Band: Avenged Sevenfold
Release: Hail To The King (Album)
Release Date: 26/08/2013
Metallica. One of, if not the most influential metal band of all time. A little slice of the American quartet can be found in every record that has been released since 1986 (post-Master Of Puppets), but recently their influence has been taken a little too far. Trivium nearly ruined their soaring reputation with one copycat record, while Bullet For My Valentine are rapidly becoming a dumbed-down, Welsh version. Now, We-want-to-be-Metallica syndrome has infected Californian rockers Avenged Sevenfold on their latest album ‘Hail to the King‘.
As previously said, all records have a little bit of ‘Tallica in them and Avenged Sevenfold have been no different. ‘Waking the Fallen‘ and even the more recent self-titled record are dedications in their own right, but still remain grounded in Sevenfold’s home turf. Yet, opener ‘Shepherd of Fire’ is boarding on cheap imitation with the slow, chugging pace of the verses and basic drumming that lack the drive to successfully pull it off.
For a glimpse, the introduction to ‘This Means War’ reminds you of the kind of leads Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates are capable of unleashing, yet it soon reverts back to this laboured chugging for the remaining 5 and a half minutes. The same applies to ‘Requiem’ and pretty much any other track on the record, now we come to think of it.
‘Heretic’, on the other hand, has far more of the Sevenfold style that is tried and tested. It’s dark, mysterious aspects are reminiscent of their ‘Sounding the Seventh Trumpet‘ days (minus the screaming), while the solo is a fresh revisit to the ‘City of Evil‘. There’s not enough like it though and that becomes more and more frustrating with each play.
This kind of style does pay off. The likes of Metallica and Iron Maiden are headlining major festivals all over the world, year-in-year-out and they can’t carry on forever. So maybe Avenged Sevenfold just want a piece of the action, which is fair enough, but it’s unlikely to please those poor souls who made the decision to brand their chest with the Deathbat a few years ago.
5/10
Reviewer: Matt Borucki
