Diamonds In The Rough Review

Released: Sep 16, 2008
Genre: Hard Rock, Metalcore
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Number Of Tracks: 11
Avenged Sevenfold’s latest CD/DVD Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough is likely to reinforce the love-hate relationship the band has with audiences.

Sound:	8.5
Lyrics:	8
Impression:	9
Overall rating:	8.5
Users rating:	9.1
Comments:	114

overall: 8

Featured review by: UG Team, on october 23, 2008

Sound: I seem to recall there being quite a split among Ultimate-Guitar users during 2007’s end-of-the-year “best-of” poll, with one particular band causing the greatest division. The group in question was Avenged Sevenfold, and in many ways the quintet’s latest CD/DVD release Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough is a good indication why there is such a rift. Namely I’m referring to the DVD portion, which broadcasts the best and worst of the band. On one hand you get exceptional guitarists and some truly catchy melodies, on the other hand Avenged Sevenfold often has a tendency to convey the “I’m-a-big-rock-star attitude.” Some DVD viewers out there might not even take notice of it, and in the end Avenged Sevenfold does at least know how to put on an engaging show.

The CD portion, Diamonds in the Rough, features quite a few bonus tracks and/or intended B-sides from the self-titled album of 2007. If you purchased the original 10-track version of the Avenged Sevenfold CD, the new release should have quite a bit of unheard material for you. The studio quality is just as strong as any of the singles, with every track emphasizing the amazing technique of guitarists Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates. Highlights in that area include the insanely good scale-oriented solo on “Demons” and the bluesier, Slash-like “Tension.”

The CD includes alternate versions of the hits “Almost Easy” and “Afterlife, ” although the changes aren’t radically dramatic. “Almost Easy” feels very much like the original except for a few tweaks, while “Afterlife” does feature the addition of a string section. Avenged Sevenfold takes a stab at a few covers as well, with Iron Maiden’s “Flash The Blade” and Pantera’s “Walk” making it onto the playlist. While the guitar work is flawless on “Flash The Blade, ” it’s hard to equal the charisma of Bruce Dickinson’s delivery. They fair better with “Walk, ” with vocalist M. Shadows doing a fantastic job of matching the manly grunts of Phil Anselmo and Vengeance providing a fitting homage to Dimebag.

Going back to the DVD, which was filmed at the Long Beach Arena on April 10, 2008, it definitely keeps your attention and not every band can accomplish that. The only slight annoyance – and it might not bother anyone else out there – is the air of cockiness. There are panties thrown onstage at various points in the concert and Shadows knows he has the crowd wrapped around his finger. There are moments when it does seem like he’s emulating Axl Rose (complete with aviator shades), but if he can pull it off, more power to him. And hey, Motley Crue thrived on attitude/sex during their shows, so you can’t be too mad at Avenged Sevenfold for bringing out a few dancing girls during the course of their show. // 8

Lyrics and Singing: It’s very likely that you’ve already heard a good number of the songs performed on the DVD, and if you’re an Avenged Sevenfold devotee, the B-sides/bonus songs might be old news as well. However, if you haven’t had an opportunity to hear any of the newly released material, you shouldn’t be disappointed in terms of the lyrics. “Girl I Know” might be on the sleazier side, but in general you get a good mix of topics, with the songs “Tension” and “Demons” standing out as a few of the strongest offerings. // 8

Impression: In terms of setting out to entertain the masses, the CD/DVD Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough accomplishes the mission. The CD feels very much like another fresh studio release if you haven’t been exposed to the B-sides, while the DVD features a sound mix that is just as strong as if it was also recorded in the studio. The band does deserve credit for adding a little personality into their extras section, too. There are several humorous skits featuring the band members, and they actually evoke some chuckles here and there. If you felt a disconnect with the band onstage, the offstage antics are likely to change your opinion. Out of everything on the DVD, it was most refreshing to see that a successful, panty-receiving band like Avenged Sevenfold still might juts be a bunch of average Joes when they don’t have thousands of screaming girls in front of them. // 8

overall: 9

Reviewed by: tonyloaf23, on february 25, 2009

Sound: This CD is great! The only song on here I don't care for is Flash of the Blade (which is an Iron Maiden cover). Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengance have really outdone theirselfs on this CD. The riffs are awesome and in your face,and the solos are mind blowing! "Girl I Know"(Track 2)is probably the best song on their. "Demons" and "Crossraods" are also great,But of course it is A7X. This CD has more of a hard rock feel to it unlike their last one,Self Titled,Which leaned more on the metal side. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics, much like the guitars, are amazing! "Girl I Know" has awesome lyrics and really gives you a good idea about the girl he is singing about. The singing blends sooo well with the heavier riffs, such as "Crossroads". M. Shadows has an amazing talent and a very wide vocal range. It's a shame that he damaged his voice though, which leads to the screamless songs on all their CD's past "Waking The Fallen". // 8

Impression: In a nutshell, this is a great album! I wouldn't say it's their best,but it is pretty close to it! The most impressive song would probably have to be "Girl I Know". The singing is great, the lyrics are great,the guitars are great (and just about impossible to play), and even the drums and bass kick you @$$ too! The next best would be "Crossroads",then "Demons",followed by "The Fight". I could go on to name the rest but I better wrap this up. If I was to have this stolen or lost I would definately buy it again! // 10

Comments

[TabsAf]

Other than a small spelling mistake, the review is very thorough and fair, like a review I would give, good job!

[Marcus Carlzon]

this is freaking awesome

[A7X43]

This guy is definatly right about the Shadows-Rose connection. Axl is on the frontpage along with this and they do look very similar.

[Unubuh]

Awesane!!

[E.G]

Vengeance fitting homage to Dimebag? Isn't Synyster lead?

[white_ninja12]

sweeet.

[thistypeofthink]

I think "Until the End" (off of the "Diamonds in the Rough" CD) is actually one of their best songs to date.

[rasinañte]

E.G wrote:

Vengeance fitting homage to Dimebag? Isn't Synyster lead?

They switch off.

[cry4stewie]

im not sure if i want to get this cd who ever gets it tell me how it was

[cry4stewie]

im not sure if i want this cd someone get it and tell me how it is

[noodlegts]

I own this CD/DVD..

The DVD is great.. the footage is really good and boy do these guys know how to put on a show! The recording quality is really good with the exception of a couple solos that I thought weren't loud enough. They do tend to play more of their new material, but if you're a fan of the old stuff (like me) there's a couple classics, although nothing really from the first album.

On the CD/music side: I would say they are good songs generally.. however they are not as good as the music on City of Evil / A7x, which was written about the same time. There's simple reason for that - these are the tracks that never made it to the albums! Despite that, they're still pretty good, especially Demons and Girl I know.

If you're an A7X fan, get it now. If you're not the DVD is still a good one although the songs may not be as appealing.

[PeteMatcheck]

Yeah great review, I'm surprised "Until the End" wasn't mentioned though, its an amazing song

[Toolshed#9]

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.

[the1]

The DVD I felt was awesome. They have an ai of cockiness but at least they can pull it off- the are having fun.
The CD is MUCH better than the latest album. I love it.

[PeteMatcheck]

Toolshed....lol. He's not a guitar GOD or anything, but to say he's mediocre is just ignorant.

[noodlegts]

Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.

That's just not true. I will agree that he is over-rated (to say that he's a God would be silly), but I don't think he's mediocre in any way. He is very technically skilled and puts it to good use on songs like Bat Country, Beast and the Harlot, and Afterlife. Just like all the greats, you can recognize his playing just from hearing it, and that says a lot.

I will give you this though - sometimes his solos don't have as much character as the ones I mentioned above.. then it's just an average guy playing fast. That takes away (just a little) from the times that he does play a really fun/creative solo.

Either way, not mediocre at all..

[Rinky]

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.

Are you kidding me? Synyster is an amazing guitarist...

[uberphreak]

PeteMatcheck wrote:

Toolshed....lol. He's not a guitar GOD or anything, but to say he's mediocre is just ignorant.

+1

Anyway I haven't had the chance to check out this DVD yet but this review makes it sound pretty good. I didn't even know about all the extra songs!

[PeteMatcheck]

Its great, I got it as soon as it came out look up a few songs on youtube- Until the end, Tension, The Fight

[Izzy_Bryce]

Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.

Okay Mr. Guitar Hero, ur tellin me if they needed to replace him, they would take u?

[git-airman]

E.G wrote:

Vengeance fitting homage to Dimebag? Isn't Synyster lead?

yes but sometimes the solo or lead gets handed over, ,like mr.brownstone having a solo done by izzy, and whiskey in the jar had hetfield play the solo.

[PerturbedGenius]

Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.

Hey Toolbag(..or..shed..or..what ever your name is), I think you named yourself perfectly. Before you go passing judgments about anything related to music again, you should get your ears checked and/or properly trained.

I agree with PeteMatcheck completely. No, Syn isn't the best guitarist the world has ever seen, however to say that he's mediocre show's your lack of musical knowledge and ability. Syn Gates is truly an accomplished musician that has brought the art of a shredding guitar solo back into the forefront. He has yet to do anything that makes him truly unique, but he has done an amazing job at showing the world that us kids who grew up in the 90's and early 2000's can rock just as hard as the greats.

Something that most bands of today lack is a guitarist with some real chops in combination with the confidence to use them. Syn Gates has proven himself on every album to be ever growing as a player and a song writer and I for one am simply waiting for someone like him to step away from the rest as a guitar god for the new generation.

And I digress, Brian Haner Jr.(aka Synyster Gates) is not a guitar God yet, but I believe he is possibly one in the making.

[AXE187]

self titled was such a disappointment. if these are tracks that didnt make the final cut for that..... they probably suck

[Tapping_Ninja]

Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.

That's if you compare him to people like Micheal Romeo, Satch, Vai, Rhoads, Dime, and other great guitar players that his playing is influenced by...

[CelestialChaos]

rasinañte wrote:

E.G wrote:

Vengeance fitting homage to Dimebag? Isn't Synyster lead?
They switch off.

No, they don't. Synyster plays the solos, and Zacky harmonizes. Syn plays the Walk solo.

[LeeSmellyFinger]

if you go and look at his guitar solos live I really cant see how people reguard him as an amzing guitarist. I guess he has got the Slash effect on people =/.

[LeeSmellyFinger]

Tapping_Ninja wrote:

Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.


That's if you compare him to people like Micheal Romeo, Satch, Vai, Rhoads, Dime, and other great guitar players that his playing is influenced by...

who else are you ment to compare him too???

[FrasmineIero]

Brian is his real name guys. Not Syn. and Brian is lead, Zack is his rhythm. Oh, and btw he really doesn't suck. Go to one of their shows and watch his solos from the barrier, fricken amazing.


And man, to me it doesn't matter how cocky they get. They deserve it. They're been around twice as long as the majority of popular bands today, 9 years people.

and on another note, I'm surprised the writer of this review didn't mention the song Dancing Dead. That's probably the best song on the album.

[FrasmineIero]

PerturbedGenius wrote:

Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.


Hey Toolbag(..or..shed..or..what ever your name is), I think you named yourself perfectly. Before you go passing judgments about anything related to music again, you should get your ears checked and/or properly trained.

I agree with PeteMatcheck completely. No, Syn isn't the best guitarist the world has ever seen, however to say that he's mediocre show's your lack of musical knowledge and ability. Syn Gates is truly an accomplished musician that has brought the art of a shredding guitar solo back into the forefront. He has yet to do anything that makes him truly unique, but he has done an amazing job at showing the world that us kids who grew up in the 90's and early 2000's can rock just as hard as the greats.

Something that most bands of today lack is a guitarist with some real chops in combination with the confidence to use them. Syn Gates has proven himself on every album to be ever growing as a player and a song writer and I for one am simply waiting for someone like him to step away from the rest as a guitar god for the new generation.

And I digress, Brian Haner Jr.(aka Synyster Gates) is not a guitar God yet, but I believe he is possibly one in the making.

I agree. And I'm also glad you said his real name as well.

[TenaciousLSD]

rasinañte wrote:

E.G wrote:

Vengeance fitting homage to Dimebag? Isn't Synyster lead?

They switch off.

actually synyster plays leads, zacky only does leads during dual leads, and on warmness on the sould which was before synyster even joined

[dildotron]

I agree with him, good review!

[lespaulfromhell]

if girls would dance half naked for my band... i would totally have them do it on-stage.

[skindred]

i preferred waking the fallen out of all the albums when they were more on the lines of metalcore, now they're just any other band, mediocre vocals, drums and yes guitar.

gimme machine head or lamb of god anyday

[noodlegts]

lespaulfromhell wrote:

if girls would dance half naked for my band... i would totally have them do it on-stage.

Totally...

[synystergrace.]

FrasmineIero wrote:

Brian is his real name guys. Not Syn. and Brian is lead, Zack is his rhythm. Oh, and btw he really doesn't suck. Go to one of their shows and watch his solos from the barrier, fricken amazing.


And man, to me it doesn't matter how cocky they get. They deserve it. They're been around twice as long as the majority of popular bands today, 9 years people.

and on another note, I'm surprised the writer of this review didn't mention the song Dancing Dead. That's probably the best song on the album.

id say you have a very good point there. they deserve to be a little cocky. when youve been around for nine years (as said above) you know youve done something right. and if their fans are fine with it (which they are) then whats the point of fighting? their fans allready know theyre amazing so why cant they show it off a little more?

and whats with all this talk about Brian? im a great fan of avenged and syn is my guitar idol, its hard for me to admit but i know that hes not the best. but then, yes he is an exceptional guitarist. he one of the people that make a7x so distinct and unique in sound. so does matt, you dont hear a voice like that often. avenged may have changed their sounds a bit, but that doesnt make them any better or worse. they may have made the songs "Girl, I Know" and "A Little Piece Of Heaven" which dont show off their skills to their full potential but people need to remember they play amazing songs like on City Of Evil, Waking The Fallen, and some on their self titiled. and you cant say that no other artist hasnt made a dissapointing song. no band will be perfect and avenged sure isnt living to meet everyones expectations. theyre making the kind of music they like, if you dont like it then dont listen to it. end of story.

[wontu]

i didn't really like the songs, probably going to listen to them again now.
but did any one notice on the solo for second heartbeat on the dvd ( i think ) syn like stops playing, idk if he did it on purpose or not, anyone see it?

[Lohnanmilitia]

the only thing that pissed me off about the DVD was that its edited so choppy. Its almost like a strobe of images. Its great quality, they just over did the editing. The cd is amazing all the way through. I love the afterlife version on here.

[ansem1]

the only thing tha t sucks arethe camera angles

[Newbs28]

Lohnanmilitia wrote:

the only thing that pissed me off about the DVD was that its edited so choppy. Its almost like a strobe of images. Its great quality, they just over did the editing. The cd is amazing all the way through. I love the afterlife version on here.

They did seem like they were going for a MTV feeling when it came to the numerous camera angles changing constantly. Overall it was a good CD/DVD an if you are a fan of their new album I would recommend getting it

[A7Xinsane]

PerturbedGenius wrote:

Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.

Hey Toolbag(..or..shed..or..what ever your name is), I think you named yourself perfectly. Before you go passing judgments about anything related to music again, you should get your ears checked and/or properly trained.

I agree with PeteMatcheck completely. No, Syn isn't the best guitarist the world has ever seen, however to say that he's mediocre show's your lack of musical knowledge and ability. Syn Gates is truly an accomplished musician that has brought the art of a shredding guitar solo back into the forefront. He has yet to do anything that makes him truly unique, but he has done an amazing job at showing the world that us kids who grew up in the 90's and early 2000's can rock just as hard as the greats.

Something that most bands of today lack is a guitarist with some real chops in combination with the confidence to use them. Syn Gates has proven himself on every album to be ever growing as a player and a song writer and I for one am simply waiting for someone like him to step away from the rest as a guitar god for the new generation.

And I digress, Brian Haner Jr.(aka Synyster Gates) is not a guitar God yet, but I believe he is possibly one in the making.

+1

[muse-ik]

Shadows has always had the aviators though, and maybe he's trying to emulate Axl with them, but they're his thing now too.

[timpryor]

I found this very fair and unbiased...but...IMO, their version of Flash of the Blade was horrible...ONLY because of Shadows.
I honestly do believe Syn is a guitar God...but, that's just one man's opinion.

[dimebagdarrell9]

E.G wrote:

Vengeance fitting homage to Dimebag? Isn't Synyster lead?

I think ZV did the whole song and Synyster did just the solo, but I don't know how reliable my source is, lol

Checked.

[syngates07]

A Little Piece of Heaven is badass live.

[phasesevenfold]

Yeah if you listen close to each solo, you can pick out Zacky's and Syn's solos by their distortion. I think UG got this wrong tho, i think it was Syn's solo but if it was Zacky it'd be fine.

and iMo, Flash of the Blade was great. A little lacking in energy, but that's kinda what A7X has become lately. Nothing like the good ol days =]

[thistypeofthink]

Just to mention one thing, even though Syn's the lead guitarist, Zacky actually wrote (and plays live) the main lead in "Scream" (Syn does the solo in Scream though). The DVD that came with the self-titled album talks about that.

[Mix Master]

I think it's funny how angry A7X fans continually attack Tool for assaulting their guitarist "rollseyes"

[llamaloser]

Tool ROCKS

[chickenkicker]

am i the only one likes the song called 'dancing dead' from diamonds

[red_hot_chili18]

mite get this

[IlikeMetal]

I honestly do not like avenged sevenfold live; they don't seem to be able to play their instruments to well. That goes especially for the guitarists, but they are better live than atreyu's guitarists that's for sure (love atreyu, but absolutely the worst live band ive seen).

just my opinion.

[awsomeguitarguy]

hes talking about "tension" and "demon" where the hell is he getting his info??? those arent songs by A7X, please tell if you know about this

[PedophilePriest]

A7x are a great band, cockiness and all. I'm totally sick of Tool and their
odd metered crap that sounds the same on every album.

[Toki Wartooth7]

i was gonna write a big schpeel about what i think about A7X but heres the jist:
Fair review. I used to like A7X, now i can't stand their new stuff(guitar does kick ass still). Yes, they are cocky. I thought that happened years ago. They are taleneted musicians but i think they are a bunch of rich wimps now. Maybe they will bring back glam-rock. Thats a joke, but seriously, they were metal(this is open to arguement) before and now...refined, over produced, lack of feeling, soft(shadows is not a great singer and since he doesn't scream now, it sucks), radio friendly b/s. I am slightly interested to listen the album and check out the DVD, though.

[thistypeofthink]

chickenkicker wrote:

am i the only one likes the song called 'dancing dead' from diamonds

Nope, that's my 2nd favorite off of "Diamonds in the Rough" (behind "Until the End"). Love the solo in that song. The whole song is like "And All Things Will End" meets "Trashed and Scattered" meets "I Won't See You Tonight Part II," it's great.

[Toki Wartooth7]

forgot to say. Saw A7X when waking the fallen came out then when city of evil came out. very diferent. liked the old show more. And why are people talking about tool? TOOL is GREAT band. A7X is a GOOD band. but its hard to compare them

[JohnnyChimpo241]

thistypeofthink wrote:

Just to mention one thing, even though Syn's the lead guitarist, Zacky actually wrote (and plays live) the main lead in "Scream" (Syn does the solo in Scream though). The DVD that came with the self-titled album talks about that.

oops, accidentally hit enter...

yes he did write the chromatic thing from scream, but they both play it live, not just zacky.

[bassplayer18A7X]

E.G wrote:

Vengeance fitting homage to Dimebag? Isn't Synyster lead?

Yes Syn is Lead.

[fagelamusgtr]

I thought Diamonds in the Rough was really good for seemingly coming out of the blue. My favorite song was the fight. Both the DVD and CD are beastly. I need to get it soon, but its not at the local shop.....

[thistypeofthink]

JohnnyChimpo241 wrote:

oops, accidentally hit enter...

yes he did write the chromatic thing from scream, but they both play it live, not just zacky.

right.....sorry, was just putting out a quick response initially and didn't make that clear.....pretty cool to see Zacky still writing some lead stuff.....I'm still impressed with his work from Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (Syn only played on "To End The Rapture" on that album of course)

[goon316]

I could care less if they act like rockstars or not. I just a band based on the music they create, like all people should. They have defiantely gotten a lot better technically live which shows they do want to be great musicians. They write cool stuff and while its more radio friendly it doesnt make any of their newer stuff terrible, just different.

[JMan 240]

Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.

Mediocre guitarists slap away with their picks, playing mostly power chords, and usually don't play solo. There's more to it than just playing these parts, he writes all these amazingly complicated melodies. He went to the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, and graduated after studying music theory. The guy knows more about music, in general, than you probably ever will. Go flame somewhere else, somewhere that you won't get utterly destroyed by the fans of the person you are mocking.

goon316 wrote:

I could care less if they act like rockstars or not. I just a band based on the music they create, like all people should. They have defiantely gotten a lot better technically live which shows they do want to be great musicians. They write cool stuff and while its more radio friendly it doesnt make any of their newer stuff terrible, just different.

I could not agree more, who cares if they act like rockstars (here's something that some of u might not have noticed, but... they are. O.O Yeah, they are, so why not.) They perform their songs better live than almost any band I have seen. Radio friendly or not, I don't care, as long as it sounds good. (Oh, and btw Little Piece of Heaven = not radio friendly at all... actually, just plain not friendly in general.)

[JMan 240]

I thought I might just add in to my last post, "Pretty much no one who has the balls to get up in front of thousands of people and play, live, should be considered a mediocre guitarist. Respect them for what they do, their guts, even if you don't like their music."

[guitarmaniac88]

I cannot find Until the End, I thougt the order was Demons, Girl I know, Crossroads, Flash of the Blade, Illumion (something weird, maybe that's it), Tension, Walk, The Fight, Dancing Dead, Almost Easy, and Afterlife. Unless it's number five, I don't think it's on there

[Waterboy799]

it's a really good album, much better than their last.

and on the whole Syn note..

Syn's written solos are good, he's a good writer, but his improvs blow....seriously

[ironmaiden6666]

Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.

BULL****! Hes probably one of the best. That isnt comparing him to people like Yngwie Malmsteen, Dave Murray or Kirk Hammet. Thats comparing him to musicians nowadays (even though those 3 guys are still going on strong). Not quite up to speed with Rusty Cooley but hey, not many are. Synyster rocks.

[MetalGear1786]

Oh that bass ass. Their ripping of a Disney movie now LOL! Jesus that's funny pansy's bahahaha.

[JMan 240]

Toki Wartooth7 wrote:

forgot to say. Saw A7X when waking the fallen came out then when city of evil came out. very diferent. liked the old show more. And why are people talking about tool? TOOL is GREAT band. A7X is a GOOD band. but its hard to compare them

I do like their old music (and shows) better, because it was more in your face, more raw. But there is something to be said for progressing to the level of polish and showmanship that they have now in their performances now. I will reiterate myself now, they are, bar none, one of the best live bands I have ever seen. As for the thing on the improvs by the other guy, Syn doesn't really improv too much, I mean, with solos like the ones he's written, he doesn't really need to. Their a progressing band, always improving themselves, wouldn't be surprised if that was one of the things he works on while they record their next album.

[BTBAM_7]

i bet five years theyd make fun of any 'metal' band with thousands of screaming girls throwing panties at them.

[AvengdMetallica]

thistypeofthink wrote:

Just to mention one thing, even though Syn's the lead guitarist, Zacky actually wrote (and plays live) the main lead in "Scream" (Syn does the solo in Scream though). The DVD that came with the self-titled album talks about that.

the lead singer wrote critical acclaims rythym and if toolshed likes dragonfroce and compares a7x to them because a7x doesnt solo that much, your ridiclous. . If syn wanted to do harmonic solos that sound 80% similiar through every single song, then play it horribly live he could. but he plays short, very complicated solo's that sound kinda similar but arent the same as eachother and is written with originality

[BTBAM_7]

five years ago**

[TDAJGuitarist]

Zengence providing a fitting homage to Dimebag.

SYN PLAYS ALL SOLOS EXCEPT FOR WARMNESS ON THE SOUL!
I am SICK of people getting the 2 confused!!! Zack is NOT lead...He only harmonizes with Syn on certain LIVE solos {All the studio stuff is Syn} and thats as close to lead as gets other then Warmness on the soul!!!

Dumb people piss me off....

[TDAJGuitarist]

BULL****! Hes probably one of the best. That isnt comparing him to people like Yngwie Malmsteen, Dave Murray or Kirk Hammet. Thats comparing him to musicians nowadays (even though those 3 guys are still going on strong). Not quite up to speed with Rusty Cooley but hey, not many are. Synyster rocks.

BTW...Syn is better then both Murray and Hammet...Malmsteen no way...But he is WAY better then the other 2...

[Guitarfreak777]

FrasmineIero wrote:

Brian is his real name guys. Not Syn. and Brian is lead, Zack is his rhythm. Oh, and btw he really doesn't suck. Go to one of their shows and watch his solos from the barrier, fricken amazing.


And man, to me it doesn't matter how cocky they get. They deserve it. They're been around twice as long as the majority of popular bands today, 9 years people.

and on another note, I'm surprised the writer of this review didn't mention the song Dancing Dead. That's probably the best song on the album.

+1 I ****ing LOVE that song. I actually like this cd a lot more than Avenged Sevenfold(cd) Get to hear some nice bass lines from Johnny which is also a cool change.

[TheJudasKiss]

I dislike Malmsteen.

Sure he can play, but that doesn't make him a likable person. Syn, on the other hand, I like. He can play and he has a better personality.

[See_Jay]

JMan 240 :
Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.


Mediocre guitarists slap away with their picks, playing mostly power chords, and usually don't play solo. There's more to it than just playing these parts, he writes all these amazingly complicated melodies. He went to the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, and graduated after studying music theory. The guy knows more about music, in general, than you probably ever will. Go flame somewhere else, somewhere that you won't get utterly destroyed by the fans of the person you are mocking.

This guy knows what he is talking about "]

A7X for life "D

[BoltOfLightning]

noodlegts wrote:

Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.


That's just not true. I will agree that he is over-rated (to say that he's a God would be silly), but I don't think he's mediocre in any way. He is very technically skilled and puts it to good use on songs like Bat Country, Beast and the Harlot, and Afterlife. Just like all the greats, you can recognize his playing just from hearing it, and that says a lot.

I will give you this though - sometimes his solos don't have as much character as the ones I mentioned above.. then it's just an average guy playing fast. That takes away (just a little) from the times that he does play a really fun/creative solo.

Either way, not mediocre at all..

[BoltOfLightning]

noodlegts wrote:

Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.


That's just not true. I will agree that he is over-rated (to say that he's a God would be silly), but I don't think he's mediocre in any way. He is very technically skilled and puts it to good use on songs like Bat Country, Beast and the Harlot, and Afterlife. Just like all the greats, you can recognize his playing just from hearing it, and that says a lot.

I will give you this though - sometimes his solos don't have as much character as the ones I mentioned above.. then it's just an average guy playing fast. That takes away (just a little) from the times that he does play a really fun/creative solo.

Either way, not mediocre at all..

I think his solos on Seize the Day are some of the most creative. If you've seen the music video, I like the one where he plays on the coffin being lowered into the ground.

[therapture]

Wow, Avenged Sevenfold fans unite lmao =P

I gotta say, one of the best bands of this time. Like 80% original, and not to mention some of the nicest people out there, Sure maybe a bit cocky at times, but can you really say you wouldnt be too if you were making millions of dollars doing what you love?

A7X till the end!

[FedEx8]

I think the review is pretty dumb for them to say the whole Axl Rose connection thing, i mean i guess sure there is alittle. But that is one of their major influences as a band so whats wrong with that. And it's not like hes a complete wannabe.
And the whole "cockiness" is just dumb. They are just giving the kids some fun. And the Motley Crue thing, i think the review person is just jealous. Because they are just being a band and having fun. Not trying to be like anyone.

[AvengdMetallica]

and also their the one of the cool bands who interact with their fan base, A LOT

[tomsawyer67]

that tool cant talk. this is a totally different genre of music than vai and satriani and whoever else u said. Syn is amazing. i really gotta go to their next tour. man i was so pissed i couldnt go to the last one in my city. now prolly gotta at least go an hour away. Some of the best shows are cocky bands, and i dont really blame A7x. they should be they have a huge following. rock on.

Checked

Quit attacking toolshed. You've all already told him off enough.

[jetwash69]

The fact that you can even recognize some of these songs live is pretty amazing. According to the official tab books many of the songs have from 4 all the way up to 9 guitar tracks--sure, some of that is just doubling, but a lot isn't and it switches around a lot. A lot of guys layer tracks and even harmonize with themselves in the studio (like ZZ-Top) but they don't sound as true to the studio recordings live as A7X. According to interviews, most of what you hear on the CDs was pieced together with Pro Tools. Yet they're able to pull it off on stage, presumably without several session guitarists performing hidden backstage (like many classic bands had to do) and without backing tracks. Also a lot of the folks we recognize here as "Gods" almost never even sang while they play (EVH, Malmsteen), but that doesn't seem to make a difference even though others (Hendrix, SRV, Clapton, etc.) did. Sure, Syn's not singing leads, but he is singing backup while banging out 16th note sextuplets at almost 200 BPM and bending chords with different strings different amounts. And not f-ing it up live, either. The guy deserves a little credit here.

[arronjohnson76]

noodlegts wrote:

Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.


That's just not true. I will agree that he is over-rated (to say that he's a God would be silly), but I don't think he's mediocre in any way. He is very technically skilled and puts it to good use on songs like Bat Country, Beast and the Harlot, and Afterlife. Just like all the greats, you can recognize his playing just from hearing it, and that says a lot.

I will give you this though - sometimes his solos don't have as much character as the ones I mentioned above.. then it's just an average guy playing fast. That takes away (just a little) from the times that he does play a really fun/creative solo.

Either way, not mediocre at all..



Synyster Gates (Brian Haner Jr.) is by far one THE best metal,alt rock,whatever anybody wants to call them (a7x even said they arent a certain genre) but Brian is really by far one of the best behind the late dimebag darrel (Darrel Abbott. for being only 27 years old Brian is doing pretty damn good!!! very popular! in my state (Oklahoma) anyways!!! think about it.....a 27 year old thats popular worldwide!!! very lucky!!!!.....btw I think dancing dead is the best song from diamonds in the rough!!! but im a diehard Avenged Sevenfold fan!!! lol

[arronjohnson76]

TO AIG91.....

toolshed#9 deserves it....talkin crap about Synyster Gates on an AVENGED SEVENFOLD REVIEW.....he was asking for it

[Logan_B]

Dancing Dead And Girl I Kow are my favorites.... the DVD protion is amazing on surrond sound systems ahhhh ORGASM

[cigaro5676]

girl i know is my personal, along with dancing dead

the guitar work is top notch and has some great riffs in girl i know, even though the lyrics are a bit predictable

overall i think the cd/dvd is great, its good to see shadows attempting to scream again, no matter how good or bad he did

[cigaro5676]

jetwash69 wrote:

The fact that you can even recognize some of these songs live is pretty amazing. According to the official tab books many of the songs have from 4 all the way up to 9 guitar tracks--sure, some of that is just doubling, but a lot isn't and it switches around a lot. A lot of guys layer tracks and even harmonize with themselves in the studio (like ZZ-Top) but they don't sound as true to the studio recordings live as A7X. According to interviews, most of what you hear on the CDs was pieced together with Pro Tools. Yet they're able to pull it off on stage, presumably without several session guitarists performing hidden backstage (like many classic bands had to do) and without backing tracks. Also a lot of the folks we recognize here as "Gods" almost never even sang while they play (EVH, Malmsteen), but that doesn't seem to make a difference even though others (Hendrix, SRV, Clapton, etc.) did. Sure, Syn's not singing leads, but he is singing backup while banging out 16th note sextuplets at almost 200 BPM and bending chords with different strings different amounts. And not f-ing it up live, either. The guy deserves a little credit here.

+1 saying he is a god is silly, he's much to young for any of that talk, but to say he's mediocre is ignorant

they put on a hell of a live show if you ask me, the solos sound great and everyone is playing WITH eachother, not trying to keep up with eachother

[Regression]

skindred wrote:

i preferred waking the fallen out of all the albums when they were more on the lines of metalcore, now they're just any other band, mediocre vocals, drums and yes guitar.

gimme machine head or lamb of god anyday

I don't see how they are just any other band now, if anything they were just any other band around the time of Waking The Fallen, now they have a completely unique sound. And I really like Waking The Fallen and Sounding The Seventh Trumpet btw, I just think the new stuff is alot more, original.

[skindred]

arronjohnson76 wrote:

TO AIG91.....

toolshed#9 deserves it....talkin crap about Synyster Gates on an AVENGED SEVENFOLD REVIEW.....he was asking for it

well he wasn't exactly flaming him to the ground, he just said he was mediocre at best, and he's entitled to that opinion. just because your an a7x fan means you have more right over others opinions on ther news bulletins, idiot.

and IMO toolshed is right, he is mediocre, a few posts up one guy said he is one of the best guitarists out there, excluding dimebag darrel (good call to say that) but there are plenty other guitarists out there who have made a much bigger impact on the metal, alt scene worldwide.

im not flaming A7X, and i know he syn is good at shredding but just IMO he is not that good on the guitar as the likes of dimebag, slash, kirk hammit, hendrix and the other legends and living legends today...flame if you want =]

[skindred]

p.s. sorry about poor spelling, its unlike me.

[EclipseNine]

I've only recently started to listen to avenged sevenfold and am still not sure how I feel about them (but I do want to make it clear that they do occupy a large chunk of my ipod) one of the problems I've always had with them is that gates seems to get sloppy outside the studio. every video of a live performance ive seen and theres even one on youtube where he gives a lesson he plays his sweeps very sloppy. I can understand how relying so heavily on sweeps can make it a little hard to replicate live (case in point, dragonforce) but I do look forward to seeing what he could become in the future. i just hope they can resist the lure of the money and fame that comes with making music for mtv video play.

[thistypeofthink]

JMan 240 wrote:

(Oh, and btw Little Piece of Heaven = not radio friendly at all... actually, just plain not friendly in general.)

LOL.....and that's putting it mildly, haha

[therapture]

[quote]skindred wrote: well he wasn't exactly flaming him to the ground, he just said he was mediocre at best, and he's entitled to that opinion. just because your an a7x fan means you have more right over others opinions on ther news bulletins, idiot.

and IMO toolshed is right, he is mediocre, a few posts up one guy said he is one of the best guitarists out there, excluding dimebag darrel (good call to say that) but there are plenty other guitarists out there who have made a much bigger impact on the metal, alt scene worldwide.

im not flaming A7X, and i know he syn is good at shredding but just IMO he is not that good on the guitar as the likes of dimebag, slash, kirk hammit, hendrix and the other legends and living legends today...flame if you want =]

lol well he's not that good to you because he doesnt play the same stuff that they did... DUH stop comparing guitarists! Theyre all good in their own way!

[therapture]

I ****ed the quote up sorry lol

[xophrax]

therapture wrote:

I ****ed the quote up sorry lol

yeah everyone, you cant compare guitarists, especially when they're from a different time and they play different styles!

[fagelamusgtr]

Just got this. Its freakin sick. Nothing like their self-titled CD (except tension). Sounds more like COE than anything else by them.

[synystagates]

Toolshed#9 :
Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.

umm you sure you know who synyster gates is? and for that matter you obviously havent listened to a7x...

[Austiman]

I got this for Christmas. I was pleasantly suprised.

[Dacons13]

well the cd was great. my favories were until the end, demons, and girl i know.
now the dvd.
i loved the show they put on. the only thing was i could NOT hear syn at all.

['a7xrocz']

does this guy even know who iron maiden are Bruce Dickonson doesnt even play guitar

[Fera_rawr]

TDAJGuitarist wrote:

Zengence providing a fitting homage to Dimebag.

SYN PLAYS ALL SOLOS EXCEPT FOR WARMNESS ON THE SOUL!
I am SICK of people getting the 2 confused!!! Zack is NOT lead...He only harmonizes with Syn on certain LIVE solos {All the studio stuff is Syn} and thats as close to lead as gets other then Warmness on the soul!!!

Dumb people piss me off....

Syn played the solo for warmness on the soul on the re-issued STST

[thatkidcharlie]

As a matter of fact. On the STST album, Syn wasnt even around yet. ALL of the guitar on that album is Zacky V. I just thought i should point that out.

[GreenFlame08]

syngates07 :
A Little Piece of Heaven is badass live

**** yeah it is.

[ApeOfJustice]

TabsAf wrote:

Other than a small spelling mistake, the review is very thorough and fair, like a review I would give, good job!

hahahahaha

[bassplayer18A7X]

PerturbedGenius wrote:

Toolshed#9 wrote:

Synyster gates is not a good guitarist. He is mediocre at the best.

Hey Toolbag(..or..shed..or..what ever your name is), I think you named yourself perfectly. Before you go passing judgments about anything related to music again, you should get your ears checked and/or properly trained.

I agree with PeteMatcheck completely. No, Syn isn't the best guitarist the world has ever seen, however to say that he's mediocre show's your lack of musical knowledge and ability. Syn Gates is truly an accomplished musician that has brought the art of a shredding guitar solo back into the forefront. He has yet to do anything that makes him truly unique, but he has done an amazing job at showing the world that us kids who grew up in the 90's and early 2000's can rock just as hard as the greats.

Something that most bands of today lack is a guitarist with some real chops in combination with the confidence to use them. Syn Gates has proven himself on every album to be ever growing as a player and a song writer and I for one am simply waiting for someone like him to step away from the rest as a guitar god for the new generation.

And I digress, Brian Haner Jr.(aka Synyster Gates) is not a guitar God yet, but I believe he is possibly one in the making.

I agree 100% i hate people like toolshed talking crap about accoplished musicians, just because he isnt dimebag, or steve vai dosent mean he isnt a good guitarist, acutally if you think about it, he is better than almost all modern metal guitarists, he is one of the best of his time, but he isnt the best ever.

[bassplayer18A7X]

awsomeguitarguy wrote:

hes talking about "tension" and "demon" where the hell is he getting his info??? those arent songs by A7X, please tell if you know about this

yes they are dude, they just came out, you get YOUR info straight!

[Rock_Twist92]

i want to see the dvd!!!!!

[GuitarGuy789]

WTF is their best album, with CoE in 2nd. I hope their new album will be more heavy, adding a couple or screams or growls or sumthing.

[tgregory2010]

i gotta agree with guitarguy789... WTF has amazing music on it and seize the day is awesome, but i also like afterlife gunslinger and dancing dead, they are just well written songs

[synystergates92]

Synyster Gates is an amazing guitarist. He has incredible guitar skills ! When he joined Avenged Sevenfold he was just a normal guitarist, but since Waking The Fallen, he has blown all limmits ! Avenged Sevnefold is the first album were he realy begins to show his amazing skills! The solo in Afterlife is maybe hard to play and sos, but just to come up with this stuff, it is totaly mindblowing !
Diamonds In The Rough is also an amazing record... Until The End has an amazing solo with such great feel and control ! It's just a very good excample of F***ing amazing guitar work. The solo in Dear God paralyses me every time !
Synyster Gates is one of the best guitarists of the world, no doubdt about that !

[padgea7x]

synystergates92 wrote:

Synyster Gates is an amazing guitarist. He has incredible guitar skills ! When he joined Avenged Sevenfold he was just a normal guitarist, but since Waking The Fallen, he has blown all limmits ! Avenged Sevnefold is the first album were he realy begins to show his amazing skills! The solo in Afterlife is maybe hard to play and sos, but just to come up with this stuff, it is totaly mindblowing !
Diamonds In The Rough is also an amazing record... Until The End has an amazing solo with such great feel and control ! It's just a very good excample of F***ing amazing guitar work. The solo in Dear God paralyses me every time !
Synyster Gates is one of the best guitarists of the world, no doubdt about that !

When he joined he was still pretty good but still progressing. You just heard him on to end the rapture on the first album.

Brian is a good guitarist, not the worst not the best. But he's good.

I like this album/dvd