Avenged Sevenfold formed in 1999, released their debut LP “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet” in 2001 via Good Life Recordings, a Belgian independent record label with acts like Death Before Disco, Shelter, and Gimme Shelter: THE Stones Tribute Band, consisting of a seven-foot tall Keith Richards-esque imitator holding an empty coconut consisting of seven cigarette butts whilst sneering in disgust at all miscreants in the crowd, then signed with Hopeless Records, re-released said first record, and several years later became one of the biggest bands in hard rock/metal. Avenged Sevenfold came out with a polarizing studio album this year called “Life Is But A Dream…,” and we are ranking said album along with their seven others from worst to best.
8. Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (2001)
A band’s first album sometimes is a peak version of said act, and in other instances it foreshadows what the group is going to become, in a good to some and meh to others way. “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet” is more of the latter than the former, but overall, it’s still quite strong. A lot of people thought that Avenged Sevenfold was in the Christian club populated by Underoath, Emery, and Sons of Abraham because of this collection of songs’ title, which comes from the Book of Revelation, but it couldn’t be further from the truth, as the band has been practicing Dudeism since the Coen Brothers’ “The Big Lebowski” came out. What’s rad about this is that the band doesn’t preach or proselytize, knowing that said darkness surrounding verbiage will be an epic of time wasted… Through thick and thin, this band has morals that may surprise you!
Play it again: “Warmness On The Soul”
Skip it: “Streets”
7. Hail to the King (2013)
Alright, it’s feather ruffling time now, or possibly said birds perished because of the previous mention about 76 trombones. Despite this LP containing the band’s highest public number of streams title track, any record after the perfect and dreamy “Nightmare” likely would’ve been at least a disappointment. “Hail to the King” was not only produced by Mike Elizondo of 50 Cent, Twenty One Pilots, and Winger fame, but it’s also the first and last A7X record to feature drummer Arin Ilejay, who played the kit like a technically proficient badass till his departure just two years later. “Hail to the King,” like all Avenged Sevenfold records, is great, but the royal family may take issue with its title, and most certainly, Prince “We Want Privacy” Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Megan Markle, Duchess of “Suits,” will make a tell-all Netflix documentary about it.
Play it again: “This Means War”
Skip it: “Crimson Day”
6. The Stage (2016)
It’s a killer move to open an album with an eight-minute plus track, and close it with one approaching sixteen minutes; much respect to the band’s sunny disposition in a simulation era world populated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, and a Roman Sky creating our heavenly father, hallowed be thy name, the angel to the land, a typical example or pattern of something, and the best or worst Summer Stock Stage. It sounds like Avenged Sevenfold listened to a lot of progressive rock/metal between “Hail to the King” and this studio album in the best way possible. Concept albums can fall flat, but “The Stage” truly rises vertically, and if we’re being completely honest, we’re just happy that this one exists. Sincerely. Also of note, in a surprising move to everyone but Bleeding Through, A7X covers Creed’s hit “Higher” to perfection and you need to listen to it right now.
Play it again: “Exist”
Skip it: “Creating God”
5. Life Is But A Dream… (2023)
“Life Is But A Dream…,” A7X’s only album containing an ellipsis, and second LP featuring former Bad Religion, Bad4Good, and Bad Company drummer Brooks Wackerman, is easily their most polarizing release, and possibly one of the more loved yet maligned and maligned yet loved records in the metal world since Megadeth’s live acoustic album “St. Anger”. It’s openly weird AF, and we wish that we were a fly on the wall for Jethro Christianson III’s backwoods Missouri solo album listening party wherein Jethro threw the mp3s of this record into a wall that was clad with SARS, sawdust, and asbestos. We’re all about this. For lack of a better word, dreamy psychedelic masterpiece, yet we’re scared to try 5-MeO-DMT or 4-NotMeP-LOL like da boys in da band. Also, Avenged Sevenfold’s vocalist/frontman/svengal/bouncer M. Shadows publicly acknowledged that this album isn’t for everyone, but it may be for Y-O-U!
Play it again: “Mattel”
Skip it: “Beautiful Morning”
4. City of Evil (2005)
We know that you’re metaphorically going to burn us down and feel betrayed by this non-bronze, silver, or gold medal album ranking, spouting drivel that A7X’s major label debut should’ve been at the very least in the top three or two here, but the wicked strength of the world gives us permission to blind your faulty senses in chains, and eventually trash and scatter your newfound ashes all across your personal city of good, thus making our private country sponsored by evil. The boys look like they work out a lot in each of the music videos for this album’s singles. While the first single from “City of Evil,” “Burn It Down,” essentially didn’t, TRL played the hell out of its follow-up, “Bat Country,” which puts the Bat in “Bateaux,” and the five-piece earned enough royalties from this song/album to procure their own boats.
Play it again: “M.I.A.”
Skip it: “Betrayed”
3. Waking the Fallen (2003)
Sophomore slump? More like a second heartbeat, amirite! Anyway, Avenged Sevenfold’s breakout album “Waking The Fallen” introduced beginner, intermediate, and annoyed passerby guitarists at Guitar Center to the band, and deservedly so… The main riff is a radiant eclipse that could truly wake the fallen from eternal rest, and then you will see the ones that fell so graciously tonight twice whilst all things will begin, end, begin again, and eventually end! We know, like every ranking piece we do, our opinion is so, so wrong, and this album should so, so be number one, regardless of the fact that you don’t know what the hell a remenission is, and are a huge freaking poser… So, so much posing/posturing/positivism/postmodernism here! This record also has the distinction of being the last A7X release with “bleghs,” ogre noises, and “grrrs,” displeasing ardent idiots, and pleasing vocal coaches.
Play it again: “Unholy Confessions”
Skip it: “Radiant Eclipse”
2. Self-Titled (2007)
Self-titled albums could go any way under the sun, and self-produced efforts could fall any way below the earth’s core. It’s almost easy to rag on “Avenged Sevenfold” and the literal Avenged Sevenfold, but your hilarious comments are lost before they are found… This LP was apparently inspired by Disturbed’s set at Ozzfest, and that is not a joke! We would find ourselves scarfing at a little piece of heaven if you gave this succinct and fun record a chance, as it is ten tracks that inspire a confluence of emotions in the best way. Also, “Afterlife” is their best single, and “A Little Piece Of Heaven” is the band’s most grandiose and awesomest Tim Burton-inspired song that never got a chance for soundtrack placement and is way too #$%^ vulgar for a PG-13 rating, but not creepy enough for an NC-17 one like Elizabeth Berkley’s brilliant opus, “Showgirls”.
Play it again: (tie) “Afterlife” & “A Little Piece Of Heaven”
Skip it: “Lost”
1. Nightmare (2010)
Before we get to the sad stuff, we have to shout out three current members of A7X that haven’t been mentioned yet here: Rhythm guitarist who can also masterfully play lead guitar, Zacky Vengeance, lead guitarist who is also an underrated singer, Synyster Gates, and badass bassist Johnny Christ. “Nightmare,” Avenged Sevenfold’s fifth/most superior album, is the first in their catalog without longtime drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, who passed away in late-2009. However, the drum parts he wrote were executed flawlessly by former Dream Theater, and eventually former A7X drummer Mike Portnoy, who is a proud Long Beach High School alum on Long Island, New York, but we digress. In addition, The Rev’s vocal takes are featured on “Nightmare” as a loving and powerful tribute. In closing, “Save Me” is the best Avenged Sevenfold tune, and we will take that to the streets!
Play it again: “Nightmare” till the last second of the epic closer, “Save Me”
Skip it: Daymare