'We're at the point now where we've come into our own, vocalist M. Shadows says of the ambitious City Of Evil, an 11-song collection that gives a middle finger to the idea of categorization, bridging the sonic guitar assault of Iron Maiden with the frenetic pace of Bad Religion and the musicianship of Dream Theater. 'In Southern California you're really brought up in the whole punk world. At the same time, we were growing up listening to Pantera, Megadeath, Metallica and Slayer records, Shadows recalls. 'So then you think, 'I want to play in that kind of band, but I want to play in this kind of band.' Then you pass that point and all of a sudden you're just writing music and it comes out naturally. But that's what happens cause of all the different influences we have. And we're definitely not afraid to put anything in our songs if we think it calls for it.
Yes, Avenged Sevenfold can rock, as the band recently did at a sold-out show at Hollywood's Music Box Theater, where they turned the intensity of the new tunes up from 11 to about a 20, but these are musicians as well. However, as the group evidenced during the orchestral interlude in 'The Wicked End, a perfect metal moment live complemented by a boys choir and 14-piece string section, Avenged Sevenfold, in the tradition of Zeppelin, Queen, and Guns 'N' Roses' 'November Rain, meld their intensity with a musical daring their hard rock forefathers would be proud of.
