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by Tony Pascarella Published: June 24, 2005
Shock rock was a term used to describe 70's and 80's bands that pushed the envelope of what music listeners were used to. Artists like KISS, Ozzy Osbourne, and Alice Cooper did as the phrase implied, shocking the industry. It's very rare in this day and age that "shock rock" is used; with all the subcategorizing, nothing is even "rock" anymore. Enough with my ranting, though; Avenged Sevenfold is a 2005 embodiment of what the creators of the term imagined. City Of Evil is their strongest album to date, as they push their over-the-top persona to the absolute max. Avenged Sevenfold Is: M. Shadows (Vocals) Synyster Gates (Lead Guitar) Zacky Vengeance (Guitar) Johnny Christ (Bass) The Reverend (Drums) Avenged Sevenfold (referred to as A7X for short) hails from Huntington Beach, California. Their earlier work might fall a little more in the post-hardcore genre, but City Of Evil is darkly rooted in heavy metal. They released Sounding The Seventh Trumpet in 2001 and the very solid Waking The Fallen two years later. They return in 2005 with the near-concept album City Of Evil, having dropped the screaming element of their music. That's right--if you liked A7X's screamo, it's nonexistent on this record; in my opinion, the lack of screaming is essential to the success of this album. Okay, I admit it. I have a very short attention span. Some say I have ADD with music, and I'd probably agree with them. Generally, I have a very difficult time listening to lengthy songs of more than five minutes with any consistency. That's probably part of why bands such as The Mars Volta don't appeal to me. However, Avenged Sevenfold's 11-track, 72-minute epic, City Of Evil doesn't fit that mold at all. The shortest song clocks in at 4:58, and the longest upward of nine minutes. I'm trying to get away from track-by-track reviews, but I feel that some albums really need them, City Of Evil being one of them. "Beast and the Harlot" leads off the album with one hell of a punch. A jamming guitar/drumming combination leads into M. Shadows' sinister vocals. He references a bit of Satanism and mythology in some of the most vivid lyrics I've heard out of a metal song in a long time. The verses are preceded by flourishing riffs, something that Avenged Sevenfold has no problem letting loose with. "Burn It Down" kicks off in a big way with The Reverend's pummeling drumming. A whining guitar chord picks up just before Shadows launches into a well-executed hyperbolic song. This is the previously mentioned shortest track on the album at just under five minutes. "Blinded In Chains" is an aggressive Iron Maiden-esque song. Vocally, M. Shadows declines to use what some might refer to as his whining voice, which really supports the raw power of "Blinded In Chains." Synyster Gates does a stellar job on guitar here, helping to prove just how great A7X is with the technical aspect of their music. The song itself slacks off toward the end; it loses a little something energy-wise and doesn't stay interesting throughout. It's still a nice cut, though. "Bat Country" is about the closest that M. Shadows ventures to screaming on City Of Evil. I love the vocals on this one actually; they're so artificially extravagant that they just won't leave your mind. The next really awesome song is no further than track five, "Trashed and Scattered." From the superb chord progression to the sing-along vocals, this song is Avenged Sevenfold at their finest. This one is catchy but not too hard; light fare for the heavy metal fan. "Seize The Day" might be best referred to as a ballad. It combines solid keyboarding in the background with a soothing melody. Yes, A7X can be soothing. The song itself isn't the strongest in their repertoire, and toward the end it gets a little boring, but they capture a jam-metal aura that I really enjoy. "Sidewinder" is a thunderously-introed track that settles into a long groove session that unfortunately falls flat for a good portion of the song. Toward the end, they infuse a Spanish guitar sound that is absolutely unexpected and well-received. "The Wicked End" is another riff-happy crowd-pleaser that eventually ends up bringing in an orchestra during the latter half--just to mix things up a bit. "Strength Of The World" starts with slow finger picking on an acoustic guitar, before evolving slowly and methodically into almost the death theme of a Western. This nine-minute masterpiece flows beautifully, being broken up by chugging riffs and gruff, shouted vocals at times. It combines just the right amount of finesse with a touch of force, which is really indicative of the album as a whole. "Betrayed" is a more ambient song, with a guitar riff that at times seems to have a mind of its own. The problem with "Betrayed" is that it really doesn't seem to offer a whole lot beyond the whole metal ballad tag. Heavy on metaphors, the lyricism isn't bad; surprisingly M. Shadows doesn't pawn them off as laughable, which could happen with just about any other singer behind the mike. The closer to City Of Evil, "M.I.A." is slow to begin. Over time it builds into a thrashy sound replete with killer drumming from The Reverend. While it may not completely appeal to you right away, "M.I.A." will grow on you little by little. It flows vocally very well and Synyster Gates lays down--what else?--some great riffs. I hate being proved wrong. I said that Darkest Hour was the metal album to beat for 2005. As much as Darkest Hour kicked ass, Avenged Sevenfold kicks things that I didn't even know existed. I have absolutely no qualms about claiming that Synyster Gates is one of the best lead guitarists in modern music. Avenged Sevenfold takes their music seriously, even surpassing technical experts Dillinger Escape Plan on this release. City Of Evil is a metal album for the ages. If you're even remotely a fan of any metal written prior to 1990, this is for you. If you love A7X, the lack of screaming might take a while to get used to, but it's a marked difference. If you just want to check out one of the most solid all-around releases I've heard in 2005, go pick up City Of Evil right now. 
Recommendation: This is a definite buy. Genre: Metal Overall Grade: A (95%) |
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