Avenged Sevenfold for Prog Metal

Mr ProgFreak wrote: Bradley Hall knows something about music ... he felt the need to say this about the new release: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mZH7rTXaaQ&list=WL&index=11&ab_channel=BradleyHall

So I think it's time for the evaluation. I think the band should be looked at, initially, for progressive metal, but I wouldn't be opposed for a post/experimental metal evaluation, either. If it were possible to directly evaluate for Prog Related, I would submit them for that instead. Obviously, if they aren't accepted for prog metal, then please evaluate them for Prog Related. Their newest album, Life Is but a Dream frequently gets compared to Muse due to the experimental nature of the music. I would also put them in the Muse/Queen realm of prog, for the most part.

Bio: Avenged Sevenfold is an American metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. Throughout their entire career, M. Shadows has been the band's vocalist, providing both clean and harsh vocals, when necessary, and Zacky Vengeance has been their rhythm guitarist. In 2001, Synyster Gates joined the band as their lead guitarist, and Johnny Christ has been their bassist since 2002. Founding member, The Rev, the band's drummer from 1999 until 2009, unfortunately died in 2009. Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater played the drums for the band's 2010 album, Nightmare, and Arin Ilejay played the drums from 2011-2015. Brooks Wackerman has been the band's drummer since 2015.

Avenged Sevenfold is a band that has explored many styles. Originally rooted in a punk-laden Metalcore sound, the band gravitated towards a more traditional sounding heavy metal style during their career's popular height. For the most part, the band has always incorporated elements for prog into their sound, occasionally even playing straight progressive metal; however, in 2016, the band became a full-fledged progressive metal band with the release of their album, The Stage. In 2023, with the release of their album Life Is but a Dream..., they've gravitated towards an avant-garde metal sound, on top of their prog. Since 2005, the band has frequently been referred to as an alternative metal band, as well as a hard rock band, and even sometimes a "pop metal" band due to the accessible nature of their music, which emphasizes rock and metal cliches, the use of palm-muted guitar playing, and a more lighthearted, hookier approach to music than for what most traditional metals bands are known; however, they've always employed different degrees of experimentation within their music.

Collectively, their music has sold over 8 million copies around the world. Guitar World has ranked Synyster Gates as the 9th best guitarist of all time.

https://www.avengedsevenfold.com/
https://m.facebook.com/AvengedSevenfold
https://m.youtube.com/user/avengedsevenfold



Edited by bardberic - June 27 2023 at 08:33

Edited by bardberic - June 27 2023 at 10:06

Gordy wrote: UMUR wrote: Most of their post-metalcore albums include progressive ideas. I remember when I first heard City of Evil, thinking that some of the tracks were defintely prog-related. As far as I know they´ve since made both less progressive tinged albums, and more progressive tinged albums. The reviews I´ve read of the new album all indicate some progressive tendencies. ^This. I was always partial to "Burn It Down", the single I first heard on Headbangers Ball, with its distinctly proggy moments. This was around the time System of a Down miraculously put out a pop-progressive metal song which landed on the charts ("B.Y.O.B.") and Slipknot found similar success with "Vermilion", post-metal-pop. A fun time for adventurous music-lovers who also happened to listen to pop radio, like me. Thanks for the thought-out biography. I think AS stand an excellent chance in Related more than anywhere else on PA, but I've never found it clear to whom I should send the request.

On the metal charts. Give us some time and patience and we'll have opinions as soon as possible.

siLLy puPPy wrote: No idea why this band gets so much hate and has such low ratings across the board. The new album is 100% progressive. Hope they make the cut. Great direction this band has turned without losing that alt metal edge. The album "The Stage" is also a nice mix of prog metal and thrash metal.

I will soon start a thorough dive into their new album and their discography for the long weekend. I will probably be the slowest of the team to come to a conclusion while I give them a deep listen.

Edited by Gordy - July 01 2023 at 20:51

siLLy puPPy wrote: ^ only the latest two albums would count as prog. Early stuff was melodic metalcore and then they switched to a mix of alt metal and heavy metal

^ Yep. The fact that they STILL haven't included Between the Buried and Me to this day - despite the fact that they released a 100% prog metal, non-"core" album like Coma Ecliptic - speaks volumes about their inclusion/exclusion process. Other artists not included: Avenged Sevenfold, Five Finger Death Punch (who I don't like, but they're still clearly metal), Suicide Silence, Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Porcupine Tree (whose later albums are clearly prog metal), Tool, and many others. Oh, and Meshuggah are only included because of their first album. Absolutely f**king mental. 

Edited by Necrotica - July 02 2023 at 00:28

TBC, there‘s obviously a lot of metal riffing on later PT releases, but IMHO even these are still more rock than metal.