Even amongst a vintage generation in metalcore, this stands out as a track still ready to spin you headlong into a circle-pit. Shepherd Of Fire was an album opener that promised stadia were there for the taking. Throwing gasoline on the hellfire and brimstone of their early work, a chorus of groaning brass and tolling bells bursts into a snarling masterclass of classic metal: guitars alternately stabbing through the heart and stripping flesh from bone as a hammering percussive performance rises up from the depths below.
Chock full of insidious attitude, its portrait of a serpentine villain is one of their most venomously vibrant. Escalating from steel-toe-capped stomp through a barrage of fret-melting pyrotechnics to a conclusion that veers into outright flamenco flamboyance, rarely have Avenged sounded as joyously unshackled as they do here. Allowed to unfold as a simple ballad — drums and piano to the fore — it sounds at times like an emotion-drenched Ozzy Osbourne track, and at others like something more daringly progressive and yearning.
Depicting a heightened version of life on the road M. Incredibly layered, with a pop sensibility and luxuriant orchestral composition piled on top of massive singalong hooks and wildly virtuoso guitar work, this could hardly not have ended up an anthem.
Be sure to check out the extended album version, which verges on symphonic metal majesty. Less immediate than its direct predecessor, The Stage also proved that A 7 X could still conjure an atmosphere of pomp and ceremony on demand. Inspired by The Lonely Goatherd from The Sound Of Music, the stunning, marionette-inhabited music video — highlighting the human appetite for bloodshed and cyclical self-destruction — is probably the finest of their career.
Originally intended for the Transformers soundtrack but not finished on time, its abstract themes of internal torment, familial disconnection and the pain of loss feel like an odd fit for the robo-mega-blockbuster. If Shepherd Of Fire laid the template, the title-track of Hail To The King delivered heavy metal in something close to its purest form. Cutting away every ounce of fat and indulgence and keeping its mid-tempo on the leash, it feels like the sound of a band at the top of their game.
Although, aesthetically and sonically, parallels with Black Album -era Metallica were irresistible and wholly warranted on other tracks like This Means War , HTTK was less about aping their Bay Area forbears than tapping into the same classic rock simplicity they mined.
We teamed up with an equally huge A7X fan, Bryan, to turn this song up to The group has a history of collaboration with Kuznitz. They add, "In working with Bryan in the past on songs like ' Dissonance ' and our cover of Atreyu 's ' Right Side of the Bed ,' we knew he'd be perfect for this cover.
We hope all A7X fans enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it. Sometimes a song you hear for the first time, is innocent and sweet sounding. Then you listen closer to the lyrics, and realize it's talking about stuff you didn't realize. Double-entendres help disguise the filthiest of songs. Check out the index or search for other performers. New entries in this section are currently reviewed by Brian Kelly. Previous editors if any are listed on the editors page.
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