Avenged Sevenfold - Waking the Fallen

Avenged Sevenfold
Waking the Fallen
Hopeless Records
Grade: A-

I was never smitten about the previous material I had heard from Avenged Sevenfold - as limited as that may have been. I found their previous release on Hopeless Sounding the Seventh Trumpet less than stellar. Yet, as a swath of positive news flooded the music literature - most notably, Rolling Stone calling their performance one of the best on the Warped tour - I was interested in whether this latest release would change my priors on this five-piece from Southern California. Both visually and in audio, Avenged Sevenfold present an image of goth hardcore punk - yet, more surprising is the number of metal riffs that are incorporated in the album's twelve tracks. Clearly, then, there are comparisons to AFI. Also, like AFI, Avenged Sevenfold have advanced and matured over the years to become a stellar group. The metal connection is further endorsed by the fact the record is almost 70 minutes along due to the six to seven-minute song average. Hence, all the songs are journeys in their own right and to truly decipher them will take a long time on the part of the listener. Even though I have listened to the record - in pieces and in whole - numerous times, it never gets old and becomes increasingly difficult to nail down a single characterization. One of the lasting features on the record is the tremendous use of double guitars in every possible manner - including doubling sections for strength, octave building, muting mixed with solos and pure speed metal. Though some may be turned off by the goth element of the band, you cannot deny their talent and the immense effort exerted on this record. Avenged Sevenfold should find marvelous success from Waking the Fallen, propelling them to the forefront of hardcore punk music. They will be join similar minded bands this fall on the Take Action Tour.