Avenged Sevenfold
“Waking The Fallen”
(Hopeless)
Isn’t it hilarious how quickly scenesters are striving to replace AFI’s “vacated spot” as gothic punks extraordinaire? They’ve gone so far as to claim that otherwise-ignored Avenged Sevenfold are heirs to their underground PVC-laden throne. Uh, last time I checked (which would be right about now, thank you), Avenged Sevenfold are more screamo than East Bay Melodic Hardcore.
That said, this album is quite intense when tracks pick up a Converge-meets-Grade bombast that is otherwise bludgeoned by bouts of introspective, melodic wankery. It’s like hearing MxPx having relations with Moneen. What a frustrating line: you either want to rip shit up as if you’re givin’er to Voorhees, or you want to beat these mascara-sportin’ clowns up for having the unappealing staccato genre-bending of Glasseater.
Eloquent and packed with stellar harmonies yet entirely too “encompassing”, this album probably will sit well next to “Black Sails”, but only because disenfranchised Gothic punx need it to fill a void!
