AVENGED SEVENFOLD “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet”
Finding an original sounding hardcore band seems to be tougher and tougher as the years go by, but every so often one finds a diamond that combines a whole host influences into a tasty treat wholy unto their own creation. AVENGED SEVENFOLD have their sound and spirit over an incredible range, sounding like IGNITE at times to a darker, more grim GLASSEATER. The songs on “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet” are freaking long, most usually ending around the six minute mark, which is rather trying for the drummer I assume, who is mind-blowing good. There’s only four members of this band, but the full sound reflects the dynamics of many more thanks to some nice piano interludes and fabulously sung vocals that compliment the bat-cave fleeing like screams. Although the 13 tracks (nearly an hour of music) seem a bit excessive in the long run, the music is thoroughly engaging, loaded with timing changes and all sorts of vibes. Overall, the lyrics are full of pain, sorrow, and other hints of darkness, but when the lyrics change in tone, so does the music. What this band lacks in hooks, they gain in pure momentum. The minute a few of these songs hit an upstream in tempo, watch the fuck out, because the upcoming breakdown is pure devastation (“We Come Out at Night”). One of the many bonuses on this is the relatively unique production qualities. As mentioned, the sound is very full and thick but without the heavy-handedness that many metalcore bands fall prey too. AVENGED SEVENFOLD sound great without the need of a sledgehammer to bring the music closer. This is a pretty awesome disc, no doubt about it, and these guys deserve to be heard. “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet” was originally released on Goodlife Recordings from Belgium, and Hopeless has come to the rescue to put this out in the US (the band is from Orange County, California). Changes to this release include remastering (the sound is much thicker), and a few changes in the sequencing – all for the better. This review was written in the Summer of 2001 when the disc first came out..
Hopeless
