Avenged Sevenfold - Life Is But a Dream… (2023)^{Release ID: 45014}

In the metal circles that I frequent here on the internet, I have determined that Avenged Sevenfold are either the most uninteresting band of all time, or the worst band of all time, with no room for nuisance or deviation.

Part of the reason for this is likely because Avenged Sevenfold are a band that have repeatedly pulled the bait-and-switch card on their fans over their two-decade long career. Whether that be the more straightforward, Iron Maiden-esque worship on City of Evil following their metalcore introduction on Waking the Fallen, the sellout album Hail to the King, or the progressive metal pivot on The Stage. This is a band that thinks they are at a point where they can release anything they want, and the fans can do nothing about it.

And so, it makes sense that following The Stage seven years ago, that Avenged Sevenfold would double down on the progressive elements and release one of the strangest albums of their career. While certainly an interesting record, I’m not sure it works as well as Avenged Sevenfold would like.

For starters, Avenged Sevenfold are clearly working on borrowed time here as M. Shadows vocals are not great. I am fully aware that the last few years have been hard on M. Shadows and are a primary reason as to why this albums release is so far removed from the last album. But I can also tell that they still think that they can perform in a virtuoso style that has been a staple of A7X’s sound for years. It also does not help that the instrumentals that are on display do not do nearly enough to compliment the change in timbre, creating this strange dichotomy where the music does not strengthen the vocals. There are some places where it works, but for the most part, these are sections where vocal layering and effects are implemented, such as the bridge on “Nobody”, the vocoder on “Easier” and the multitracking of “G”.

As for the instrumentals, they are also quite a mixed bag. For starters, this record is very experimental with harmonic progressions, as well as song structures. “Game Over” leaves a unique impression with its flamenco guitar intro, before rapidly transitioning into a thrash groove with no feeling of preparation. The same can be said for a track like “We Love You” but inverted. If anything, the closest we get to a simplistic idea on this record is likely the promotional single “Nobody”, but that song fails to deliver a real sense of direction or a finite conclusion.

The harmonic progression mentioned previously has to do with the sheer number of times A7X switch from a dark minor chord progression to a major one, again, without preparation. “Cosmic” is by far the strangest example of this but can also be heard on “We Love You” and “Life Is But a Dream…”. It can also be picked up on if you view tracks 8-10 as a trilogy.

It all leaves me with a feeling of bewilderment that a band like Avenged Sevenfold could make an album like Life If But a Dream… but here we are. As I mentioned at the start, I’ve learned to take my expectations about what an A7X album should sound like and leave it at the front door and if you don’t, then that’s on you. And I do think that there are glimmers of something great here, but I cannot help but feel like the execution was lacking in some way. Whether that be not complimenting the newer vocal timbre, or the more mismatched songwriting style, this is the kind of dream you cannot explain to without sounding like a lunatic.

Best Songs: Mattel, Beautiful Morning, Easier, G, (D)eath