer of 2010, and since then the band, consisting of M.Shadows (vocals), Synyster Gates (lead guitar), Zacky Vengeance (rhythm guitar), Johnny Christ (Bass) and Arin Illejay (Drums) have been tucked away, writing and recording the much anticipated 'Hail To The King', Nightmare's successor. Streaming now through iTunes just a short week from its release, it seems as though the boys are anxious to see their fans reaction, delivering their first album without the aide of Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan, who tragically passed away in 2009, and with the addition of the newest member, Arin Illejay. And despite the fan's intial reactions to the prospect of change in the classic Avenged sound, the Huntington Beach natives return with an explosion of a brand new album.

Shepherd's Of Fire

With the sound of rain falling on concrete ground, an ominous bell echoes out across your eardrums, a distorted guitar riff roared out by Synyster Gates leads the group firmly into the introductory track of the album. As the heavy, gritty thud of Johnny Christ’s bass echoes through the build-up of guitar riffs provided by rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance and pounding drum rolls that are suspiciously similiar to Metallica's 'Enter Sandman', courtesy of newbie Arin Illejay, it leads firmly into a punching groove, the track layering up until M.Shadows announces their firm return with a growl of ‘let’s take a moment and break the ice’.

Almost immediately we see Matt taking the role of the title ‘Shepherd of Fire’, which poses a direct correlation to the devil, his lyrics speaking of brief temptation for a lifetime of entrapment, most prominent during the second verse of the song in which he coaxes ‘Well I can promise you paradise/No need to serve on your knees /And when you're lost in the darkest of hours/Take a moment and tell me who you see’. As introduction tracks go, it seems to build up to the second track and the lead single, slipping the listener firmly into the mood of the entire record.

Hail To The King

Almost immediately, the Metallica influence comes raging through the beginning of the track, with Syn taking the lead once again and beckoning the listener in with his repeated six note triplet riff. Simplicity seems to be the key with this particular track, with the drums quickly joining the lead before the rhythm and bass comes leaping in, laying down the foundations for Shadows to quickly threat ‘Watch your tongue/I’ll have it cut from your head’. Amidst the musical influence from the likes of Pantera, Metallica, Guns N Roses, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, a clear Game of Thrones theme of war, military and monarchy is brought through on this track, paired with the newly released music video, depicting images of an almost medieval nature.

With a roaring solo that is always expected of Syn, he incorporates a blues feel to a metal piece on top of a punching rhythm track, something that could be considered a lot more simplistic than most A7X fans are used to. However, it’s the simplicity that win them favour, as the track is clearer and a lot easier on the listener, rather than throwing various tracks of sound at them left, right and centre. Though it doesn’t quite represent the rest of the album as well as the band might have hoped, Hail To The King has enough fire to it to spark the interest of the listener, leading them directly into the world they have created.

Doing Time

The beginning reminded me almost instantly of a hyped up Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones, especially with the dissonant chords and clashing notes of the guitars. Shadows’ laughter and spoken word at the beginning of the track brings back a flavour of their self-titled effort, as well as mixing in elements of classic Pantera tracks ‘Cowboys From Hell’ (‘we’re taking over this town’) and ‘This Love’ (‘I’d kill you for myself’) , especially with the slight twang of his accent. I love the groove, which seems less for moshing and a little more for dancing.

The pulse that Arin provides with his drumming certainly has the head banging and the feet tapping, along with the roar of Shadows’ eventual realisation that ‘Everyone’s doing their time’. Though whether that be in a metaphorical prison or what we like to consider freedom will be firmly trapped in his mind. Doing Time defiantly has all of the elements of the big anthems in rock and roll, even incorporating elements from a slightly softer/poppier side of rock and then incorporating those themes into metal music, which is pretty hard to do. Matt’s lower vocals can be compared to Axl Rose in this track, containing the same edge to it and yet managing to show off an almost bluesy vocal tone, something that is a refreshing change from the constant roar that A7X fans might be used to of the frontman with lungs of steel.

This Means War

The opening has the infamous guitar duelling returning for first time more prominently than the first three tracks, however, it completely throws the listener off course for the main body of the song. As a few ghostly drum beats lead you into an explosion of noise, the familiar twang of the guitar riff that was first given to fans via the band’s website when their first teaser was released, echoes through, along with pounding drums that are not only reminiscent of Lars Ulrich, but carry a familiar flavour of previous Avenged drum tracks. Again, I adore the groove to this one, purely because it reminds me of people going to war and of marching soldiers, affirmed by Shadows as he cries out ‘I can’t go on this way/not as I am today’.

‘This Means War’ is probably the most bad ass sounding track on the whole record, purely because it’s got that kind of rhythm that makes you bang your head and tap your foot at the same time. Much like the verse of ‘Welcome To The Family’ and the riff of AC/DC’s ‘Back In Black’, the song merely makes you want to walk as sinisterly as you can through a deserted street. As they’ve been absent for the last few tracks, the guitar harmonics are back with a vengeance and they sound as amazing as ever, supporting Matt’s vocals as well as standing out amongst them. Personally, I think this has the most powerful lyrics, almost as though we’re slaves to the earth and we’re being lead to war by this track. The guys really tackle the issue head on with an anthem this big.

Requiem

This in particular was one of the few tracks that I was extremely excited to hear, especially after Syn described each track during an interview. The Latin chanting choir at the beginning really sets the scene, and though the melody sounds slightly like ‘O Fortuna’, it certainly increases the dramatic tension in the track, dragging the listener firmly by the throat into what feels like the middle of a war zone. Almost as soon as the guitars come rolling in after the chanting, the classical influences suddenly come roaring into the record, something that it has been stripped of for the first four tracks. If anything, the melody is also an ode to Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’, especially Syn’s flowing guitar behind Zacky's meaty animal of a guitar riff.

I like to think that it reminds me of some kind of warped waltz, especially with the ¾ timing. In each track so far there’s been a sense of war and anger, bringing you closer to an inevitable fight, however Requiem shows off a slightly more fearful side, with Shadows’ lyrics becoming almost religious as he pleads ‘Oh One, save me/Caress my weary eyes’ before he seems to pray to a higher deity, ‘Darkest Lord/Your mercy shall I gain/Strike the match/Engulf the earth in flames’. Though there is no clarification whether he is speaking to God or to another deity, Shadows’ vocals are the most powerful element of the song, as the rest of the band are almost overshadowed by the racing orchestra. Though the use of the choir is something that Avenged have used before, the deep vocals of prayer and promise during the bridge, that again are reminiscent of Pantera, and the orchestra almost make it like a moment of vulnerability in the middle of the album. For this track in particular, Shadows is to be commended for his vocal work, a particular highlight of this song.

Crimson Day

Firstly, I love the baritone guitar at the beginning, a feat that certainly reminds of the introductions to ‘One’ and ‘Enter Sandman’. I was extremely excited to hear this, especially with Syn explaining that it was about his nephew during a similar interview. ‘The sun came out and brought you through’ immediately affirms that during the slow beginning of the track. If anything, the hint of Syn’s backing vocals echoing with the slightly softer lead vocals from Shadows, adds a whole new dynamic to the track that hasn't quite been explored before. As with Requiem, this seems to be an ode towards family and the vulnerability of Shadows and perhaps some of the other band members.

With the rest of the tracks leading up to this particular moment in the record being rather heavy and forward, Crimson Day brings the tone right back down again into an almost lullaby of a track, much like 'So Far Away' was for Nightmare. The solo work as always, is incredible, and I have to commend both Syn and Zacky on this track in particular for their guitar work, which is especially creative on this particular track. Matt’s vocals, also known as quite gritty and heavy, come back down to a weakness that we’ve only ever heard on tracks like 'Tonight The World Dies', 'Fiction', 'Gunslinger' and many others in the bands repertoire. The strings add quite the dramatic touch to the piece, much as they did with many of the tracks in the bands back catalogue, however it is the guitar work that stands out the most, heralding all of the traits to carry a classic anthem to the masses.

Heretic

As the slight weakness of Heretic’s predecessor fades away, the thick licks of guitar are suddenly brushed through into another powerful track, bringing the atmosphere to a whole new level. This track brings the tone right up with another groove packed beat, leaving Arin’s steady, bouncing rhythms and Johnny’s growling beast of a bass to back up Matt on the verses, letting the guitars take a back seat for the most part in order to let the rhythm section get their well-deserved moment in the spotlight. The silence of the guitars is almost welcomed rather than missed, very much enunciating their philosophy of stripping the music down. There’s less of a wall of noise and more of a carefully crafted song where each part of the clog has been considered and written with.

The lyrics clearly have a theme of death and apocalyptic nature within them, with Shadows describing a mystery group of people who are baying for blood, the singer becoming the protagonist of the song as he tells of how ‘My flesh will feed the demon, no trial no case for reason/I been chosen to pay with my life’. Merely an innocent man being sent to his death. The addition of an acoustic guitar in the bridge also brings back the classical influences, but I think it adds a new level of dimension to it. With Syn’s pounding solo, which could be along the lines of ‘Afterlife’ with its complexity and sheer insanity, the harmonic guitars that take you all the way back to City Of Evil with their riffing and the ever present showmanship of the group as a whole, the track shows a little of the old A7X in a brand new format.

Coming Home

The one thing that probably put me off slightly at the beginning was the reverb with the guitar, but I can look past it. It slightly ruined the effect that the piece was trying to create, but as soon as it had disappeared, the song clambered back up to its high standard. Upon glancing at the title, I had expected to hear a track somewhere along the lines of ‘Dear God’, a lament of the times that the band themselves spent travelling the world, taking them away from their families. And that itself can be taken into account when listening to the lyrics, but unlike the flowing cutesy country chords of the aforementioned track, ‘Coming Home’ deals with the slightly negative side of that kind of life, the minor key and Shadows’ snarling lyrics during the verses a sign of that as he tells of ‘searching for a reason, another purpose to find’ ‘I’ve sailed the seas, fought my many demons’, perhaps a nod towards dealing with the passing of The Rev and the sinister side of touring without having him there.

Arin in particular has to be commended for his drum work in particular on this track, especially with his use of the cymbals in the beginning. I’m not a drummer myself, but I know a good rhythm when I hear one. With the direction of the four long lasting members of Avenged directing him, Arin has certainly stepped up to the plate when it comes to performing for this particular record and though he will not be quite the same as Jimmy was, he is certainly creating an amazing sound. I think personally this was probably my least favourite track on the record, purely because it doesn’t quite have the same kind of punch in the face attitude that the earlier tracks possessed. Despite that, it is still a track worth listening to. If only for the ripping guitar solo that Syn seems intent on providing on every single track and the spiky lyrics of dealing with personal demons, something many people can connect to.

Planets

Now I understand where the Star Wars references were coming from. Almost immediately, the sound of power in Zacky’s rhythm guitar and joined by Arin’s artillery drums and an almost Bullet For My Valentine-esque riff from Syn, backed up by strings to slowly build up the tension of the song until the rhythm explodes with changing keys until it reaches the point of the vocal entry. There seems to be a recurring sense of a war zone amongst each track and I believe that Planets would be the fight itself, especially with the lyrics of destruction and anarchy described over the pounding guitars. Snippets of the bridge’s harmonics, layered with Mr Bungle-esque brass and dramatic strings to fit in with the guitars triplets have another nod towards ‘The Imperial March’ with the battle cry of ‘Planets collide!’ that ends each chorus.

Through his lyrics, Shadows seems to be foreshadowing some kind of event, heeding his warning to the world, growling that ‘mother of all, your time is coming’. As the keys swiftly change from one to the other throughout the song, there is an increasing sense of urgency as the tracks move forward, accentuated by the orchestra, almost as though the world is crumbling around us. One of the many things I love about this album is its ability to take you on a complete journey of a story in just ten tracks, something that Planets does extremely well. The orchestral influence, as much as it was on ‘Requiem’, has a huge impact on the feel of the song and as the metal of the guitars, drums and bass are infused with the orchestral brass, woodwind and strings, it creates a new kind of balance between the two genres that has rarely been seen by other groups.

Acid Rain

As a closer, the piano at the beginning certainly brings to mind a flavour of Elton John, and sets up the scene for the piece as almost a goodbye to something, the mournful chords and the slight inversion of the minor key setting the mood for the final track. As for the sound of wind blowing, it brings about a sense of complete destruction, the post-war aftermath. With the orchestra building up the main rhythm, the simple waltz-drums and Syn’s solo guitar, it creates a beautiful ending to an amazing album. Personally, this track has to be my favourite out of the whole album, purely because of its mixture of elements all colliding together to create a beautiful piece of music.

‘So don’t shed a tear now/be thankful for the time'.

Matt’s vocals are sensitive and yet powerful at the same time, almost a farewell to the album that they have created. Beneath the lyrics, I like to think that there is some kind of personal meaning to all of them, seeing as they’ve all had to say goodbye to the genius that was Jimmy Sullivan in 2009. 'We've come so far’, Shadows sings and as he promises ‘you will always be my heart’ his choice of words could point specifically towards their fallen hero, or perhaps to his family. ‘Not even stars last forever’. What I particularly adore about this song is that the guitars take a back seat once again and it is very much an orchestral piece with military drums and a gorgeous vocal line that really shows off the richness and tone of Matt’s voice. I have to say, Syn’s solo here is the most melodic, much like the ending of ‘Danger Line’, he takes the notes and turns them into something almost soothing. These men certainly know how to craft a song to end an album and personally, this is one of my favourites, ending with the same rain and wind sounds that the beginning echoed. It brought tears to my eyes to hear this track and it has already proved to me that Avenged Sevenfold have possibly made one of the best albums of their career.

Always known for their experimental, take no prisoners and have no fear attitudes towards creating albums, Avenged Sevenfold’s ‘Hail To The King’ was always going to be the marmite of their career. There would be some fans who would continue to pine for the Waking The Fallen days, for the complexities of City Of Evil to be brought right back into 2013. However, in this writer’s opinion, Avenged Sevenfold have grown for the better.

With the pounding kick in the teeth of ‘Doing Time’ and ‘This Means War’ reflected with the vulnerable cries for help in ‘Requiem’ and ‘Acid Rain’, they make the perfect balance between destruction and revolution. The Avenged Sevenfold fanbase are often divided on many subjects, whether it be certain band member’s choice of haircut or the brand new sound they are boasting, but this writer has a feeling that this record might just be the thing to unite us as a family once again.

Hail To The King will be released on August 25th in Australia and Europe, August 26th in the United Kingdom and August 27th in the US. Tour dates are for the rest of 2013 are available on the band's website.