Avenged Sevenfold Biography
They played their first Warped Tour three years ago on a side stage; now they're headliners. They released two successful albums on an indie label; their latest, City of Evil, is on a major. Avenged Sevenfold has been blessed with the sort of slow-motion success that makes a young band wise beyond its years and builds them an enviably loyal fan base. No wonder they're one of Warped's most talked-about acts.
We put the word out to those loyal fans and asked them: What do you want to know about these hard-rocking California dudes? Then we passed their questions along to A7X guitarist Zacky Vengeance. Here's what he had to say.
1. Robyn Freuck from Franklin, WI asked:
How long have you guys known each other and how did A7X come to be?
Zacky: Known each other forever and we’re just best friends that started a band.
2. Bre from Cushing asked:
What bands influenced you into becoming such an awesome band?
Zacky: Pantera, Iron Maiden, Queen, GnR, etc.
3. KT from Chicago asked:
What CDs can you not live without?
Zacky: The White Album, Highway to Hell, Straight Outta Compton.
4. Aaron Coleman from Puyallup, WA asked:
What are some of your favorite bands to play with? And what bands are you friends with?
Zacky: Playing at a festival in Germany with Iron Maiden and Velvet Revolver was cool. On the road, you get to know so many different people in different bands that I couldn’t begin to list them. By the way, I went to middle school at Ferrucci Junior High in Puyallup.
5. Sara Hix from Auburn, CA asked:
Do u like to dance naked around your house??
Zacky: Who doesn’t?
6. Kurt from Bath asked:
What is it like playing in front of a huge crowd, and the tension backstage when you're waiting to play?
Zacky: When everything’s going smoothly at a show, there is no tension. We step on stage and have a good time.
7. Jessica Dugan from Gypsum, OH asked:
You talk a lot about death, heaven/hell, and you have a song about Cain and Abel. What's your view on religion? Do you believe in God?
Zacky: We all have our own separate beliefs, but put simply, none of us go to church.
8. Tiffany from Wynne, Arkansas asked:
Why can't we find any personal info on you guys, like your real names, ages, height, etc.?
Zacky: Because we don’t really exist.
You can see Avenged Sevenfold through August 15 on the 2005 Warped Tour. Their new album, City of Evil, is available in the ARTISTdirect Store.
We put the word out to those loyal fans and asked them: What do you want to know about these hard-rocking California dudes? Then we passed their questions along to A7X guitarist Zacky Vengeance. Here's what he had to say.
1. Robyn Freuck from Franklin, WI asked:
How long have you guys known each other and how did A7X come to be?
Zacky: Known each other forever and we’re just best friends that started a band.
2. Bre from Cushing asked:
What bands influenced you into becoming such an awesome band?
Zacky: Pantera, Iron Maiden, Queen, GnR, etc.
3. KT from Chicago asked:
What CDs can you not live without?
Zacky: The White Album, Highway to Hell, Straight Outta Compton.
4. Aaron Coleman from Puyallup, WA asked:
What are some of your favorite bands to play with? And what bands are you friends with?
Zacky: Playing at a festival in Germany with Iron Maiden and Velvet Revolver was cool. On the road, you get to know so many different people in different bands that I couldn’t begin to list them. By the way, I went to middle school at Ferrucci Junior High in Puyallup.
5. Sara Hix from Auburn, CA asked:
Do u like to dance naked around your house??
Zacky: Who doesn’t?
6. Kurt from Bath asked:
What is it like playing in front of a huge crowd, and the tension backstage when you're waiting to play?
Zacky: When everything’s going smoothly at a show, there is no tension. We step on stage and have a good time.
7. Jessica Dugan from Gypsum, OH asked:
You talk a lot about death, heaven/hell, and you have a song about Cain and Abel. What's your view on religion? Do you believe in God?
Zacky: We all have our own separate beliefs, but put simply, none of us go to church.
8. Tiffany from Wynne, Arkansas asked:
Why can't we find any personal info on you guys, like your real names, ages, height, etc.?
Zacky: Because we don’t really exist.
You can see Avenged Sevenfold through August 15 on the 2005 Warped Tour. Their new album, City of Evil, is available in the ARTISTdirect Store.
Avenged Sevenfold All Music Guide Biography
The members of metalcore outfit Avenged Sevenfold (or A7X) were still attending high school in Huntington Beach, CA, when they formed their band in 1999. Nevertheless, it didn't take long for M. Shadows (vocals), Zacky Vengeance (guitar), Synyster Gates (guitar), the Reverend (drums), and Johnny Christ (bass) to make an impression with their aggressive hybrid of metal and punk-pop. The band made its official debut in July 2001, releasing Sounding the Seventh Trumpet on the Good Life label before moving to the Hopeless roster for 2003's Waking the Fallen. Warner Bros. took interest in the band's aggressive sound and issued its breakthrough release, City of Evil, in June 2005. The album reached number 30 on Billboard's Top 200, propelled in part by the Top Ten success of the single "Bat Country." The accompany music video was heavily rotated on MTV and Fuse, where live appearances also helped boost Avenged's growing profile, and the band ultimately won the Best New Artist Award (though they were hardly newcomers) at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.
As demand for their music increased, Avenged Sevenfold canceled their tour dates for fall 2006 and decamped to Houston, TX, where they set to work on a fourth studio album. Boasting a grittier sound than previous releases, the self-titled/self-produced disc appeared in October 2007, debuting at number four on the Billboard Top 200 and spinning off the radio single "Almost Easy." The album also fared well in England, where three songs cracked the Top Five of the U.K. rock charts, and Avenged Sevenfold helped support the release by touring North America on the Taste of Chaos tour. Released in September 2008, the CD/DVD package Live in the LBC and Diamonds in the Rough captured the band during a tour stop in Long Beach. ~ Christina Fuoco, All Music Guide
As demand for their music increased, Avenged Sevenfold canceled their tour dates for fall 2006 and decamped to Houston, TX, where they set to work on a fourth studio album. Boasting a grittier sound than previous releases, the self-titled/self-produced disc appeared in October 2007, debuting at number four on the Billboard Top 200 and spinning off the radio single "Almost Easy." The album also fared well in England, where three songs cracked the Top Five of the U.K. rock charts, and Avenged Sevenfold helped support the release by touring North America on the Taste of Chaos tour. Released in September 2008, the CD/DVD package Live in the LBC and Diamonds in the Rough captured the band during a tour stop in Long Beach. ~ Christina Fuoco, All Music Guide

























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