I'm sorry, but the band's 2010 release is a dismally boring album. Especially considering this is the act that brought us behemoths like Waking the Fallen and City of Evil. Nightmare came off as disjointed - a wince-worthy collection of ideas that were too stupid to be on their self-titled album, but in the context of a dedication album seemed to fit - and the exhausting ten-minute memorial track 'Save Me' was, as far as I could tell, a nail in the coffin. What happened next seemed to confirm my suspicions. The band proceeded to fall off the radar musically - sure, they released a few singles to promote new Call of Duty games, but as far as I saw, the band didn't stop whining about the death of "the Rev".
Mike Portnoy played with Sevenfold (remember that?), but they turned him down because it 'just wasn't the same'. Finally, three years later, Hail to the King has hit shelves. And, so far, it's quite the album. The intro 'Shepherd of Fire' seems straightforward enough - as the band moves from an eerie bell chime into the familiar Guns N' Roses-tinted guitar attack and pounding drumwork we've grown accustomed to. As the song bursts into being, the Sevenfold we know and love - melodic hooks and cock-rock accoutrements - hits the ground running..
Topically, Hail to the Kking plays like the better parts of their more radio-friendly self-titled release ('Afterlife, 'Brompton Cocktail'), while never veering too strongly into the whiny negativity of Nightmare. Sure, the style they put forward on Nightmare has evolved and changed, but everything from the lyrical quality to the guitar solos leaves no sign of travesties like 'Danger Line' or 'Victim'. Guitarist "Synyster Gates"' throbbing fetish for sweep picking is also back - and for the most part the guitarwork in this album is full of 80s obtuseness - that is to say, flat out fun. If Avenged Sevenfold have done one thing right since they abandoned metalcore in 2005, it's the flat out fun you have while listening to them, and the infectious quality of their work. Listening to this album now, I can tell 'Doing Time' is going to be stuck in my head for quite a while.
My one qualm with the production is that the drums are much too loud, and the lead guitar and bass tend to get buried behind purcussive and rhythm guitar walls. Vocals are as great as they usually are, even though frontman Matt Sanders' uncleans are still sorely missed - Sounding the Seventh Trumpet is a great album for a reason - but their absence is made up for his powerful, extensive range. Otherwise, this is a solid album of American Heavy Metal. It certainly isn't my style, but the appeal is undeniable. I probably won't listen to it twice (considering I'm working my way through Leviathan and Tsjuder), but lots of these songs wouldn't be out of place at a house party.
Is this the most intellectual piece of music put out since Mozart? No, but the band never pretended to be. The band's influences are early Metallica and Guns N' Roses, so how philosophical do you think they're going to get? The band definitely packs in dramatics, but they're so grinningly cheesy that you can't help but smile. Hail to the King is music for those nights of drinking yourself stupid and running amok. And, in a way, it's fantastic. We can't all be expected to plug in our headphones and dissect Blut Aus Nord or Demilich lyrics constantly. I, for one, am guilty of blaring some Kvelertak or Cancer Bats after coming home from a particularly strenuous day. Hail to the King is perfect for those times you just want to lean back and get caught in some catchy riffs. If that's as much of a crime as metal fans seem to suggest, then shoot me.
Notable Tracks: 'Doing Time', 'Crimson Day'
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