Misplaced Pages

Life Is But a Dream...
Standard edition cover art by Wes Lang. The digital release does not include the band's name and album title on its cover art.
Studio album by Avenged Sevenfold
Released	June 2, 2023 (2023-06-02)
Recorded	2018–2022
Studio	Henson (Los Angeles) Costa Mesa Sound (Costa Mesa) Joe's House of Compression (Pasadena) Sony Scoring Stage (Culver City)
Genre	Avant-garde metal progressive metal
Length	53:21
Label	Warner Velvet Hammer
Producer	Avenged Sevenfold Joe Barresi
Avenged Sevenfold chronology
Black Reign (2018) Life Is But a Dream... (2023)
Singles from Life Is But a Dream...
"Nobody" Released: March 14, 2023 "We Love You" Released: May 12, 2023

Life Is But a Dream... is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on June 2, 2023, through Warner Records. Its release follows nearly seven years after its predecessor, The Stage (2016), marking the band's longest gap between studio albums to date. It is also the first album to feature contributions from their late drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan since Nightmare (2010). Similar to The Stage, Life Is But a Dream... was produced by the band with Joe Barresi. It marked the band's return to Warner following a legal dispute between the band and Warner Music in the mid-2010s.

Life Is But a Dream... received acclaim from music critics for its themes, experimental approach, and blend of influences and genres. The album peaked at 13 on the Billboard 200, which was the band's lowest since their 2005 album City of Evil.

Background and recording

Writing and recording for Life Is But a Dream... commenced in 2018 and was completed in 2022. Recording took place at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, producer Joe Barresi's House of Compression studio in Pasadena, California, and Costa Mesa Recording Studios in Costa Mesa, California. The band had finished recording much of the album's material by the end of 2020, though the COVID-19 pandemic prolonged the album's recording stage, primarily due to concerns about traveling. The band also expressed dissatisfaction towards the idea of releasing the album without being able to promote it with a tour.

Lead vocalist M. Shadows claimed the album was 70 percent complete in February 2021, with items such as mixing and recording orchestral sections still needing to be done. The band recorded with 78-piece San Bernardino Symphony orchestra at the Sony Scoring Stage in Culver City, California. The recording of the orchestral sections was completed in February 2022, with drummer Brooks Wackerman touting on social media that the album was now 90 percent complete. Andy Wallace, the band's longtime mixer, finished mixing the album in September 2022, with Wackerman stating on social media that the album would now be ready for release in 2023.

Composition

Musically, Life Is But a Dream... has been described as avant-garde metal and progressive metal. Lyrically, the album was inspired by the writing and philosophy of Albert Camus, with existentialism and absurdism being two major themes throughout the album. Camus' 1942 novella The Stranger was particularly influential on the lyrics for songs like "Nobody". Shadows and guitarist Synyster Gates created a demo for "Nobody" after being inspired by a painting, also titled "Nobody", created by Wes Lang, who later led the art direction and created the cover art for Life Is But a Dream... M. Shadows has also stated about the band's direction that the album's music was greatly inspired by electronic music and hip hop. Shadows and Gates were also largely inspired by their experiences with psychedelic drugs, particularly 5-MeO-DMT.

Promotion and release

Avenged Sevenfold began teasing new material in February 2023 with an online scavenger hunt that began with their social media accounts being supposedly hacked, claiming that certain upcoming appearances at music festivals were canceled. The scavenger hunt was centered around a Reddit user named "Libad5343", the suspected hacker of the band's social media accounts, and their blog, which included articles written with ChatGPT and images generated by DALL-E 2. Eventually, one of the clues featured coordinates leading to The Ritz, a music venue in San Jose, California, which had "Libad5343 Presents Nobody" written on its signage, with a hidden phrase instructing people to meet at the venue at midnight on March 6, 2023.

Upon the scavenger hunt being completed, fans were rewarded with an unlisted YouTube video that had a countdown set for 8 a.m. PT on March 14. Soon after, the band confirmed the legitimacy of the countdown video. The lead single, "Nobody", was released on March 14, accompanied by a stop motion music video directed by Chris Hopewell. On the same day, the band also revealed the details for Life Is But a Dream..., including its release date and cover art, which was designed by Wes Lang.

The album's second single, "We Love You", was released on May 12. Three weeks before the album's release, certain fans were able to hear the album early at an "immersive" paid listening event. The event took place at Area15 in Las Vegas, from May 11 to May 14, 2023. The band announced on May 11 that they would also play a surprise concert, their first in 5 years, at Area15 the next day. The concert featured the live debut of the two singles, as well as album opener "Game Over".

Life Is But a Dream... was released on June 2, 2023, through Warner Records in both digital and physical formats. It is the band's first studio album to be released through Warner since Hail to the King (2013), as they released The Stage (2016) through Capitol Records following a legal battle with Warner Music. Life Is But a Dream... includes 11 different color variations for its vinyl release, most of which are exclusive to a respective retailer.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	87/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Blabbermouth.net	8.5/10
Classic Rock
Distorted Sound	6/10
Ghost Cult	9/10
Hysteria Mag	9/10
Kerrang!
Metal Hammer
Sputnikmusic	4.5/5
Wall of Sound	7/10

Life Is But a Dream... received critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 87, based on four reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

Sam Law of Kerrang! praised the album's diversity in styles and musical elements as well as its adventurous nature, writing, "In the process of shedding any lingering preconceptions about genre, consistency and the basic rules of songwriting, haven't just made an album that's more out-there than any they've put their name to before – they've delivered a set of songs that are simply far more fun." Merlin Alderslade of Classic Rock wrote, "With Life Is But a Dream..., Avenged Sevenfold haven't just transcended their metal peers for good, they've also created their definitive artistic statement," describing it as "bloody fantastic".

Simon K. of Sputnikmusic praised the album, noting that the music was very different from mainstream rock and metal, and a bold departure from the band's usual style. He wrote, "Ultimately, Life is But a Dream.. is the real deal. Avenged didn't come up with a half-baked idea here and got cold feet halfway through its development, they see this through to the end. This will piss people off, there's no doubt about that, but I think it's an album that will be looked on very fondly in ten years' time."

In June 2023, Alternative Press published an unranked list of the top 25 albums of the year to date and included this release, calling it "an experimental record that leaned into the unpredictability of pushing boundaries and bending genres".

Accolades

Track listing

All tracks are written by Zachary Baker, Brian Haner Jr., Matthew Sanders, Jonathan Seward, and Brooks Wackerman, except where noted

Personnel

Charts

References

1. Carter, Emily (March 14, 2023). "Avenged Sevenfold Drop New Single Nobody, Announce Long-Awaited Eighth Album and U.S. Live Dates". Kerrang!. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
2. Scarlett, Liz (May 12, 2023). "Avenged Sevenfold's new single We Love You is a wild genre-clashing cosmic ride". Metal Hammer. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
3. ^ "Avenged Sevenfold Announces 'Life Is But a Dream...' Album, Shares 'Nobody' Music Video". Blabbermouth.net. March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
4. ^ Life Is But a Dream... (liner notes). Avenged Sevenfold. Warner Records. 2023.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
5. Carter, Emily (December 30, 2020). "Avenged Sevenfold's M. Shadows: "You want to put your stake in the ground and be on the right side of history"". Kerrang!. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
6. Carter, Emily (February 26, 2021). "M. Shadows: The new Avenged Sevenfold album is "70 per cent done"". Kerrang!. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
7. Carter, Emily (February 10, 2022). "Avenged Sevenfold's new album is "90 per cent" done as they finally record orchestral parts". Kerrang!. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
8. "Avenged Sevenfold Completes Mixing Long-Awaited New Album". Blabbermouth.net. September 29, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
9. Carter, Emily (September 7, 2022). "Brooks Wackerman confirms new Avenged Sevenfold album "next year"". Kerrang!. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
10. David, Maximo (May 31, 2023). "Album Review: Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But A Dream..." Boolin Tunes. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
11. ^ Wearn, Justin (June 2, 2023). "Album Review: Avenged Sevenfold - Life is But A Dream..." This Day In Metal. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
12. Mills, Matt (June 2, 2023). "Loving the new Avenged Sevenfold album? Here are the 10 records you need to listen to next". Metal Hammer. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
13. Bell, Sadie (March 14, 2023). "Avenged Sevenfold announce new album Life Is But a Dream, their first release in years". Alternative Press. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
14. Inside the Mind of M. Shadows (YouTube video). Rock Feed. May 30, 2023. Event occurs at 6:02. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
15. "Avenged Sevenfold Name Surprising Electronic + Hip Hop Influences". Loudwire. May 16, 2023.
16. Kennelty, Greg (March 27, 2023). "Avenged Sevenfold Vocalist Explains Why "Nobody" Is A Single, How Psychedelic Drugs Influenced New Album". Metal Injection. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
17. ^ Carter, Emily (March 3, 2023). "New Avenged Sevenfold teaser tells fans: "Time to go touch some grass..."". Kerrang!. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
18. Carter, Emily (March 13, 2023). "Avenged Sevenfold fans have found a secret countdown video". Kerrang!. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
19. Avenged Sevenfold – We Love You, retrieved May 12, 2023
20. Brown, Paul 'Browny' (May 11, 2023). "Avenged Sevenfold's New Track 'We Love You' Is A Ensemble of Genres, Time Signatures and Clutter". Wall Of Sound. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
21. Hartmann, Graham (April 21, 2023). "Avenged Sevenfold Announce Life Is But a Dream 360-Degree Listening Parties". Revolver. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
22. Enis, Eli (May 13, 2023). "Avenged Sevenfold's First Show in 5 Years: See Videos and Setlist". Revolver. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
23. Enis, Eli (May 13, 2022). "Avenged Sevenfold in Las Vegas: See Wild Photos of First Show in 5 Years". Revolver. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
24. Iahn, Buddy (March 14, 2023). "Avenged Sevenfold announces eighth studio album, live US dates". The Music Universe. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
25. Summan, Yasmine (July 12, 2021). "7 Times Musicians Battled Their Record Labels". Loudwire. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
26. "Life Is But A Dream... Vinyl Offerings". Avenged Sevenfold. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
27. ^ "Critic Reviews for Life Is But a Dream... by Avenged Sevenfold". Metacritic. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
28. Z. Yeung, Neil (June 12, 2023). "Life Is But a Dream... Reviews – Avenged Sevenfold". AllMusic. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
29. "Life Is But a Dream..." Blabbermouth.net. May 29, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
30. ^ Merlin Alderslade (June 2, 2023). "Avenged Sevenfold: Life Is But A Dream Classic Rock album review". Classic Rock. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
31. Brown, Tasha (May 31, 2023). "ALBUM REVIEW: Life Is But A Dream – Avenged Sevenfold". Distorted Sound. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
32. Hill, Charlie (May 31, 2023). "ALBUM REVIEW: Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But A Dream..." Ghost Cult Mag. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
33. Speter, Tiana (May 29, 2023). "Life Is But a Dream..." Hysteria Mag. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
34. ^ Law, Sam (June 1, 2023). "Life Is But a Dream... – Avenged Sevenfold". Kerrang!. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
35. Everley, Dave (May 26, 2023). "Life Is But a Dream... – Avenged Sevenfold". Metal Hammer. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
36. ^ Simon K. (June 2, 2023). "Review: Avenged Sevenfold - Life Is But a Dream..." Sputnikmusic. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
37. Trevan, Kelsey (June 2, 2023). "Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But A Dream (Album Review)". Wall of Sound. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
38. "25 best albums of 2023 so far". Alternative Press. June 23, 2023. ISSN 1065-1667. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
39. "50 best albums of 2023". Alternative Press. December 12, 2023. p. 1. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
40. "The 50 Best Rock Albums of 2023". Loudersound. December 11, 2023. p. 1. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
41. "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Kerrang!. December 11, 2023. p. 1. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
42. "The 25 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2023". Loudwire. November 27, 2023. p. 1. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
43. "The 50 best rock albums of 2023". Loudwire. December 15, 2023. p. 1. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
44. "Metal Injection's Top 20 Albums Of 2023". Metal Injection. December 7, 2023. p. 1. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
45. "The 50 best metal Albums of 2023". Loudersound. December 13, 2023. p. 1. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
46. "30 best albums of 2023". Revolver. December 4, 2023. p. 1. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
47. "Rock Sound's Top 50 Albums Of 2023". Rock Sound. December 15, 2023. p. 1. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
48. "The 11 Best Metal Albums Of 2023". Rolling Stone. December 16, 2023. p. 1. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
49. "New Avenged Sevenfold album features music & lyrics written by The Rev". The Point. May 25, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
50. "Australiancharts.com – Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream...". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
51. "Austriancharts.at – Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream..." (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
52. "Ultratop.be – Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream..." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
53. "Ultratop.be – Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream..." (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
54. "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
55. "Lista prodaje 24. tjedan 2023. (05.06.2023. - 11.06.2023.)" (in Croatian). Top Lista. June 11, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
56. "Dutchcharts.nl – Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream..." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
57. "Albumit 23/2023". Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
58. "Top Albums (Week 23, 2023)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
59. "Offiziellecharts.de – Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream..." (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
60. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2023. 23. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
61. "Italiancharts.com – Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream...". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
62. "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2023-06-12/p/5" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
63. "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: Week of June 7, 2023". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 7, 2023.
64. "Weekly ROCK Album Ranking". Oricon. June 6, 2023. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
65. "Charts.nz – Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream...". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
66. "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 02.06.2023–08.06.2023 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved June 16, 2023.
67. "Portuguesecharts.com – Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream...". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
68. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
69. "Spanishcharts.com – Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream...". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
70. "Physical of the Week, 23" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
71. "Swisscharts.com – Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream...". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
72. "Lescharts.ch – LIFE IS BUT A DREAM... – Avenged Sevenfold" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
73. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
74. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
75. "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
76. "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
77. "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
78. "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
79. "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
80. "Year-End Charts: Top Album Current Sales (2023)". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
81. "Year-End Charts: Top Rock & Alternative Albums (2023)". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
82. "Year-End Charts: Top Hard Rock Albums (2023)". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2023.

• Avenged Sevenfold albums
• Avant-garde metal albums
• 2023 albums
• Albums postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Warner Records albums