Avenged Sevenfold can attest to the fact that patience
is its own reward. The band, based in Huntington Beach,
Calif., formed in 1999 when the five members were still
in high school. Basing its name on a phrase found in
the biblical story of Cain and Abel, the band released
its first full-length album, "Sounding the Seventh
Trumpet," on independent label Hopeless Records
when the members were just 18-years-old. "Waking
the Fallen" followed in 2003 on that same label
before Avenged Sevenfold's blend of hard rock, punk
and metal found a major-label home at Warner Brothers
for the 2005 release "City of Evil."
Growing up in the punk rock mecca of Southern California,
Avenged Sevenfold, fronted by lead singer M. Shadows,
was also influenced by metal bands such as Pantera,
Guns 'N Roses, and Slayer, as well as the somewhat lighter
sounds of Elvis Costello and Billy Joel. It was out
of this unique combination that the band's distinctive
sound grew. Its early releases more clearly reveal Avenged
Sevenfold's heavy metal influences, but as the band's
musicianship continues to evolve, so does its eclectic
sound.
A7X, as the band is known to its legions of fans, garnered
many of those followers by way of extensive touring.
Avenged Sevenfold has hit the road with Shadows Fall
and Mushroomhead. In addition, the band has spent more
than one summer as part of the Vans Warped Tour, beginning
on a side stage and working their way up to first a
second-stage performance, and then to the main stage.
Avenged Sevenfold has also sold out the Music Box Theater
in Hollywood, and "Bat Country," the band's
first single off of "City of Evil," soon rocketed
up the charts, receiving a great deal of radio play.
Sevenfold may have needed a little patience before
gaining a foothold in the mainstream market, but Avenged
Sevenfold concert tickets have always sold like hotcakes
among its solid core of die-hard fans. Now, the rest
of the world is beginning to discover the band that
those fans have known and loved for years.