Band: Avenged Sevenfold
Album: Diamonds in the Rough
Rating: 3 out of 5
Avenged Sevenfold is back with a new 11-track CD and a DVD of the band live in Long Beach, Calif. The album features remixed versions of their hit singles, “Almost Easy” and “Afterlife,” although they don’t sound much different from the original versions.
The songs all have the same metal sound and heavy electric guitar riffs from lead guitarist Synyster Gates that the band is known for, and after a while, the songs all tend to sound the same. Avenged Sevenfold’s lyrics don’t contain anything of importance, just the same old talk about how tough the band is, the party life and, of course, girls.
In the song “Girl I Know,” lead singer M. Shadows mentions “a girl he knows who comes alive when you take off her clothes” and “is more comfortable on her knees.” Aside from the fact that this completely degrades women, it is hard to hear Shadows over the loud guitars.
The song “Walk” has the band chanting about respect, with Shadows singing off key until the chorus starts. In five minutes, there are only two versus leaving the rest to be filled with more guitar solos and Shadows having the audacity to call someone else a punk.
The DVD is just as comical. Shadows throws around the f-word like it is going out of style, and begs girls to throw theirs bras onstage to make Gates feel better about himself.
Three songs in, Shadows complains that his voice is sore so he has an audience member come onstage to sing a song while he stands there.
Overall, Avenged Sevenfold failed to put out anything worth buying, which is sad for a band that has been around this long. Hopefully the band learns from their mistakes and gives us better lyrics and music on their next CD.
Reach the reporter at natasha.karaczan@asu.edu.
