Avenged Sevenfold
Nightmare

THE REVIEW

I find myself reviewing one of the most loved and at the same time most hated bands in the modern rock and metal scene. There’s nothing to do: the four Californian guys have grown up, they had to overcome the painful and heartbreaking loss of their friend and then drummer, The Rev; they embarked on a path of artistic maturation that led them to modify their sound and yet to evolve... but they are still not taken seriously. Many forget that we are dealing with a band that has been active for more than ten years, yet no member is over 29 years old..

And yet there are many who criticize them beyond their music, stopping at the persona and not the artist, the appearance and not the substance of a group that doesn’t improvise music... The business around this band is undeniable and causes many rockers or metalheads to wrinkle their noses as they can hardly tolerate their predisposition to success and spotlight... And it couldn’t be otherwise given the recent sales figures that amaze.

I then try to put myself in the shoes of a fierce detractor and do not deny that there can be different reasons for criticism: excessively melodic choruses, Mr. Shadows' nasal voice that may not be pleasing... often syrupy choirs and falsettos... But I urge you to look further. Meanwhile, we should be happy to see some healthy rock in American charts dominated by pop and hip hop..

Because the single "Nightmare", as effective and impactful as it is, is not that digestible, indeed I’d say that it’s a good punch to the stomach supported by a production that saying excellent is an understatement... I was struck by the maturation of this Band... Everything is perfectly connected; in the past, some tracks were a jumble of poorly connected ideas that often puzzled the listener... Surely I won’t have convinced most, but I ask you to listen to this CD as if you were a blank page, without preconceptions..

And let’s give them a chance, in my opinion, they truly deserve it!!!!!!