There was a scary 3-6 month period for a few thousand black clad, sad looking waifish teenagers...
When Jimmy THE REVEREND Sullivan passed away suddenly in December 2009, and the band disappeared from their pre-production schedule to deal with the devastation of losing not only one of their member, but their brother - their blood, their family - the world looked especially bleak and unknown for the legion of fans who followed their every travail and movement...
Here we are, 6 months later, and the new opus from the AVENGED SEVENFOLD stable on the shelves, and what do we know?
Well... We know that alongside METALLICA - one of the two bands A7X most heavily lean upon for inspiration (the other being G'n'R) - that a loss in the family could have led to the demise of what was promising to be one of the best bands of its genre in the past 20 years, but instead led to the self same band coming out of the blocks, more focussed, sharper and aimed at the very pinnacle of the world of rock.. We learnt that the stuff these guys are made of is sterner than most, and we learnt that M Shadows, the erstwhile marmite frontman of A7X - when put in a corner - can perform way better than those he emulates so heavily, and much more effectively when he has more than success and gold grills to think about... When pushed, admittedly by a horrible loss, and a pain i cannot begin to fathom, M Shadows and the rest of A7X have in them the future of rock - and not even the glory of Metallica, G'n'R, Anthrax and even the Mighty Sabbath can touch them...
We learn that behind the fancy tattoos and the stupid clothing endorsements, and the silly fake gold teeth - that this is a band who have it in them to be the best ever....
NIGHTMARE, though lyrically born of loss and the death of a family member, is musically a triumph of patience and tone as it is for memory and remembrance - no doubt the majority of the album was written when Sullivan was still with us - but his loss has meant an extra attention and care has been taken in making it the best it could possibly be... Synyster Gates making solos look like childs play on the great advance single and album title track NIGHTMARE, and the rythym of Zacky Vengeance on Buried Alive (the most Metallica sounding song on the album - sounding like it could have come from JUSTIVE FOR ALL) a thing of immense power and beauty - even when the heavy comes out...Similarly, having to step in and fill the boots of founder member and heart of the Band The Rev himself - Jeff Portnoy, of Dream Theater fame, takes the job with aplomb, paying Rev's drum tracks - Pre-Produced by the Rev himself, and adding to them a sparkle and a shine only the DT man could... coupled with the rumble and doom of Johnny Christs bass... This is an album that takes everything to the Nth degree of what you know it would have been had Rev not passed away...
The most startling thing on the whole album though, and deserving of the majority of the kudos - and believe me, after listening to this kudos is due in several directions, for countless things - M Shadows walks away with the most deserving plaudits...
A vacalist who splits opinion like few others, he neither has the looks to be the new David Coverdale, nor the Attitude to be Axl Rose, neither does he have the character that explodes from every pore of the Mighty Hetfield (tm) - what he does have though, and what he uses to great advantage - is the backing of a band who would die for him every night - and with the tragedy that has transpired and the support of his surrogate family - he takes the job of lyrical centre and face of the band in this instance, and molds a new character that sidesteps comparisons with his peers, and sees him branching out and taking babysteps toward his own person, purely and simply, he is arevelation on each and every track of Nightmare - taking the job of minstrel remebering his fallen brother and writing thoughtful and provoking, emotional lyrics that both raise a glass to the past and those we have lost, and point the finger toward a new dawn and a future this band are yet to draft...
Nightmare has done what i thought would be impossible... and converted me into a A7X fan. Before, i was casual, transcient, i listened but paid no attention, dismissing the band as a guns and roses tribute act... now, respect, respect and more respect....
Thaks to a stunning album, written by a band who have taken steps out of the gimmicky wilderness they used to inhabit, and into a future of pure, boistrous brilliance...
The Rev is gone...
Long Live the Rev...
And Long Live A7X.
Well done fellas...
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