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.