Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare (a review)

Avenged Sevenfold rules. That is all. I do have to admit that though this album is great, with a few epic songs, it's not their best. I'm not sure if that's because of the loss of drummer Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan and his song-writing awesomeness or that the guys are still dealing with his loss. I'm not saying that there's anything lacking here there's just something holding his album back from greatness.


Here's my song by song review for your entertainment:

1. Nightmare - their first release from this CD is one of the most epic songs ever. I'm not positive if there's any one particular element that makes this song so perfect or the combination of such an incredible riff, incredible lyrics or the various styles woven within the song. On a side note, to offer my opinion of the tribute to The Rev in the video, I've read on various sites that people are pissed
because they think the song is about the rev when they sing about how whomever they're referring to belongs in hell. I think, instead of something so stupid to assume they're trying to visualize what M Shadows and maybe even the rest of the band would say their nightmare is; the loss of their brother. To think anything else is just asinine. Back to the song though, literally this song is perfection pure and simple.
10 out of 10



2. Welcome To the Family - I like it. I don't love it. I'm not sure if it's because it follows Nightmare and doesn't compare or that it's just an OK song. The solos are great and just proves how talented Synister gates is and he can shred with the best of them.
6 out of 10

3. Danger Line - seems like there's a downhill trend going on here. I don't know why but this song makes absolutely no sense to me. The music is kick ass but the lyrics are just kinda retarded. Sorry.
3 out of 10.

4. Buried Alive - back to the epicness. I absolutely love Nightmare but I think this is my favourite song. I listen to this and envision myself as an outcast teenager lying in bed with headphones blasting this song over and over, guyliner running down my cheeks; loathing society. I was that guy, sans guyliner, in high school and this just takes me back to those days of feeling like I've found the song that I just connect with on my sad an pathetic plane of existence. There's a lot of Metallica inspired songs here and this Is one of them. Meet A7X's "Fade to Black". Love it.
10 out of 10



5. Natural Born Killer - right off the bat I hear "Almost Easy" from their last CD. Not a bad thing, that was a great song. This is another song where I skip ahead because it's just OK. Not bad but not great.
6 out of 10

6. So Far Away - another country sounding song. I think I've discovered it. Sounds like something off their last CD: either "Gunslinger" or "Dear God". Not a bad thing and I really do like this song. It's just that I've heard it before.
6 out of 10

7. God Hates Us - another kick ass song. But there's another pattern forming here. One amazing song then two OK songs then one amazing song then two ok. See it? This song IS filled with hate and anger and is filled to the brim with awesomeness. Nice to hear Matt screaming in this song, much different than any of his vocals from their other songs
9 out of 10

8. Victim - the pattern is shattered. This song is just beautiful. The high falsettos on this sounds like a man more than a woman; I wonder who it is. Could possibly be The Rev since he's sung in that range before. Either way the lyrics, music and general theme of this song is just so incredible. Another definite fav.
9 out of 10

9. Tonight the World Dies - sounds a lot like Stone Temple Pilots and Alice in Chains right off the get-go. Sweet song. This album has a lot more 'ballads' than previously released. I like it. A little better than average and I still hear STP in the guitar.
7 out of 10

10. Fiction - another slow song. Not really liking it. I don't like the piano riff. I don't like the vocals and the overdubbing on the vocals. This one is kinda messy. All over the place. Still it's better than anything Trivium has ever put out. :)
3 out of 10

11. Save Me - this one sounds like it's everybody taking turns in 'showing off'. Another slow song . . . Again. It's OK. Not a great way to end the CD. It's just ok but again I can't place my finger on what's missing.
5 out of 10


All in all it's a solid CD though the songs that are great are really great there's a couple here that are just so-so and a couple that are just clusterfucks. You can say it's because they're still feeling the loss of The Rev or it's the Rev's influence that's missing from it. I'm gonna listen to this cd a lot, as much as I do Waking the Fallen and their Self Titled CD.

Mike Portnoy does a decent job at covering on drums but there's a definite feeling of being different and though I'm sure many will disagree with me but I don't think Portnoy will ever compare to Mr Sullivan but that's just me. Regardless of who you think is a better drummer you have to put that aside and ask who you think is the better drummer - for Avenged Sevenfold. I'll take The Rev any day.