Got my copy of Avenged Sevenfold's highly anticipated second LP "Waking The Fallen" today. I am enjoying it quite a bit. While "Sounding the Seventh Trumpet" is what made me a die hard fan, there were evident problems in the album. It's inconsistent sound...I feel it jumped from genre to genre a bit TOO much, lacking the gel it takes to hold such and album together. The Cd as a WHOLE, while having individually some of the best metal-core songs probably ever recorded, failed. However, as it was there debut, it never bothered me much.
While listening to "Waking The Fallen", one word comes to mind. Driven. This album, from start to finish, is monumentally focused. Almost all elements of punk have vanished here, and you never miss it. Shadows takes every song and makes it a classic with his tortured lyrics, and his voice with uncomaparable power and resonance. They, of course owe a lot to bands from the past like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Pantera, etc., but the great thing about Avenged is the way that they take this genre that can become so tired so quickly, and continue to keep it alive with endless creativity, and an evident love for music.
The scope on this album is also wider. It is not JUST metal, or JUST punk. There are many hard rock elements included in the album, and unlike "Sounding..." it is produced with enough care and knowledge to really pull off the mix, keeping things interesting. A7X has realized who they want to be. God help us all.
