Customer Reviews
Awesome! 
2008-07-18
I think that this is a great album. Granted, at first, I was a little unsure of it because it is quite a bit different from past albums. But after listening to the whole album, I loved it. "Critical Acclaim" is an amazing song. The fact that they were able to not only write a political/patriotic song, is great. What's even better about it is that what they are trying to say is the truth, and I think most people would agree with it. The fact that they wrote it and wrote it extremely well is great. "Gunslinger" and "Dear God" are also amazing songs and two of my favorites. "A Little Piece of Heaven" is my absolute favorite on the entire album. It sounds completely different than anything that they've ever done, and I think it's a song that really stands out. Anyone that loved Avenged's past albums should love this one too.
some sick music 2008-07-16
The self titled album that avenged sevenfold put out was just awesome with it's cool orchestra in many songs and some wicked guitar playing. Previous albums by A7X were boring and similar, but this album really told a story in each song. and i would definetly recommend this album to anyone. BUY IT!!!!
They are the best 2008-06-02
I think there new album is different but still awesome... avenged sevenfold n more hardcore than my chemical romance n all the other bands.. but wit there new album they wanted to try something different n it works... i bought the new cd n as soon as i put it in the cd player in my car i loved the songs... A7X rocks!!!
A7X continued the creativity in their latest offering 2008-06-01
Read this first:
"For this self-titled release, the act returned to the garage at M. Shadows' parents' home where these high-school friends had penned every other song in their discography. The band sought to delve into genres and recording techniques they had discovered on the road. For instance, they wanted to incorporate the narrative lyrics and biting guitar tones they'd admired in country music, as well as the powerful bottom end of hip-hop they felt would only add to the power of their music and message.
"All those months on the bus we really weren't finding new rock that was moving us," says frontman M. Shadows. "Instead, we were listening to everything from Toby Keith to T.I., and finding elements we could incorporate into what we were doing to make our next record more interesting to us."'
This is a sign that A7x is more interested in playing music with a meaning plus new ideas rather than KanNiBU11 C0Rp3SseeE who keep churning in the same music with no plans other than learning how to kill old ladies. Anyway, listen up as I talk about A7x (who I classify as "real music") because not only do they continue most of what City of Evil offered, but continued the intensity with things that don't normally seem possible in metal (Bongos, a child's singing voice, a Danny Elfman inspired song similar to a Tim Burton flick, violins, organ, etc.) Trust me, if you are an A7x fan, you should listen to it and get to know s/t a little bit (for those sleeping under a rock, s/t means self-titled.) You are probably getting tired of hearing about whats in the album, so I should get on with the songs, which are all awesome.
S/t starts off with "Critical Acclaim", a rant pointed at self-rightious people and those who don't support the war in Iraq. At least not all rock is a bunch of liberal punks :P The mood of the album gets a lot tamer (the profanity has been seriously dropped but even a few songs are worthy of a sticker) with the upbeat "Almost Easy." From there, its full of energy that doesn't seem to slow down, at least until you get to Gunslinger, which has a Western intro. It may sound country-like, but there are a few tricks to that song, trust me. For the time being, you get metal, but it sorta stops with "A Little Piece of Heaven," but even without guitar solos or grinding guitars, its still fierce (its about forgiveness in a very weird sense but even I can't tell you what happens.) The mood slows down with the final but awesome conclusion, "Dear God". That song somehow touches me considering its from an angry metal band and how it was after a gripping Piece of Heaven.
Whether you like experimental albums or just want something other than your average melodic metal, pick this up. Seriously, you won't regret this unless you can't take bongos, a child's voice, violins, etc. In which case stop reading.
A7X? 3.2 stars 
2008-05-31
Many people have said this and i'll say it too,"this isn't the real a7x"and if you just started listening to them don't judge okay i mean i really miss their old stuff heavy metalcore was the way to do it.I'll rate this album like city of evil it only has three to four songs that are good others sound cool but na i don't know,oh yeah skip the country song man i mean come on seriously?i know they wanted to experiment but jesus really?well at least it's half rock too.This also deserves more than three stars cause even tough i hated when they stop screaming(only a few screams in city of evil and this one but nothing brutal)they are pretty good muscicans even if you hate everything about them you have to admit they are good.So just download the songs or something but what i like about them is they still have heavy sounds but who knows how their next album will be.M shadows said the first two albums were gonna be half screaming and half singing and the other two just singing,and for their next album it might be something totally different it might even dissapoint people who like their new stuff,just saying or probably still sound like THE NEW A7X NOT THE REAL AVENGED SEVENFOLD!
nephew's birthday 
2008-05-18
We made this record for the 18- to 25- year-old kid who just wants to blast some heavy shit out his window something you can groove to and rock out to that means something. There s no glitz or glamor just a heavy-hitting record that encompasses all of Avenged Sevenfold. It s a record that new fans
and old fans will love. M. Shadows
The debut major-label album from
Avenged Sevenfold (aka A7X), 2005's
City Of Evil, earned gold (817,640 copies sold to date), shot to Top 30 Pop and won the band Best New Artist at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. For the selftitled follow-up, the band gets even harder and heavier. Avenged Sevenfold, the group's first album to be self-produced, is head-banging heaven.
Defies all genre-typing! 2008-04-27
Up until 2 days ago, all I knew of Avenged Sevenfold were the 2 songs regularly played on Kerrang! TV here in the UK. I liked those enough that when I was wandering through the local HMV store, I noticed that the self-titled CD was on sale and decided to treat myself. And what a treat it has turned out to be. First of all, if you like your metal loud and screaming, non-stop and unintelligible, then this CD may not be for you. Granted there are a couple of tracks that roll around like a thunderstorm caught between two hills, but this CD has much more to offer. Lyrics that at first listen sound innocuous enough but on deeper reading become very dark and vicious, juxtapose wonderfully with soaring guitar work and M Shadows' gravel-in-honey voice. And right when you think they are a full-blown metal gatepost, you are sidelined with the gorgeous lament of being far from home and missing your girlfriend. Genius!
In an age when most bands actually want to be labeled as a certain genre, Avenged Sevenfold seem perfectly at ease with doing whatever comes to mind. They look metal. They can write with a goth sorrow. They can be as sarcastic as the best punk offerings. The orchestral arrangements add so much to already full songs, and the musicianship and production are polished and swaggering. M Shadows struck me at first glance as another Chester from Linkin Park; he still does but if anything his vocal range is greater and smoother, this guy can sing and growl as required. He is also by far the best eye candy of the quintet, though none of them are shrinking violets and are sure to have their fair share of groupies.
The CD opens with the bitter and twisted "Critical Acclaim", setting the goth tone with an intro on a church organ. The cover notes don't say which of the band write the songs, but M Shadows gives it perfect credence with his ranting in mid-tune. Hot on it's heals comes the single that broke the band in the UK, "Almost Easy". It's melodic riff and broken pace is commercial enough for the accountants but distinct enough to do the business. Track 3 is "Scream", a mix of gothic and bluesy vocals with a chorus that reminds me of old Bond themes, there is something sinister about this song that surfaces again later on the CD. Another great guitar segway leads into a manic chain-saw reminiscent moment; perhaps the band have been watching American Psycho?
The second single from the CD arrives in a funereal mourning of strings full of of false pretenses as "AfterLife" launches into more fast-paced guitars and drums. As M Shadows laments that he shouldn't be there, the listener is never quite sure if he is the damned or the devil, his voice has such a dangerous edge. By now we know the lad can sing, but track 5 is a wonderful diversion from the metal noise we've had so far. "Gunslinger", perhaps inspired by the Stephen King series "The Dark Tower", begins with an acoustic blues air as if it's sitting out on the porch with the sun setting over a dusty plain. Shadows cant keep his voice in check for more than a verse though, and everyone else wants in on the action, lifting the song to classical proportions. This could be the next single; it is certainly commercial enough and shows the band's range. It feels like an Guns and Roses effort, but with less whining from Axel and more soul from Shadows. "Unbound" brings us back to familiar territory with busy guitars, but wait, is that a piano? Younger British rock fans will feel at home with this track as it strongly echoes the rocksters Eliot Minor with lots of intricate scales rising and falling on a bed of frantic drums. The child-sung bridge is a little unnerving, but it is probably meant to be: Avenged Sevenfold seem happy to make you as uncomfortable as possible while lulling you into parting with your time and money willingly. If I had to pick one track as the filler for this CD, "Unbound" would be it, but only if I absolutely had to pick one.
Another strange twist comes with "Brompton Cocktail" and yes, those are bongos. After wanting to leave the After life earlier in our travels, M Shadows seems to have changed his mind and is now embracing his own end. The title suitably refers to a gothic era, and there is something very Evanescence about this track. Is Shadows the male equivalent to the delectable Amy Lee? You decide. With "Lost" the band return to the opening theme of not being happy with their leaders. This is an anti-war song that assaults the ears with the power of a stealth bomber. And yet more unusual sounds, as Shadows' vocals are fed through a distorter for the chorus, in case the song needed any more edge. Which it doesn't. Track 9 is a romp to rival any dark Victorian-style horror show; if you don't read the lyrics sheet then it is a good quirky song, but delve into the words and you will find a gruesome and violent story with a manic-sarcastic lilt that buffers sickness with humour. As Shadows tells us "She was never this good in bed ~ not even when she was sleepin'" you just know he is serious. It really is a masterpiece but not for those with a delicate disposition, and I imagine Tim Burton being desperate to get his hands on the contract for the video for this one.
The CD ends with another gorgeous ballad, "Dear God". Coming directly after "A Little Piece of Heaven" the contrast is welcome and jarring at the same time. Leave 'em wanting more has always been the motto of the best entertainers, and with this Avenged Sevenfold have surely succeeded.
very dissapointing 
2008-04-16
I like three songs on this album and thats it. I think it is not cool at all.
I know what I like! 2008-04-02
Well I can't say that I have all of A7X albums or that I'm the biggest fan but I can say that I bought this self titled album and really do like it. I appreciate all the riffs on alot of their songs and the drumming is awesome..Gunslinger is an unexpected beat for them but the lyrics to this song are AWESOME! It makes me remember a loved one that's passed away recently and believe it or not has helped me cope with the loss. I got the same feeling from the last track Dear God. I haven't skipped any song on this album cause it's just that damn good. A7X is AWESOME and I know what I like and I like it ALOT!!! I'd buy it again in a heartbeat!
a7x classic 2008-03-30
this cd is great- a7x are one of the few(very few) new bands that sound great along with the greats (maiden , metallica & megadeth)i personally like the fact that they're singing more on the last 2 releases- have all a7x cd;s .but never listen to the 1st 2 anymore - also get a7x city of evil and both bullet for my valentine cd'c
