Review Summary: She’s a dwelling place for some of the most kickass shit I may have ever heard.
Avenged Sevenfold is a name that will certainly generate mixed reactions amongst metalheads. Some, like myself, love the *** out of them. I find them a fun and inventive band despite some of their shortcomings. However, others criticize them for being “typical emo posers” and finding their music cheesy and commercial. I guess I see that point of view to a degree, though I far from agree.
A7X were coming off some hard times in 2005. M. Shadows had just gotten surgery which would certainly change his singing style in a drastic manner. It was clear that the band would have to deviate from their original Metalcore roots. So what did they do? Well, to put it simply, they gave us the most creative record of their career. Enter: ‘City of Evil’. An over 70 minute long epic journey through heavy metal, and elements of the band’s metalcore roots. Safe to say, this was the right path.
Let’s start from the beginning. An iconic riff starts the stage for the single and beast (no pun intended) of an opening song, ‘Beast and the Harlot’. Right off the bat, we’re seeing this biblical City of Evil being described to us, which is a theme that runs through the whole record. It’s a great song to set things up and starts us off on a promising note.
I feel like a lot of people tend to forget that track 2, ‘Burn it Down’ was actually the lead single off the album. But it was, and it's an underrated song. This track’s got a soaring chorus with the vocal line of “I can’t trust anyone”. It’s got a unique and bouncy riff that I can always get into, making it an enjoyable tune. Afterwards comes ‘Blinded in Chains’, an underrated and politically driven song that has an awesome punk energy to it. It’s actually one of my all time favorite songs from A7X, and deserves your attention arguably even more than some of the big songs on here. Speaking of…
‘Bat Country’ was my introduction to A7X, and as you can suspect, I still love it. Still such an awesome song with some of Synester Gates’ best ever soloing. Every member of the band is really giving it their all in this song, and you can tell that right from when it starts with the late Rev’s killer drumming, Syn’s awesome riff to open, and of course, Matt’s guttural scream, actually the only time he screams on this whole album.
A really underrated song comes after ‘Bat Country’ with ‘Trashed and Scattered’. It sucks to always see this song near the bottom of everyone’s rankings of CoE, as it deserves more fan attention. Its a really great song, though I would say it overstays its welcome, maybe just a hair. Track 5 is basically just a big *** you to anyone and everyone that would put the band down, certainly warranted. Definitely one of my favorites that shouldn’t be this underrated.
The final single ‘Seize The Day’ comes next. Up to this point, each A7X record has had its ballad. The debut ‘Sounding the Seventh Trumpet’ had lone single ‘Warmness on the soul’, while ‘Waking the Fallen’ had its 9 minute epic ‘I won’t see you tonight (Pt. 1)”. While the latter is much better, I do feel like these guys are certainly pretty good at writing ballads, and this may be their best yet. ‘Seize The Day’ was clearly meant to be a huge radio hit, and it sure was. Even my mom who can’t even handle ‘Afterlife’ likes this song. Shadows’ soaring vocals and Syn’s more reflective guitar along with some piano added in make this one a must listen.
Every song up to this point has been about 5-6 minutes. Certainly longer tracks, but standard A7X length (There’s no ‘Exist’ on this album). But as we get to the back half of the album, there will be more longer tracks, beginning with the 7 minute ‘Sidewinder’. And god, where do I start? Tied with ‘Brompton Cocktail’ and the closing track from this very album, its my favorite song by the band to date. The track describes some sort of snake-like villain character (Possibly Satan from the story of Adam & Eve, given the other biblical allusions of the album). The chorus here is absolutely EPIC and one fo the greatest moments on the entire album with its SOARING vocals and intense lyrics.
“Can't you feel the poison rising out of the morning and clear through the night
You can feel my strength destroy you straight to the heart from the venomous bite”
‘Sidewinder’ ends on an awesome little Spanish inspired acoustic outro that only adds to its epicness. Unfortunately, it is followed by a slight rough patch. The next 3 songs, ‘The Wicked End’, ‘Strength of the world’, and ‘Betrayed’ are the only 3 songs on the entire record I take issue with. Starting out of order with ‘Betrayed’, it used to be one of my favorites, written about the unfortunate murder of Dime from Pantera. Over time though, it has just kind of fizzled out. I listen to it when hearing the whole album, but don’t really actively seek it out anymore. ‘The Wicked End’ is kind of following ‘Sidewinder’, talking about the fall of man and the garden of Eden. It does succeed in being epic and having great storytelling, but it’s just not my favorite musically. It just doesn’t really go where I wish it did.
The most unfortunate case is the 9 minute epic ‘Strength of the World’. Let me get it out of the way that the storytelling in this song is top tier. Yes, it's on the nose, but it’s a really cool story about somebody taking revenge on an evil force that killed his family.
“Avenged the dead, killed all who cross me in my path
Suicidal, I've never planned on coming back
I want it, I need it, revenge is dripping from my teeth
Need nothin', to feel power, and bring the killers to their knees
Nothin' to lose, vengeance to gain (you know I'll never be the same)
So taste my breath, I'm close behind you
(So desperate on your final day)
Sorrow swallows my screams”
I love that aspect of the song, yeah, but musically it is just so… eh. The chants in the chorus just don’t feel right, and unfortunately, neither do Shadows’ vocals, for one of the only times. I wish I liked this song more but I just don’t really.
But I could never complain about the 8 and a half minute masterpiece that ‘City of Evil’ ends on. Where do I even start with the dark assault of guitars that is ‘M.I.A.’!? It is flawless. This is the 3rd song in that 3 way tie i mentioned earlier. Lyrically, it is honestly heartbreaking. A presumably ordinary man is shipped off to war and returns, changed psychologically for the worse. Few songs make me as emotional and uncomfortable as the way ‘M.I.A.’ ends.
“Walk the city lonely
Memories that haunt are passing by
A murderer walks your street tonight
Forgive me for my crimes, don't forget that I was so young
Fought so scared in the name of God and country”
But the rest of the song is just unmatched. ***ing flawless soloing from Syn and an absolutely epic chorus is all I really need to say, right? That’s ‘M.I.A.’ for you. And that’s ‘City of Evil’.
I don’t really know what else there is to say about it. Yeah, a couple misfires here and there, sure, I’ll admit. But the sum of the whole is greater than the parts. This album is just so ***ing epic and few albums are as epic as it. Just listen to ‘Sidewinder’ or ‘M.I.A.’ and tell me that *** isn’t just exhilarating. This is an awesome record that metalheads should at least give a chance to.
Tracks to check out: Sidewinder, M.I.A., Bat Country, Blinded in chains, Trashed and Scattered, Seize the Day, Beast and the harlot, Burn it down
