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{{Infobox musical artist | <!-- See Misplaced Pages:WikiProject Musicians -->
| Name = Avenged Sevenfold
| Img = A7xbandpic2.JPG
| Img_capt = Avenged Sevenfold live in 2007<br>(from left to right: ], ], ], ], and ]).
| Img_size = 250
| Landscape = yes
| Background = group_or_band
| Alias = Sevenfold, A7X
| Origin = ], ]<br>]
| Genre = <!--DO NOT TOUCH GENRES WITHOUT CONSULTING THE TALK PAGE!!!-->]<br>]<br>]
| Years_active = 1999&ndash;present
| Label = ]<br>]<br>]
| Associated_acts = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>Burn Halo
| URL =
| Current_members = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]
| Past_members = ]<br>]<br>]
}}

'''Avenged Sevenfold''' is an American ] band from Orange County, California, formed in 1999. The band has achieved mainstream success with their 2005 album '']'', which included singles such as "]", "]," "]" and "]." The band's success followed with their ], with singles such as "]", "]", "]", "]", and "]".

==History==
===Inception (1999-2004)===
], ], ], and ]]]
The band was formed in 1999 in ] with original members M Shadows, Zacky Vengeance, The Rev. and Matt Wendt. In the band's first few years, they released two demos in the years ] and ], entitled '']'' and '']''. "These demos were to be used to help them get signed to a record label", so says ]{{Fact|date=February 2009}}, on the ] DVD. Avenged Sevenfold's debut album, '']'', was recorded when the band members were just eighteen years old and in high school. It was originally released on their first label, ] in 2001. After lead guitarist Synyster Gates joined the band, the introductory track "To End The Rapture" was re-recorded with the removal of the piano track. The album was subsequently re-released on ] in 2002. Having settled on their fourth bassist (]), a follow-up album, entitled '']'' was released on the same label in 2003. Shortly after its release, Avenged Sevenfold was signed to ].

===''Avenged Sevenfold'' (2007-2008)===
Avenged Sevenfold's mainstream success got them an invitation to 2006's ] tour on the main stage, alongside other well known ] and ] acts ], ], ], ], and ]. That same year they also completed a worldwide tour, including the US, The United Kingdom (as well as mainland Europe), Japan, Australia and New Zealand. After canceling Fall and Winter 2006 tour dates, the band announced that they were planning their fourth studio album, a '']''. M. Shadows has stated that it would not be a ''City of Evil Part 2'' or ''Waking the Fallen Part 2'', but he says it will attract fans of both original albums while still being a surprise.<ref></ref> They played their first tour dates of 2007 on an Asian tour with stops in ], ], and Japan. To "tide fans over" until the release of the new album, Avenged Sevenfold released their first DVD, ''All Excess'', on July 17, 2007. ''All Excess'' debuted as the #1 DVD in the USA which included a documentary and live footage dating back to 1999 along with music videos and the making of the Seize the Day music video.

Before the self titled album was released, two tribute albums, that were composed by various artists as Instrumental cover albums were released. On October 9, 2007, the cover albums entitled, ], and ] were released to the public by Vitamin Records & Copycat Records. The self titled album was then released out on October 30, 2007 to early success, debuting at #4 on the ] with approximately 94,000 copies sold.<ref name="Billboard">, ''Billboard.com'', November 7, 2007. Last accessed November 7, 2007</ref> Two singles, "]" and "]" along with its music video, were released prior to the album. An animated video was made for "]" and was going to be included on the MVI, but due to the song's subject matter (i.e. Necrophilia), Warner Brothers released it to registered MVI users over the internet in December 2007. The third single, "]" and its video was released in January 2008. Avenged Sevenfold has confirmed that their fourth single is the country rock style song "]".

===Recent (2008-)===
They recently headlined the ] tour with ], ], ] and ].<ref>http://www.buzznet.com/web/music/journals/entry/2461301 Zacky Vengeance: Avenged Sevenfold Would've 'Scared the Emo Kids' on Warped Tour</ref>

Guitarist ] confirmed in an interview that the band had recently entered the studio to record two new cover songs from metal giants ] and ].
On July 16 (Issue 1219), '']'' released a free CD, ] as a tribute album to ] band, Iron Maiden. It features Avenged Sevenfold covering the song "Flash of the Blade". "Maiden are by far the best live band in the world and their music is timeless," quoted by vocalist M Shadows. "This also gives us a chance to expose this great song to some of our younger fans who maybe aren't as familiar with Iron Maiden." <ref></ref>

Avenged Sevenfold was awarded "Album of the Year" at the ]. M. Shadows said this to the fans:

<blockquote>"Receiving such an honor in the United Kingdom means so much to us because England has become like a second home. This summer has been the best of our career. We've seen so many of you in so many countries and you've all touched us. We're so proud of how much love our fans in the US have always shown us. And now it means the world to us to know how many of you around the globe have been touched by our music. Thanks you from the bottom of our hearts."{{Citequote|date=November 2008}}</blockquote>

During a recent festival performance in Leeds & Reading, ], of which was sold out, the band were forced to shorten the Leeds performance and canceled the Reading performance altogether due to M. Shadows being told by his doctors in Los Angeles and the UK to rest his voice due to vocal strain.<ref>http://avengedsevenfold.com/news/important-reading-performance</ref> A few days later, the band was forced to announce the cancellation of the remaining September shows, with the tour set to resume again on October 15.<ref>http://www.avengedsevenfold.com/news/avenged-sevenfold-postpone-tour-dates</ref>

Avenged Sevenfold's most recent release, ], a two-disc B-sides CD and live DVD, was released on September 16, 2008.

On January 12, 2009, announced that Avenged Sevenfold would be covering the song, "Paranoid" By ], as part of a compilation album that will be released by Warner Bros. Records. The compilation album is entitled, ]. The band originally wanted to cover, Strubb (A Dub) By Mr. Bungle, however was not able to once given a list of songs they could cover by Warner Bros.

On January 17, 2009, in an interview with Avenged Sevenfold, was told by M. Shadows that the band will begin to write a follow up album to ] within the upcoming months<ref>http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/a7x-we-wanted-to-cover-mr-bungle/</ref>. The band is also linked to with a slot on this summer's Gigantour. Covered: A Revolution In Sound will be available to download and purchase on March 10, 2009, with the track, "Paranoid".

On February 6, 2009, according to announced that Lick Library has announced that they will be releasing a Guitar Tutorial DVD, which include the five tracks, ], ], ], ], and Trashed And Scattered, breaking down the guitar solos and riffs in each song.

On February 13, 2009, Avenged Sevenfold posted a new article on their official site confirming that they will be playing at "Rock On The Range," from May 16-17, 2009.<ref>http://www.avengedsevenfold.com/news/rock-range</ref>

On February 16, 2009, Avenged Sevenfold cancelled their performance in Fort Wayne, IN due to M. Shadows having a vicious case of food poisoning (As said on the bands website).

==Musical characteristics==
===Band name and lyrical content===
The band's name is a reference to the ] in the ] - specifically Genesis 4:24, where ] is sentenced to life in exile for murdering his brother. God marked him so that none would kill him on account of his sin; the man who dared to kill Cain would suffer "vengeance seven times over" (KJV)<ref>http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%204:24&version=9</ref>. The exact words "avenged sevenfold" can be found on line 24 of the fourth chapter of Genesis of the King James Bible: "If Cain shall be ''avenged sevenfold'', truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold."<ref>http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=1&chapter=4&version=48</ref> The abbreviation for Avenged Sevenfold came from ] as A7X. The title of Avenged Sevenfold's song "Chapter Four" refers to the fourth chapter of Genesis, in which the story of Cain and Abel takes place. The song's subject also appears to be this story. "]", yet another song derived from the Bible, comes from the ] only it is written in the first person and refers to the punishment of Babylon the Great, world empire and seat of false religion. The album "]" also derives its name from the book of Revelation, specifically referencing chapter 11 and the sounding of the last (seventh) trumpet, signifying the end of the world. Another biblical reference occurs in the song "]". In this song, several times it is said "dust the apple off, savor each bite, and deep inside you know Adam was right." making reference to Eve eating the forbidden fruit. Although the band's title and members' stage names make references to religion, Shadows stated in an interview that they are not a religious band. "Anyone that reads the lyrics and really knew anything about us, they would know we're not promoting either," he said. "That's one thing about this band that I love is that we never really shove any kind of, like, political or religious beliefs on people. We just, the music's there to entertain and maybe thought-provoking on both sides, but we don't try to, like, really shove anything down anyone's throat. There's too many bands that do that nowadays, I think."<ref></ref> The band has a few songs that are somewhat political in nature like "Critical Acclaim", "Gunslinger," "M.I.A." and "Blinded In Chains". The song "Betrayed" off of their album "City of Evil" was written about "Dimebag" Darrel's, of Pantera and Damageplan, death.

===The Deathbat===
The band sports a logo known as the "Deathbat". It was originally designed by an artistic high school friend of Avenged Sevenfold, Micah Montague, as seen on the bands first DVD, All Excess, though Cameron Rackam has done many more pieces for the band's albums. The deathbat has developed from not just being a skull with batwings, to sometimes appear as a full "man size" skeleton with batwings, as it can be seen at the cover of ]. The Deathbat has appeared on all of the bands album covers. On Sounding the Seventh Trumpet, there are pictures of two people (Presumably Cain and Abel), another angel-like human, and a semi-opaque Deathbat below it. It is also on covers of a number of singles such as "]", "]" and "]."

Public controversy has it that the Deathbat was inspired by Chaly, the winged-skull which serves as the logo for the American ] band ]{{Fact|date=February 2009}}.

===Genre===
In general, Avenged Sevenfold is classified as an important and influential band in the New Wave of American Heavy Metal (])<ref>http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=44955</ref>. Their material ranges across many genres - including several ] genres - often leaving the concept of genres altogether (especially in their most recent albums). For example, Avenged Sevenfold's debut '']'' consisted almost entirely of ] sound<ref>http://www.globaldomination.se/reviews/avenged-sevenfold-sounding-the-seventh-trumpet</ref>, however consisted of several deviations to this genre, most notably in "Streets" which adopts a ] style, and "]," which consists of mainly piano, and could be considered ]. On '']'', the band displayed a much more refined and fluent ] album that was able to harness the rawness of the first album, and add more mature and intricate musical elements. On '']'', Avenged Sevenfold's third album, the band has chosen to abandon the ] genre, developing a more ]/] style, very much like bands such as ] and ]. Also, the drumming on both these albums is played in a more thrash-influenced ] style, similar to that of ]. Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled album, again, consists of several deviations to less consistent genres and styles from the album's main ] and ] songs, most notably in "]", which adopts a ] style, and "A Little Piece of Heaven", which includes elements of ] show tunes, using primarily brass instruments and stringed orchestra to take over most of the role of the lead and rhythm guitar. The band has changed considerably since its first album, which since then they have been characterized as a ] band with ] and ] combined with clean vocals that one can expect from the ] genre. Since the release of ], the band has resumed screaming vocals during live shows.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PK-yX4vVfs&feature=related</ref><ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMsEMBVhl6g</ref>

==Band members==
===Current members===
<!-- Members are listed in the order they joined the band. -->
* ] — <small>], ]s, ], ], ] (1999 - present)</small>
* ] — <small>], ]s, ], piano (1999 - present)</small>
* ] — <small>], ], backing vocals, piano (1999 - present)</small>
* ] — <small>], backing vocals, piano, keys, synth, organ (2000 - present)</small>
* ] — <small>], backing vocals (2002 - present)</small>

===Former members===
*Dameon Ash — bass <small>(2001 - 2002)</small>
*] — bass <small>(2000-2001)</small>
*Matt Wendt — bass <small>(1999-2000)</small>

== Discography ==
{{main|Avenged Sevenfold discography}}
*2001: '']''
*2003: '']''
*2005: '']''
*2007: '']''
*2009: TBA

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Avenged Sevenfold}}
*

{{Avenged Sevenfold}}

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Revision as of 22:34, 27 February 2009

Jonas Brothers are better.