City Of Evil Review

Released: Jun 7, 2005
Label: Warner Brothers
Genre: Rock
Styles: Heavy Metal, Alternative Metal, Post-Hardcore, Emo
Number Of Tracks: 11
Shattering preconceptions of punk and metal, Avenged Sevenfold blazes a bold new path with its debut major label album, City Of Evil.

Sound:	9.2
Lyrics:	8.6
Impression:	9.2
Overall rating:	9
Users rating:	8.5
Comments:	150

overall: 9.3

Featured review by: unregistered, on may 01, 2007

Sound: Avenged Sevenfold have really taken a leap with their new CD, City Of Evil. No longer the screaming metal band of their earlier CD's (due no doubt to the singer, M. Shadows, having to have vocal chord surgery), Avenged have stepped up to the major label debut category, and have delivered a cd every guitarists should own. Very much inspired by '80s shred guitar, Sinister Gates and Zacky Vengeance have crafted some very intricate guitar parts to compliment Shadow's voice. Duel guitar work, sweeping arpeggiated chords, acoustic/spanish guitar breakdowns, and screaming leads can all happen on one song. Sevenfold break the typical songwriting model, by not having any particular part be designated a 'solo'. Instead, both guitarists play lead lines throughout the song, often times weaving around the melody, and chasing each other in a very snake-like manner. I would say the only drawback to this, is that it can get a little tiring after a while. Although, not enough to where I wanted to stop the CD. Mostly because when it does get to that point, it changes to an entirely different direction. Every song is like a story that takes many different shapes throughout. With heavy parts breaking down into slow, acoustic parts, which then go into a faster heavier part, before shifting to an orchestral part which resembles danny elfman. Avenged Sevenfold show that they aren't easily categorized. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: M. Shadow's has always been very visual in his lyrics, and City Of Evil is no different. There are many different themes on this CD, from Dimebag's death, to the war in Iraq. The lyics fit every song very well, and I think the inabilty of Shadow's to scream the way he used to only helped City of Evil. Many of his lyrics on previous CD's would get lost in the music and the delivery, but there is now a much more clear vocal style. Very reminiscent to Scott Weiland on Velvet Revolver's self-titled. Shadow's may not have the versatility of before, but he pulls off every song very well. // 8

Impression: It's very hard to compare City Of Evil with any other band out at the moment. Avenged Sevenfold has transcended easy categorization, and delivered a CD that should rank very high on the modern guitarists list. It's nice to see some shred guitar work happening in a tasteful manner, and not being played over screaming. This should gain more exposure for the band, as ths cd is more accesible to the non-metal community. This cd is what a lot of fans of the '80s shred guitar playing have been waiting for, and it doesn't sound cheesy in any way. Avenged Sevenfold have taken the first defining steps in their career to become a serious contender in the music ranks. A modern sound with an old school twist, this CD is sure to become a classic CD of the new generation. // 10

overall: 9.7

Reviewed by: LucasGtrGod, on may 01, 2007

Sound: The sound of this album sounds awesome. The guitars are loud, the drums are hard and the bass has real presence. This album is much more guitar centric than their previous albums. There are huge harmonised pieces, shred soloes aqnd there always seems to be some presence of a lead guitar in nearly any part of the songs. whether it be a huge dive bomb in the intro to Blinded In Chains or harmonised melody of burn it down. The drums have also increased in interest and complexity, always suiting the song, sometimes with awe inspiring skill (Blinded In Chains), my drummer friend was shocked at the speed of some of his runs. And the bass is always present, although does not stand out as much as the drums and guitars. This album is very reminiscent of '80s metal and bands like Iron Maiden, but also has a strong hardcore and even progressive element to it. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: And I must say the singer getting vocal surgeory has only made his singing better. Gone is the repititive and annoying screams of their previous albums to be replaced by powerful and seering vocals that is sometimes sound like Axl Rose, but better and more tuneful. His voice is amazing on this album, the best representation is the verse on the song MIA where the music sort of momentarily and repetitively cuts out, and the singer's voice is all that can be heard (it's inspiring). The lyrics on this album are of a similar quality covering everything from political issues to Dimebag Darrel's murder. The only let down on this album is The opening track: The Beast And The Harlot. The verses sound awesome, but the chorus really takes away the power of the song. But that is the only hiccup on the entire album. // 9

Impression: I would boldly say that this is Avenged Sevenfold's best album yet, and probably one of the best albums to be released in the last 5 years, it is just that good, everything feels polished, but not over produced. Following are all the songs off the album.

01. The Beast And The Harlot - 6/10, the song would be a 10/10 if it weren't for the chorus.
02. Burn It Down - 9/10, awesome lyrics, heavy intro, great guitars, I love this song.
03. Blinded In Chains - 10/10, this song really shows off the bands skill on their instruments, the band's most political song.
04. Bat Country - 10/10, it took me a while to get into this song, but now that it is in my head I can't get it out.
05. Trashed And Scattered -10/10, real heavy, love the lyrics.
06. Sieze The Day - 10/10, a nice soft song with a good message.
07. Sidewinder - 10/10, has a spanish guitar solo.
08. The Wicked End - 10/10, this song is awesome, then it suddenly changes direction in the middle with the introduction of an orchestra that sounds alot like Danny Elfman.
09. Strength Of The World - 9/10, starts off real slow and nice, but then breaks into one of the strongest riffs on the album, possibly a little bit too long though, I find myself fading out at around the 8 minute mark.
10. Betrayed - 9/10, the tribute to Dimebag. Although this song was only around 6 minutes long, I feel that it would have been better if it had a minute or two shaved off of it.
11. MIA - 10/10, about the emotional impact of War. A spectacular way to end off the album and a vocal showcase.

This entire album is impressive, the songwriting the musicianship, this band rivals many of the top metal bands around at the moment. This is an album for any fan of metal, shred guitars or just good music. If this album were stolen I would definitely buy it again. // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: h82feel, on may 01, 2007

Sound: The sound of Avenged Sevenfold albums improve with each release, and this is the top of the mountain. City Of Evil has an epic sound that somehow manages to be both classic and modern. The guitars are front and center, with the amazing Guns N' Roses meets Iron Maiden meets Earth Crisis meets Bad Religion guitar riffs, add a more then solid rhythm section and an amazing vocalist and you got yourself a perfect record. As far as the music itself, they are truly a unique band, blending true heavy metal with the distinct california punk and hardcore sound. Also thrown in, is a beautiful yet haunting piano and flaminco style guitar, truly a sound that any fan of rock music can enjoy. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics on the album are very interesting. Old School heavy metal imagery and metaphors are used well on this album, in such songs as The Beast And The Harlot and Bat Country. The ballad-style writing of songs like Seize The Day (my personal favorite) and Strength Of The World are touching in my opinion. Other topics include betrayal, being a badass, fighting the world and even a political look at war. What can I say about Matt Shadows? He is without a doubt an incredibly talented singer. Listen to him say "So what if I never hold you..." on Seize The Day and try to not to be moved. Although Shadows cannot scream anymore, his singing voice is still top-form, sometimes sounding like a more soulful version of Axl Rose. // 10

Impression: Overall, this is one of the best albums of this current era. It runs the gammet of bone-crunching heavy metal, to hardcore punk anthems, to heart-wrenching ballads. I highly reccomend this to anyone into rock music, not just metal/metal-core fans. It truly is a classic. // 10

overall: 9.7

Reviewed by: Seth Shadow, on may 01, 2007

Sound: Avenged Sevenfold's new sounds consists of plain softer lyrics compared to "Waking The Fallen," "Warmness On The Soul" and "Sounding The Seventh Trumpet." Instead Of Metal Core they have plain metal. The guitarists Synester Gates and Zacky Vengance have excrutiating talent that will help take Avenged Sevenfold far. The Reverand "drummer" explored his skills and found that he has real talent. Johnny Christ (bassist) has Amazing skills as shown in Their song "The Wicked End." Vocalist M. Shadows is my idol, he shows that hes not afraid to speak his mind. Since his throat sugery for internal bleeding he takes the role of a softer singer compared to the growling and intense Screaming of the older days. Warner Bros. Records made a good Decision signing Avenged Sevenfold to their colorful roster. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: It really depends on your intrests for this. If you like talk about suicide, death, despair, hell or the apocalypse, this is the band for you. Its a "Spit In Your face" attitude that keeps Avenged Sevenfold going. Their songs flow into one another. From beast and the harlot to burn it down, The Lyrics are all around good. M. Shadows Singing Skills Will bring him far on his "Quest For World Domination." I wish him and the guys the best of luck. // 9

Impression: I Expected City of Evil to be another Nickelback album after I heard Seize the day, but they have a huge variety. From M. I. A to Strength Of The World, they mop the floor with ALL competition. If my "City Of Evil" Was Stolen or Lost I would buy it again, and buy it a second time to make sure I keep it this time. The most impressive song on the album would be Bat Country, it sounds different but so catchy. I love every single song off this album, no questions asked. // 10

overall: 4.7

Reviewed by: nirvanafan11111, on may 01, 2007

Sound: Avenged Sevenfold's mixture of emo, hardcore and metal lead to them being one of the most highly acclaimed bands in the metalcore movement of the early 21st century. With Waking The Fallen they showed it was ok to blend catchy riffs e.g. Unholy Confessions with thrash style chugging guitars and solo's, adding screaming and melodic singing into the mix! Sadly most of the elements from Waking The Fallen have been lost. The catchy riffs have been exchanged with over the top (and very technical) trash, the chugging still their but is boring and frankly doesn't add anything to the music. The sound of this record is old school metal (so old school it actually sounds old fashioned and not in the good way), power metal (Manowar style) and while all musicians are very talented especially the guitarists, this album fails to impress on many levels! // 4

Lyrics and Singing: Lyrics are the next gripe about this album, the subject matter is cocky and unemotional, the lyrics suit the music yet with the music being cheesy and annoying the lyrics match! The lyrics themselves are awful. M Shadows has really lost it, although this is down to a burst blood vessel in his neck, his voice is devoid of emotion, no screaming either while Waking The Fallen was vocally layered, with melodic singing and death metal style screaming, it felt real, the emotion felt real, in City Of Evil it feels really fake, his voice in some songs is a whine and this is very annoying. // 4

Impression: Overall City Of Evil was not my cup of tea, while some people admire the talent in the music, the song writing just isn't up to scratch, the singer sounds lazy as well as unfeeling and basically it's just annoying. While the album reeks of talent, and the very technical flamenco style riff (easily the best bit about the album) in Sidewinder is very entertaining. The album sounds lazy and emotionally forced. If it was stolen off me I would find the swine who stole it and kill them as I hate being stolen from! // 6

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 01, 2007

Sound: There are various musical styles used on this CD. A lot of the time it sounds like Guns N'Roses. Sometimes, there's flamenco style solos, acoustic breakdowns, black metal orchestration, and a boys choir, thats all you have to know. Theres even a mexican solo. Arriba! // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics aren't great in every song, but I dont give a flying f--k. They may not be too good, but they fit the songs so well. Shadows' vocals aren't as good as the last album, but thats because of his throat surgery. He sings all the time, which is a good thing in my opinion. I hated his Cradle Of Filth-like scream. // 8

Impression: This is the best album so far this year. It is also better than their last CD, Waking The Fallen. Honestly, they're the best heavy band out now because of their melody, unlike Lamb Of God and their s--t. With no screaming, they're bringing heavy music back. If it were stolen I'd shoot the person and piss on them and steal it back. It is worth buying even though I stole it, I'll still buy it though for the "amazing" artwork. I love everything about this CD. // 10

overall: 9.7

Reviewed by: Kutless, on may 01, 2007

Sound: This CD is amazing. The guitar work is phenomenal. Gates and Vengeance do an awesome job. The guitar harmonies throughout the disc is awesome. The Rev's drumming has improved greatly. I honestly think that any "real" musician will love the instrumentation on this disc. "Sidewinder" ends with two emxican guitars soloing back and forth. It's truly amazing. The solo at the end of "MIA" is great. They kind of shifted gears from hardcore to a more metal sound. Best guitar and drum work since bands like Metallica and Megadeth. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are excellent as well. "The Beast And The Harlot" goes along with Revelation 18. "Seize The Day" is also lyrically excellent, "Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost." I kind of miss the screaming from previous A7X albums. The vocals on this CD are alot different then waking the fallen and sounding the seventh trumpet. Shadows does an excellent job though, even with his throat problems. Synester Gates and Zacky Vengeance also do an excellent job with backing vocals. // 9

Impression: As a hardcore kid I like waking the fallen better, but as a guitarist I like City Of Evil. So I'm torn on which A7X is better. Regardless, this is an awesome album that any musician should have. The best songs are "Sidewinder," "The Beast And The Harlot," and "MIA." If this CD were stolen I would skip school, work or anything to go buy it again. It's truly amazing. // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 01, 2007

Sound: The sound is very good, they recorded in the studio with the guitarist from Mudvayne and the music itself has evolved quite a lot since their earlier albums; "Sounding The Seventh Trumpet" and "Waking The Fallen." The CD is filled with meaningful lyrics that complement M. Shadow's voice after he had his throat surgery. Their first albums were strictly hardcore, but after Shadows had surgery on his throat after a blood vessel was bruising his vocal chord, they have mellowed out with singing and guitar harmonys through synyster gates and zacky vengeance. Synyster Gates may also be the most advanced guitar player of this century, with "gut-busting" solos and harmony's together with Zacky, his musical background and musical college attendance really shines through. Ending songs in Flamenco style guitar and starting with old western acoustic pieces, the sound could not be better. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics I cannot describe entirely, as they differ from song to song. They are all written by Avenged sevenfold and all have meanings to them. A song that perticularly strikes out to me is the song "MIA" also known as Missing In Action. This song refers to the war and has a very strong opinion on it. With lyrics such as "Some are scared, others killing for fun. I shot a mother right in front of her son. Take this from my conciousness and please erase my dreams" M. Shadow's vocal skill really shines through with this album. Although he might sound nasally at some points of the new songs, he is still the perfect frontman for their new music style. // 10

Impression: The most impressive song on the album is a very hard choice seing as I like them all. The most lyric driven would be "MIA." To complement The guitarists the song would have to be "Beast and the harlott" and "Sidewinder" while complementing the drummer and bassist (the reverend and johny christ) would have to be "The Wicked End." I love the guitar solos and harmony's in this album, both players have really evolved and their practise shows with technical shred and harmony's good enough for my father to listen to although he hates rock music. M. Shadow's new voice is a hate it or love it situation, where I personally love it. With his new singing voice came more evolved lyrics that really get through to you. // 10

overall: 8.7

Reviewed by: Paul Glaze, on december 13, 2007

Sound: Striving to create his album with no screaming, M. Shadows came up wth City of Evil. Still in transition from Waking the Fallen, his singing is a lot of the time a mixture of screaming and singing, a kind of raspy yell that takes the breakdowns higher. However, as talented as M. Shadows may be, it is the guitar and drums that set the album apart. All the solos are carefully constructed to run smoothly and not take away from the songs. Here is my list of reviews for songs individually.

01. Beast And The Harlot - the opener for the album is one of the exceptions on the all singing album rule. The intro is easily recognizable, with a nice long scream in the background from M.Shadows. However, that soon gives way to the fast steady drumbeats (in sync with the palm muted guitar of course) of the Reverend. The tempo is fast, and aall the solos end on high notes to keep you upbeat about the rest of the album. When I first heard it, I love it, but over time I have grown to the point where I don't listen to it anymore, really.
02. Burn It Down - The Rev. opens us up with fast double bass and the snare, but then is contrasted by the relative niceness of the opening riff. M. Shadows gives us nothing special the first half of the song, but the words are nicely accompanied by the drums, with quick drum rolls on all the important parts. A crowd favorite, the breakdown is the best part of the song, grunts and groans and all. Quick, hammering solo by synester.
03. Blinded In Chains - one of my favorites, this song is all about the drums. The Reverend opens us up and takes us all the way throgh the song, nicely accompanied by synester's fast, but well composed solos. The notes used for the words are perfectly composed and tie the entire piece together.
04. Bat Country - their second most overplayed song, next to Unholy Confessions, opens with a scream, and uses the chorus to carry the song. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the song, but it isnt what everyone is trying to make it be. The solo is nice and high, with the band going back to their iron maiden roots to deliver a good song with the right parts to remember, but after the last song, it seemed like a letdown.
05. Sieze The Day - when you first get the album and listen to the first four, you are getting pumped up, then all of a sudden there's this random slower song, and you feel slighted. It took me a while to finally understand and appreciate the fullness and completeness the song gives to the album. M.Shadows leads with a beautiful performance, harmonizing with the guitar so that you almost can't tell where the words end and music begins. The solo is easy, yet compliments the sng with just how great it sounds. The last verse is especially great, definetly not a song to skip.
06. Trashed And Scattered - of all the hard songs on here, this is their best. It isn't my favorite song, but it comes close. Opening with pure guitar, the entire band follows in just giving it everything. Every once in a while they pause long enough to tell you that "your gibberin don't mean shit". Once they get to the breakdown, your in heaven. You can't resist head banging even a little. Great song, but the ride isn't over.
07. Sidewinder - it opens with a harmonized guitar part that leads into the rest of the band. Not as distorted as most of the other songs, but the subtle references to snakes are great if you pick up on them. Most of all, look for the harmonized solo between gates and vengeance to lead up to the acoustic part, done by one of the band member's fathers. Although you may be tempted to skip to the next song at this part, don't. It's worth it.
08. Betrayed - this song is a little cliche. OK, I enjoy a few cliche lines every once in a while to, but they actually used the line "I feel you burn inside, burn in me like the rising sun" but aside from a few lines like that, an all around good song. It doesn't quite live up to the rest of the album, but it doesn't take away from it either.
09. Strength Of The World - in my opinion (and only mine), the best track on the entire album. You see, the album reads like a story. You have your introduction (beast and the harlot), your rising actions(burn it down through Trashed and Scattered), your plot twist (Sieze The Day), a little more action (Betrayed), and finally the climax! At nine minutes this song is one hell of a climax. It opens with an acoustic riff accompanied by a violin, changing quickly into the main riff, and then enters M.Shadows with a big grin on his face singing about family members being dead. After a few short solos ther simply to enhance the song, synester gates bursts out with a solo that fulfills all your hopes about the song. Finally the orchestra enters again to bring you out, and they leave the last chord ringing.
10. The Wicked End - Gates and Vengeance make use of the harmonized guitar solo here, and they do it quickly. M. Shadows provides the energy this time, letting the guitarists handle seaming it together. All of a sudden in the middle, it slows down and does this part that kind of reminds me of a movie soundtrack. Then it's right back to the action that begins to transition you towards the final piece.
11. Missing In Action - probablly the second or third best song on the CD, it starts with a slow, distant sounding Guitar Melody, and M.Shadows sounding the nicest he can. It them explodes into the main riffs, but then goes silent for the greatest part of possibly the entire album. Everything goes quiet, and Shadows screams "The fighting rages on and on/To challenge me you must be strong/I walk the land but don't belong/Two million soldiers can't be wrong." It is done so simply and magnificently that they immeadiatly catch you for the entire song. Although I admit the chorus s a litlle unlike them, but it is still a great song. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: Avenged Sevenfold lyrics get the main point of the words across without connectiing them. They are deep, great lyrics, but they aren't quite fluid enough to be really good. Their writing got a lot better on the new album, and they do sing more fluidly. However, even if it doesn't flow just right, it suits them fine, and it leaves me wanting more. No complaints really. // 8

Impression: It is an entirely new kind of music for them, without screaming, and I kind of get the impression that they tried to make up for it with their guitar and drums. The three most impressive songs of the album are (in my opinionated order) Strength Of The World, M.I.A., Blinded In Chains. Personally I loved the entire album. If I lost it, it would definetly be worth the money again. // 9

overall: 10

Reviewed by: Spartan9185, on february 28, 2008

Sound: Avenged Sevenfold's 3rd album is my favorite of them all. The screaming is gone, which some say is bad, some say is a good thing, but M. Shadows really uses his voice well in this album. All the songs on the album are very heavy, except Seize The Day, which is an amazing song, none the less. The album title describes the whole feel of the album just about perfectly. City Of Evil is a very dark, and scary album. Each song flows perfectly into the next, and they all have their own little twist that make it exciting every time you listen to it. And trust me, I've listened to COE at least 10 times. I thought it would be near impossible to beat Waking The Fallen. But Shadows, Syn, Zacky, The Rev, and Johnny all compliment eachother perfectly. I was expecting a lot from this album and I got every thing I could have asked for and more from City Of Evil. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: City Of Evil speaks for itself. The Lyrics fit almost perfectly with all the guitar parts. And speak about a lot of death and the evil parts of the soul. All the lyrics on City Of Evil seem to be very well thought out. Lyrical highlights are "The Wicked End" (my personal favorite), Strength Of The World, Burn It Down, and Betrayed. // 10

Impression: City Of Evil is the highlight of all 3 A7X albums. I'm A HUGE fan of Sevenfold, and I've listen to sounding the seventh trumpet and waking the fallen countless times. Synyster gates plays his ass off. Winding solos, and INSANE sweeping are the highlight of his career. The 6 most insane solos I've ever heard are in the song, and they're almost as insane as the solo from I Wont See You Tonight pt 2 from waking the fallen. Burn It Down is so fast, Bat Country is a masterpiece in every way, Sidewinder's sweep picking is the most advanced I've ever heard from him, and the acoustic solo at the end I didn't think was possible with an acoustic guitar. The Wicked End flows perfectly from part to part, and M.I.A. is something to be reckoned with. Synyster Gates has been my favorite guitarist from the beginning, but this boosted my respect for him greatly. Synyster and zacky harmonize well on City Of Evil also. They play off eachother exceptionally, and zacky can throw down some great riffs to compliment Synyster's constant soloing. The Rev pulls out beats that I've never heard in my life, making me believe that he's better than Neil Peart ever was, and will be. The drum solo and intro from Beast And The Harlot scared me, I didn't know it was possible to double pedal like that. And he can sing while doing all that. Blinded in Chains is his best song, but all are mindblowing to me, probably cause I'm not a drummer but a guitar player. The drumming highlights of COE are Blinded In Chains, Beast And The Harlot, Burn It Down, Bat Country, Trashed And Scattered, and The Wicked End. Over all, City Of Evil never ceases to impress me. I View it as a flawless album. It's very long. 11 songs, and 73 minutes long. The shortest song on the album, burn it down is just under 5 minutes. You get plnenty of winding solos, insane drumming, and chilling lyrics throughout. I can't say I hate anything about this album, because I woudl be lying if I did. From this album I've gotton my of my friends into Avenged Sevenfold, and I hope this review will help you get into them too. // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: saTanic_hunter, on may 01, 2007

Sound: This album is bar far my absolute fav! With the mix of heavy/punk songs, it shows exactly how much change Avenged Sevenfold went through. But keeping their same style with heavy metal, I liked the way they used it with they lyrics. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: Overall, the lyrics were great! M. Shadows, because of his throat surgery, is no longer screaming. Don't get me wrong, he can sing fairly well. The lyrics went well with their unique tune, wicked riffs and fast solos. // 10

Impression: This album compares to absolutely no other artists I have ever heard. It is fenominal! I felt that some of the strongest songs were Burn It Down, and Bat Country. If this album were stolen, I would kick the shit out of the person who stole it, beat the hell out of them with a bat, and s--t on their head. A7X made an absolutely great album. // 10

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 01, 2007

Sound: The sound is absolute stutter. I love this album musically! Even though the vocals were not what I expected, I grew to love them as well. I give this a 9 because the vocal work wasn't as great ad Waking The Fallen singing, instead it was nasally and a bit whiney (ex. Burn It Down). I understand he was having vocal problems, but I really think he should of atleast attempted to do a little bit of the Waking The Fallen-ish kind of style. Overall for sound: great guitars, lots of longer and more rich sounding solos than the previous albums, and well done vocals (even though it wasn't what I expected).

01. Synyster Gates - great leading on this album, could of done better, but very well done 10/10.
02. Johnny Christ - finally! You can actually hear the bass more clear on this album (especially Blinded In Chains, loving the bass solo) 9/10.
03. Zacky Vengeance - great rythm, but could of tried to be more unique on the beats than basic power chording 8/10.
04. The Rev - wow! Just wow! he done soo much on this album. Double bass, awesome snare lines, and most importantly, very focused on the beats with the guitar 10/10.
05. M.shadows - great vocal work, was expecting more, but still absoultly entertaining. A little bit of a mix of Axl Rose and Mike Patton 10/10. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: I expected more in the lyrics! After listening to Waking The Fallen, I was expecting more deep rich tales from the bible (the reason I don't rate this any lower than a 9 is because their was some biblical references in majority of the songs, but not as deep). Not saying they are a Christian rock band, just saying I love how they take the most interesting bible stories and bring them to life in their music. You'd expect for them to talk about death and stuff like that, but instead they take you through a journey of stories and almost makes you feel like you are experiencing something unique on your own. Very good lyrics overall, but not as good and deep as Waking The Fallen was. // 9

Impression: I love this album! Took me a few listens to get use to it, but now I can't stop listening to this masterpiece. Avenged Sevenfold is the leader of the next rock revolution of the 21st Century! If it wasn't for Warner Brothers, who knows where they would be right now! Avenged will continue to make great music even after this album, each album is it's own sound and most indefinitly will progress throough each one. // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: cityofevil98, on may 01, 2007

Sound: Wow, Avenged Sevenfold really broke out of the "hardcore" genre with this CD. Amazing guitar playing, and Avenged Sevenfold seemed to have gone back to the roots of metal music. It sounds amazingly simiiliar to Guns N Roses and Iron Maiden. Avenged Sevenfold has a unique sound and they are bringing real rock and roll back. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: M. Shadows shows everyone that he dosent give a fuck what anyone thinks. His voice is more trained and it really pays off. I really like how the band isnt hiding the fact that they drink, do drugs and like girls, I mean I'm sure all the bands at warped tour do but avenged sevenfold is the only band that prooves that they really dont give a shit. I love that attitude man. // 10

Impression: City Of Evil compares to Appiteite For Destruction I think. I love Guns N' Roses and Avenged Sevenfold is following right in their footsteps. Every single song on the album is my favorite, there's not one that I even mildy dislike or anything, it's a classic. // 10

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: Guitarplaya27, on may 01, 2007

Sound: Avenged Sevenfold's earlier albums were screaming, dark music, and just pure metalcore. Now they have slowed donw and added a little more harmonies to each and every song, the osngs are lighter and softer. Zacky and Syny show of their talents of soloing in the songs, Bat Country, The Wicked End, Beast And The Harlot, and Betrayed. They have many great harmonies such as Burn it Down, The Wicked End, Sidewinder, and Trashed And Scattered. The song that stands out the most would be Seize The Day, it's slow, acoustic, in regular tuning, and just a lot more melodic. The Rev "drummer" has found his true drumming skills. In Burn it Donw, the intro drumming part just tells you alot. If you listen to Beast And The Harlot, then you will see what I mean, the drums in there seriously sound like an octupus is hitting them. Johnny Christ "bassist" has a nice bass line in The Wicked End. // 8

Lyrics and Singing: Matt may not be able to scream, but he sure can sing. In some songs his voice is whiny aand high pitched and out of tune, but he tries. He still has that raspy voice though. Syn and Zacky Do an excellent job for backup singers. // 8

Impression: I would compare this to Waking The Fallen, there are twice as many harmonies, but the lack of dark riffs makes the albmus different musically. Lyrically, Waing the Fallen was mainly about death. This album has loads of different lyrics. Sining wise was the biggest change. It went from dark growling/screaming to a actual vpice. // 9

overall: 10

Reviewed by: JL Sevenfold, on may 01, 2007

Sound: Ok, this CD definetly sounds a lot diferent from their first two CDs. The first 5 songs on this CD are still loud, fast, and furious, but there is no longer screaming in this album, because of M. Shadows vocal cord injury. He can still sing, but some parts sound a little whiny, but hey, the album rocks enough to make up for it. Songs like Seize the Day and Strength of the World definetly sound unlike the previous music- these songs are slower, quieter, but nonetheless still rock. Synyster and Zacky still show their mindbending skill on guitar with songs like Bat Country, Beast and the Harlot, and The Wicked End. Johnny Christ throws in awesome bass solos in Blinded in Chains and The Wicked End intro, and the Reverend has a crazy drum solo in Beast and the Harlot. Overall, the CD is awesome, but longtime fans of A7X might not like how it's mellowed out somewhat. Best songs- Bat Country and Wicked End. Personally, I like this CD. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are good in this CD, especially The Wicked End, even though throughout the CD there are spots where Matt's voice sounds whiny, but it's overlookable. Matt can still sing, but there is no screaming on this CD unlike A7X's original music, except in the Beast and the Harlot intro/outro. // 10

Impression: This is definetly an awesome CD with unforgettable songs, but it's really not comparable to WTF and SST. This is only because the first two Cds and City of Evil sound a lot different from each other. The only problems with this CD are how it mellows out a little too much in songs 9 and 10, but the are still good songs, and how Matt sounds whiny, but again it's not a big deal. I actually had this CD stolen out of my locker at school one day, and went out and bought it along with their other CDs less than 2 days later, because they were so good. // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 01, 2007

Sound: People call them metal, some people call them punk-metal. I call them the future of heavy metal. This CD is alot different than their other two CDs (Waking The Fallen, Sounding The Seventh Trumpet). The guitarist are the best guitarists I know. They play very well and clean. More effects on this cd than last time. There are many musical moments in this when they have the boys choir and when the have the Spaghetti western intro. Two of the band members were co-cunductors I believe. They did a sweet job and I can't forget their scintillating guitr riffs like burn it down, Bat Country and almost every song you'll find a great guitar part. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics were very good and evil like usual. It fits in so well to the style of guitar they play. The singer is way better than the last two albums because of his throat surgery he can't scream so he sings more. // 10

Impression: Burn It Down, Bat Country and MIA are my favorite songs. Almost bought it twice. I would deffinately punch a retard, f--k a grandma and some other nasty s--t like that. Best musically inclined CD ever. // 10

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: fade2black2004, on may 01, 2007

Sound: The sound and music is great, they have really complicated solos, but also they have really easy melodic rhythm. It's very diffrent from the previous album in my opnion but that's definitely not a bad thing. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: I thought that the lyrics were amazing, I think they spend alot of time and they are very dedicated in ther music and it shows. Shadows voice is diffrent in this album then in Waking The Fallen but as I said before that is not a bad thing. // 9

Impression: This album is definatly one of the best to come out this year, I love the song MIA I think its amazing, there are parts in some songs where shadowsvoice gets really slow and weird but its not that big of a turn off to me I still think its an incredable CD, if it were stolen I would be so pissed I would have to go buy two more copies to be safe. // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 01, 2007

Sound: Avenged Sevenfold finally shows us what metal actually sounds like. It's not screams! Metal had no screamigng originally and I'm tired of people bad mouthing them because they changed their vocal approach. That said, M. Shadows shows off an impressive set of pipes. Synester Gates and Zacky Vengeance are impressive as always, esecially Gates who's leads can make even a seasoned guitar player sweat. Very well done. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The singing and guitar playing go hand in hand all the way through. Shadow's gravelly delivery is complimented by Gate's and Shadow's high octave singing durign choruses and other important moments. The song like Strength Of The World made me realize hoe powerless we all really are. Bat Country is just incredible and so is Burn It Down. // 10

Impression: Though different from their other 2 albums, this album does not dissapoint. They present another album of impressive sogn writign and composition. I would definitly buy this album again and again if it were stolen. // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 01, 2007

Sound: Awesome sound, cuts and everything its a masterpiece like it should be. I can stand people who don't like this band, but I can't stand people claiming they suck, or that this album is gay 'cause there is no screams or whatever. This album its probably the best metal album ever, you probably think I'm bullshitting but ill tell you my reasons. If you compare it to any metal album, band or whatever. This album will defenitely be the way higher in music quality than anything you might have listened. If you thought Dream Theater was a progressive and constant changer of styles, avenged's cd will make you change your mind. The solos, drum cuts, voices, choruses and overall sound its completely perfect. All the songs are really good, they set a "personal seal" and they are all complex songs. Forget Green Day and their 2 minutes 3 chords songs. This is an evolution of music, take it or leave it, but it takes a s--tload of music skills to understand such a great band. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: Lyrics are awesome, they fit that's something not every singer does. Shadow knows how to write and sing and even though there is some cursing in this album it's by no way near any other metal album you've heard. The lyrics are rich, they go along with the music perfectly and make a point from the begging to the end of the every single song. Choruses are fabulous, full of them but all excellent, they set a direction for the lyrics, in beast and harlot the chorus is amazing. It feels a completely different environment specificly set for that song. // 10

Impression: This album rocks, simply rocks, it has an outstanding s--tload of musical skills in the guitar, drums, base and singing. It's easy, this dudes know what they are doing and they are currently creating awesome stuff, and I'm not saying they've created a new music style but if you think the best Slayer, Pantera, GN'R, Metallica or your fav. band's song was hard to compose your gonna piss your pants with this songs, they have a bit of everything, the solos are awesome, but not just that, the drums cuts with the guitars speak for themselves. Anyways, give this album a try because if you don't like it, it's not gonna be because this guys suck. // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 01, 2007

Sound: One of the best CD's I've ever heard. This album is absolutely amazing. The sound quality is great and the music is even better. Synaster and Zacky are absolutely amazing guitarists who are right up there with Zepplin, Marley, and Clapton. The Rev is absolutely kick ass drummer and Shadows new and improved voice gives this album its wings to fly higher than any other. The variety of music is awesome and the the music has never lost A7X's heavy metal edge. If anything, these guys must have practice a whole lot between Wakin the Fallen and City of Evil. My favorite songs are Trashed and Scattered (which wields some godly guitar playin), Seize the Day (absolutely kick ass ballad), and MIA (really meaningful and amazingly played song). Some other great songs are Beast and the Harlot, Bat Country, and The Wicked End. If you dont like the band, thats cool, I can't change that. If you say they suck, you have absolutely no sense of great rock music. A7X forever! // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics on this album are great; especially in Seize the Day and MIA. Absolutely genius. The lead singer, M. Shadows, now possess an absolutely amazing singing voice. // 10

Impression: I love this album. I though Wakin the Fallen was a great album, but I was blown away by City of Evil. I hope A7X makes another album with the same qualities as this one. A7X rules! // 10

overall: 2.3

Reviewed by: Pure_Hatred, on may 01, 2007

Sound: My god, I mean, what the hell! I used to think A7X were one of the best bands in the universe, now I here 'Seize The Day' and I just want commit mass homicide, on everyone! I mean ok, M. Shadows vocal chords are screwed, he doesnt scream, I'm ok with that (although it didn't bother bert mc cracken god bless 'I'm') but did that give you any right to turn into a country rock band, with minor metal influences. The answer is no. // 2

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are just acceptable, but not as good as say the 'Waking The Fallen' album. if you fit the new lyrics to the old sound, I might even condiser stopping throwing darts at your poster everytime I go to bed. The lyrics fit well with the sound, they both are lame. // 4

Impression: A7X stole the music, if my copy which I bought out of faith was stolen, I'd jump for joy, infact I dont even no where my copy is, mabye it's got stolen, hope so. I'll keep listening to the old stuff to keep hope alive. // 1

overall: 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 01, 2007

Sound: The sound is so much differnt than than the other two albums. But it is a good thing it seems that all band today scream, don't get me wrong I love it. but it can get a littel repetitive after awhile. And every band that dosent scream freaking suckas. Avenged Sevenfold is the only band that can pull it off right. the song "Beast And The Harlot" is very '80s metal band sound. It sounded like a mix of pantera Iron Maden Guns N' Roses and well of course A7X. The song "Burn It Down" has one of the coolest riffs and the solo is freakin sweet. Oh there is a solo in ever song that is good. "Seize The Day" shows off how good M. Shadows can sing. He dosen't sing great in all the songs but that is ok. "Strenght Of The Worls" has a western thing in the intro and outro. And "The Wicked End" has a orchestra and choir in it all and all realy good. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: Lyrics at times can be a bit lacking at times and he uses the F-word to effing much to much cusing. // 6

Impression: Overall the album is awesome if you are metal fan you gotta get this one it is one of the best albums in a while if I could give it a 4.5 I would but I can't. // 8

overall: 6

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 01, 2007

Sound: The sound has improved from their other albums. Lots of catchy riffs and solos etc. Very good rhythm section. Problem is most songs sound the same with the chugging etc. The spanish part at the end of "Sidewinder" was a welcome change, and though I personally don't like the song, "Seize The Day," adds some much needed depth too the album. Again though, I feel the songs often sound too similar. // 8

Lyrics and Singing: I don't find anything impressive about the lyrics. The singing is decent, but I don't find Shadow's voice to be particularly compelling and sometimes find it just annoying. The harmonies can be soulful but they use far too much harmony and background singing. // 4

Impression: Get a couple songs but not the whole album. The songs all sound too similar. However A7X has lots of talent and make good music. I'm just waiting for something with a little more variety and excitement to it. // 6

overall: 6

Reviewed by: feesk8ordie, on may 01, 2007

Sound: The sound of this album is comparable to bands such as Trivium. Good guitar work, melodic rythm and some excellent lead guitar work. The sound is quite over-produced, as with so many albums, which I think takes away it's edge. A lot of the aggression and anger is lost. Either way, it's good to see heavy music being brought back into the mainstream. // 6

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics don't really stand out, but so what? This is heavy metal! It's not meant to be poignant and romantic. It's mant to rock, which this album does! // 5

Impression: Okay, so perhaps not an entirely unique and original sound, but these guys, along with bands like Trivium, System Of A Down and Killswitch Engage are bringing metal music back into the mainstream, and for thatalone, this album deserves credit. While it is not particularly deep or innovative, it's bands like these that are keeping metal alive (let's face it. Without any metal whatsoever in the mainstream, it would die) and above all, an enjoyable listen. // 7

overall: 3.7

Reviewed by: HIM%(^, on may 01, 2007

Sound: The sound is decend. Some of the riffs are good. You can definatly tell that they switched labels because their sound is alot happier and not as raw. Which is a bad thing. They do have some fairly decent solos on their album but when they play live, they really cant play them that well at all. They use a completly different guitar tone then on Waking The Fallen which I thought was their greatest and is a masterpeice. The guitar playing is the only thing holding this album togehter. // 6

Lyrics and Singing: I hate it. He sings and it sounds so gay. They just took the money route into gayness and sang. I loved how he screamed in Waking The Fallen then would sing. His singing was so rare that it was refreshing and had meaning and was soulful. Now they just sound like some other stupid emo band on MTV. Horrible. He sings really high and gay. He needs to start screaming again quick because this album makes him look like a pussy. I don't find the lyrics to have as much of a impact on me as Waking The Fallen. They don't have any thourough meaning. Waking The Fallen was gradually a story. A dark, myseterious story that was told fantasticly. This album has no central meaning and was basically made just so they could capitalize off the fact that they are now part of a major record label and can make money. I don't like the singing at all. The screaming was the best. // 3

Impression: I hate this album. It's so sad to see how such a great band with such great songwriting skills could turn into the generic MTV band. They used to be unique now they just aren't. Although they aren't my favorite band (Metallica is) I see this album as the st. Anger of A7X. I hate it and I hate the fact that a once really good underground band is now a blown out of proportion gay sounding emo band. They aren't as heavey in this album then in others and its way to melodic. It sounds happy and nowhere near as soulful as Waking The Fallen. The lack of screaming is just completly unlike A7X as their genre was once screamo. In music their are two roads. One road is creating great music and not making as much money, and the other is making other peoples music that stinks like shit and making a huge amount of money and being famous. Sadly they took the second road. It's really sad that they went this way. I bought this record not knowing what to expect and all it did was make me sad. I wouldn't buy it nor download it again because I never listen to it. If it were stolen I would be happier that I am left alone with their career masterpeice and unfortunatly a thing of the past. I hate this album. Most true fans do to. // 2

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: deathbat411, on may 01, 2007

Sound: Avenged Sevenfold has dropped screaming cold turkey. After M. Shadows's vocal surgery, he does not scream any more. But that is not neccessiraly a bad thing. Now that the screaming is gone Synester and Zacky needed to imrove their guitar now that it is hearable. With M. Shadows's clean, powerful voice, Synester Gate's and Zacky Vengeance's dueling harmonies and demonic riffs, Johnny Christ's low sounding bass breakdowns, and last but not least the Rev's insane feet and hands pounding away at the drums Avenged Sevenfolds new sound is nothing to complain about. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: Since M. Shadows has stopped screaming entirely he gives Avenged Sevenfold a more powerful sound. About the lyrics themselves, what can you say, the members of Avenged Sevenfold were kicked out of bible school. The opening song is about the fallen city of Babylon, and the following songs are about topics that range from wars, to just "piss off" songs, to songs about family members being killed, songs about life, songs about the end of the world, and a song about traveling through "Bat Country". // 10

Impression: City of Evil, in my opinion, is just as good as Waking the Fallen, and better than Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. I didn't mind the screaming in previous albums, but I also don't care if there is no screaming. I love the improved guitar work and the harmonized solos. A lot of the riffs are cool. As a bassist, I love the bass breakdowns in song such as "Blinded In Chains" and "Trashed And Scattered". I like all the songs on the album and this is one of the few albums that I can sit down, and listen to it all the way through. But, if I had to choose my favorites they would be: Beast And The Harlot, Trashed And Scattered, Seize The Day, The Wicked End, and M.I.A. If some one stole this album I'd buy a new one. (I getting sick of hearing what peeople would "do" to people if they stole it). Whatevs, just go buy this one. Period. // 9

overall: 10

Reviewed by: ShrimpthePimp, on may 01, 2007

Sound: This album is very different from their previous album, Waking the Fallen. Their singer, M. Shadow, no longer screams like he did in like every song on WTF (Waking The Fallen). The guitar work on City of Evil is really awesome, like the song M.I.A for example. The dual guitar solo's are a thing of beauty, like the song Bat Country. The guitar work just flows throughout every song. "Sidewinder" really shows off their talent, and they end it with a amazing acoustic solo, and I personally wish they would have kept going with it. "The Wicked End" is another amazing song, with a orchestra part coming in around the middle of the song. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics hit in to the songs nicely. The song "Beast And The Harlot" is taken from the Bible, in the book of Revelations, "Blinded In Chains" shows the bands view of war, and "Seize The Day" is a emotionally packed song. "Betrayed" is a song dedicated to Dimebag (R.I.P), and "M.I.A" sort of takes inside the mind of a soldier in the war. M. Shadows voice has certainly changed since Waking the Fallen, but they are still great. // 10

Impression: This band has definitely changed since their last two albums, and according to them, they're going to change with again for their 4th album. The songs that stick out the most when I hear this are a bunch; The Wicked End, Sidewinder, M.I.A, and Betrayed. But, I still love all the other songs on the album. Avenged Sevenfold are a bunch of young talented people. If this was ever stolen, I would definitely buy it again, after I hunt down the creep that took it at least. // 10

overall: 9.7

Reviewed by: PunkRocka182, on may 01, 2007

Sound: The album starts off with a theatrical sounding guitar lick, the intro to "Beast And The Harlot" which is one of the best tracks on the album. This A7X album is different to there previous albums because there is little screaming, where as on the othere's there are. The main thing about this album is the guitar solos, they are awesome! // 9

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics on this album are very good, some of the best being in the final song of the album M.I.A ("Walk the city lonely, memories that haunt are passing by, A murderer walks your streets tonight, Forgive me for my crimes"). The singer, M Shadows has a distinctive voice, but he had to give up screaming for this album as it was doing damage to his vocal chords. // 10

Impression: A few of the most impressive tracks from this album are "Beast and the Harlot," "Bat Country" (has amazing guitar work on it), "Sidewinder" (has spanish guitar solo at the end), "Seize the Day" and "M.I.A". I love this album for it's guitar solos and lyrics, however the tracks are very long. If this album was stole the would be only 1 thing I could do, hunt down the dude who stole it and steal it back! // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: AvengedZeppelin, on may 01, 2007

Sound: When I first heard Bat Country, I knew I liked Avenged Sevenfold, and got City of Evil. I listened, and I was completely blown away. The ultra-fast solos and hypnotizing main riffs are so catchy that I have listened to the whole album nonstop many times. The album has a type of song for everyone, including slower rock songs like Sieze the Day. It is obvious that Zacky and Synister's skill went through the roof since Waking the Fallen. In the new album, Zacky plays much harder rhythm parts that are actually heard. In Unholy Confessions, on Waking the Fallen, Zacky just plays harmony parts to Synister's parts most of the time. Synister has gotten exponentially better at solos, and crafts his leads well. The Rev has blazing drum parts that are unforgettable and go perfectly with every single song. Jhonny Christ is breaking the Green-Day type mold that says bass parts are easier to play, and the same as the guitar parts. This thought is destroyed with songs like The Wicked End, where the bass part is harder to play than the guitar part. Overall, the actual sound of the guitars, bass, and drums is so much better than the previous albums. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are perfect in this album. At times, they can be sad, angry, or, rarely, joyful. The lyrics are a huge improvement over the other albums. Shadows really didn't have a choice to stop scraming because he had surgery on his vocal cords, and can't scream to the extent of the other albums. The lyrics are straight from the bible in Beast and the Harlot, and it comes from chapters 18 and 19 of Revelations. There isn't a bible here as I write this, so find it yourself, I know it's there. Chapter 4 of Genesis says that if anyone killed Cain, he would be avenged sevenfold, which is obviously where the name of the band comes from, so the band is not a stranger to taking lyrics from the bible. All the lyrics are well thought out, and if you listen to them closely, some of them include Matt Sanders's whole family dying, not just Strength of the World. If the singing style hadn't changed, I would not have bought the CD. // 10

Impression: The songs Beast and The Harlot and Bat country have the best solos on the album, and Burn it Down, and Blinded in Chains have the best presentation. Trashed and scattered has a darker mood, with matching lyrics. Sieze thhe Day has overtones of death, and comes through as a lighter song, but the music video brings it back as an A7X song, with the solo on the coffin. Sidewinder and The Wicked End are the most different songs, but both are good nonetheless. Strength of the World is about Shadows's family dying, and his lyrics say, "I've seen my family fade away, you've taken my whole life, there's nothing left to say" during the bridge. Betrayed is a great song in memory of Dimebag Darrell, and is a song of such quality that it may become one of the greatest ever, just because of how addicting the main riff is. MIA is about the war in Iraq, and that's all that is needed to be said. Every song is impressive, and this is one of the few that you can buy just because you like one song, since if you like one, you'll like them all, and there is nothing to hate. If you only liked A7X for the screaming of the previous albums, you really aren't a fan of Avenged Sevenfold, you're just a fan of the genre. If you haven't heard of Waking the Fallen yet, listen to some of the tracks there, and without the screaming, this album sounds so much better. Argue all you want, but A7X is the best band that is still playing today. If my copy of City of Evil was stolen, I honestly would file a police report, buy three more copies, put one in a safe, one in a security deposit box in a bank, and use the other. Yeah. They're that good. // 10

overall: 6

Reviewed by: shhaannt, on may 01, 2007

Sound: I didn't like avenged sevenfold's sound on this album. I know that Avenged Sevenfold tried to write this album on the road so that must have been a factor of the album's sound, they also switched record lables, so that's probably another reason why they have a diffrent sound. I can tell that they went in a more melodic direction, on Zacky and Synyster's part(guitars). They've personaly gotten worse overall, other then the fact that the guitars kind of improved, because they have more solos now. // 6

Lyrics and Singing: the lyrics seem darker then their last album (Waken The Fallen). for example the song "The Wicked End" is all about armagedon and wen jesus is coming back for judgment day. their getting too dark for their genre. they should stick 2 love problems and cutting. I hate that they don't scream any more, their sellouts, just because their new record company told them to stop screaming they did! M.Shadow is a great singer but this album kills it for him! // 7

Impression: No this album doesn't compare to any other album they have released, or any other album I've ever heard. the ONLY songs I like are the "Wiked End", "Bat Country", and "Strength Of The World." I like the guitar techniques they use on this album, with the arpegios, to sweeps, to the tremelo picking, and great solos. but I don't like the fact that they don't scream anymore! I wouldn't replace this album if it were stolen or lost, I have better Avenged Sevenfold albums (Waking The Fallen, and Sounding The Seventh Trumpet) . // 5

overall: 10

Reviewed by: 666James666, on july 24, 2008

Sound: Most metalcore bands get trapped in their own stagnation. Not Avenged Sevenfold. I don't think they could even be labelled metalcore at this point - I'm not sure there's a label for them at all. They truly have caught onto something they can call all their own. "City Of Evil" may be a little mature for their current fanbase to handle, but regardless, it's the next logical step for this band who never cease to progress. Based on the songs I had heard before I received my copy of "City Of Evil", I had the album pegged all wrong. Those tracks, "Beast & The Harlot" and "Trashed & Scattered" were both epic and anthemic respectively and seemed to be pretty much exactly where I would've expected Avenged Sevenfold to go following "Waking The Fallen". There were no screams, but you won't find those anywhere on "City Of Evil" as singer M. Shadows burst some blood vessels in his throat. He still has those wonderful clean vocals that so many other bands attempt to do, but fail. The vocals are just one radical change A7X have taken. As if they don't put enough of a twist on the band's sound alone, the group have written their most expansive and unrestrained album to date. They've also let their guitarists shine moreso on "City Of Evil" than ever before. We knew they were competent with a few solos on "Waking The Fallen", but pretty much every song on "City Of Evil" has at least one solo in the blazing category. "Sidewinder" ends with a flamenco guitar lead that is really mind-blowing. "Beast & The Harlot" has a solo that would make even the most triumphant of power metal acts nod in approval. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: I'd say that Avenged Sevenfold were listening to a lot of Pantera, Sonata Arctica and Dream Theater during the writing sessions for "City Of Evil". The vocal patterns are the most adventurous they've ever been. I'd expect this from M. Shadows though. Since he doesn't have a scream to rely on, he certainly was going to compensate with a versatile performance. Some of his new vocal styles are a little tough to get used to, but once you notice how they fit in with the music, it works out. // 10

Impression: On a whole, I think "City Of Evil" is not going to be as immediately digestable as previous A7X offerings were. A lot has changed in the Avenged Sevenfold camp since "Waking The Fallen" and it took me a few listens to really see where the band were on "City Of Evil" and to appreciate it. If you're expecting instant catchiness and gratification, you're going to be severely disappointed. However, I think this is something the band's fans can get used to and really grow to love. Hell, "City Of Evil" might be the album to get metalcore out of it's current funk, because it damn sure needs a savior. Some people would question why I even review Avenged Sevenfold albums on my website. They're not really a metal band. There is no answer that's going to please most of the readers of the site, but I can tell you that I continue to do so because they continue to bowl me over with each album they release. // 10

overall: 9

Reviewed by: einar, on may 01, 2007

Sound: Avenged sevenfold are the band everyone slags off and insults, I don't think many could insult after listening to this album, with it's deadly guitar riffs and brilliant guitar combination & guitar and bass combination, as well as some well timed and varied drumming, city of evil should really silence their critics. It may only have 11 songs but it is not a short album by any means, each song counting nearly five minutes at least. Packed with plenty of guitar solos, 1 in virtually every song. The playing style has changed slightly from previous albums but I think it has paid off. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics combine with the music very well and in some songs the guitar mimics the vocals perfectly, some may compare the vocals to that of faith no more. Shadows singing skills seem to have improve from previous albums and the rythm goes well with the music. However the vocal look like they would be hard to play live and recordings would have to be put in on some songs. // 8

Impression: This album competes with the best of them. The most impressive songs for me are bat country, trashed and scattered and MIA which is slow to get into but turns into a great song. If all my CD's were stolen, this would be the first I would replace, and I have a lot of CD's. // 10

overall: 9.7

Reviewed by: llama_slap, on may 01, 2007

Sound: This CD is amazing, and I'm sick of hearing people bash it. The sound is much different from their previous records, no screaming, crazier guitar playing, etc. Personally, I think that their music has gotten progressively better with each CD, while many will disagree with this. It is just one of those cds that you either love or hate, but definately give it a listen if you have a chance. And if you read my Waking the Fallen review, disregard it. I wrote it when I haden't really listen closely to this CD! // 10

Lyrics and Singing: I don't know why, but the cursing gets annoying. Everything else is great. Some of the songs tell a story, like The Beast and the Harlot. The songs whose lyrics stuck out to me that I can think of right now are M.I.A., Seize The Day, and Sidewinder. The lyrics go great with the music, and the singing is good. Though at the end of M.I.A. M. Shadows' voice gets annoying because he gets up to really high notes and sounds like he has a cock stuck up his nose. // 9

Impression: This is their best album, hands down. A7X are now one of my favorite bands. Here is my breakdown of each song:

01. The Beast And The Harlot - good song, but some parts could've been better. Great guitar playing and awesome solo, though.
02. Burn It Down - very good song. Another cool solo and sweet guitar riffs.
03. Blinded In Chains - Political song. Would've been a ten if some of the dumb parts were shaved off to make the song shorter.
04. Bat Country - good song, but got annoying after hearing it all of the time. Great solo and I love the sweep picking. Check out my tab of this song!
05. Trashed And Scattered - (boy it's hard to get a ten out of me) good, but the bridge parts are kinda gay. Awesome guitars again.
06. Sieze The Day - slower song, but very good. The sweep solo at the end is amazing, and the lyrics are great.
07. Sidewinder - this song is good all the way through. Cool Spanish guitars in the end, awesome guitar-especially the dual solo(amazing) and sweep part is very cool, great lyrics, you can't go wrong here.
08. The Wicked End - some parts could be cut. I remember the 1st time I listened to the lead intro music and just being like WOW! I have to learn that. I also think that the prechorus (only music part) has some of the best music on the CD.
09. Strength Of The World - cool, heavy riffs, nice dual guitar work, acoustic and slide guitars used also. Long song, but good all the way through. Starts out slow, but picks up.
10. Betrayed - this song did not hold my attention past the nice intro music. I know it's a tribute to Dimebag, but it sucks nonetheless.
11. MIA - I could go on forever about this song, it is probably my favorite (probably). My favorite guitar work on the cd and maybe ever is after the second chorus, where Zacky and Synyster play the dual part. It goes great with the lyrics. The music all the way thru is great and holy shitzu, the solo is crazy! Awesome lyrics.

M.I.A. and Sidewinder are my favorites on the CD, but every song except Betrayed was impressive. I would buy it again in a heartbeat if anything happened to it. // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: alienboy18241, on may 01, 2007

Sound: I have many great albums, from Guns N' Roses to the Metallica Black CD, and this is easily the greatest album of all time. Def. not for add people, shortest song 5 minutes long. This CD mixes unbelievalbe solos with intense power chords. Everything from high speed distortion to acoustic. Go buy this CD no matter what the cost is. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: Lyrics are strong and meaningful. They deny any hints of religion in their song, but you can find biblical references in everyone, making this album more than just hard punk metal. M. Shadows fits the lyrics in with the guitar sounds perfectly, and is an amazing singer. // 10

Impression: As for every song being great, I would compare this to the Black CD (Metallica) and is def. worth buying. My personal favorite song is strength of the world, even with over 9 minutes of playing time. Most in your face song is still Beast And The Harlot. If you don't have this album yet, your missing out on a lot, go get it! // 10

overall: 9.7

Reviewed by: PalmMuted, on may 01, 2007

Sound: Avenged Sevenfold's sound is un-believable in my own opinion. There aren't that many bands that can pull off an album so fully packed with great songs and screeching guitar riffs made by Zacky and Synyster. It's so amazing how creative this band can be with their music, from clever licks from Zacky and Synster, to The Rev's beats on the drums. As soon as you hear The Beast and The Harlot you know its an Avenged Sevenfold record. Although different from less screaming due to M. Shadow's surgery. The A7X is still there. You can also pickout the influences throughout this packed CD. Such as the heavy power chords from The Misfits and the crazy solos from Guns N' Roses. This is a power-packed album. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: Although I am a huge Avenged Sevenfold fan, I am not that very fond of M. Shadow's overall singing skills. But his singing skills somehow blend in with the different styles of music contributed into this album. Even throughout the album M. Shadow's lets out some of his influences like in the song Trashed & Scattered, you can hear him pulling off his Axl Rose singing. But he still shows his softer side of his voice such as in Seize The Day. I love the lyrics though, unlike some bands with the same old rubbage they repeat every song. M. Shadow's tells a story with his lyrics that he preachs. // 9

Impression: With my overall impression of this album, I think it is a great follow up to Waking The Fallen. The songs are heavy and sometimes catchy and wants to make you listen more and more. Some songs that really impressed me on this album were: "The Beast And The Harlot", "Burn It Down", "Bat Country", "The Wicked End" and "M.I.A.". There is something about the guitar riffs and solos in this album that makes me as soon as I hear it pick up a guitar and play along with it. If this album was stolen or lost I would buy it again for sure. This album is a complete masterpiece! // 10