Avenged Sevenfold Live Review By: Owen Plewacki

Avenged Sevenfold
Live at the Congress Theater 11-08-07
Review By: Owen Plewacki

With anticipation building inside the Congress Theater, a large white banner with Avenged Sevenfold’s logo, a skull with bat wings, was lowered. As the banner was being lowered the faithful were screaming as if their idols were on stage, but their excitement was premature. About ten minutes later the theater became pitch black. Amongst the darkness the beginning of “Critical Acclaim,” began to play. As the eerie pipe organ intro played on, the five tattooed covered Orange County natives armed themselves with their instruments. Sporting a clean cut Mohawk and aviator sunglasses, M. Shadows, lead singer, released a high pitched primal scream announcing Sevenfolds’s arrival. While playing the drums, The Reverend Tholomew Plague, simultaneously added his own vocal touch to the track.

After they played their new song off their recently released self-titled follow up to “City of Evil,” they kicked it old school and played a classic off of Waking the Fallen, “Remenissions.” The fans response was passionate and head banging began, as the double bass drums were ripping their eardrums. Guitar players, Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance let loose their note bending dueling solo.

“Let’s get this going,” commanded M. Shadows, while playing air drums to “Burn It Down.” At the break down M. Shadows called out the crowd and challenged them to show them what they were made of. The mosh pit took action and made their commander proud.

Once “Burn It Down” ended, M. Shadows, who was vocal throughout the entire show, gave his band mates a break and conversed with the crowd. He thanked them for all their loyal support of their new album.

He went on to say, “I don’t care if you bought it or downloaded, as long as you’re listening to it.”

Coincidently the next song they performed, “After Life” is off their new album. It starts off with a melodic dueling guitar intro by Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance, and then the tempo switches into a heavy groove reminiscent of Pantera, leaving the pit relentless.

Subsequently M. Shadows gave a shout out to Disturbed, fellow heavy metal band, Synyster Gates took center stage holding his guitar vertically with his left leg on the speaker, he played a brief solo that led into “Bat Country.” The dreamy break down was followed by another dueling guitar solo by Gates and Vengeance. Immediately following “Bat Country” on came the house lights and the members of Avenged Sevenfold exited stage left.

The crowd was restless. They wanted more and made it known by chanting, “Sevenfold, Sevenfold,” continuously, until they got what they wanted. M. Shadows with mic in hand walked to the front of the stage and looked at his army of fans and said sarcastically, “Oh, you guys are still here, uh?” Zacky Vengeance took a break from his electric guitar and picked up an acoustic and began playing “Seize The Day,” an inspirational song about having no regrets and living everyday as if were your last. As the power ballad started the audience instinctively held their lighters high and began swaying back and forth. Couples were embracing each other and some even began to slow dance. But the most intense song of the night was yet to come; “Unholy Confessions” it was what the crowd came for.

M. Shadows motivated the crowd and reminded them, “This is your last chance to move!”

The floor began to move, a sea of fans dressed in black crashed against the stage like a title wave. This song shows all their qualities from, high pitched note bending guitar solos, to a build up to a crescendo and then break it down again to only bring it back with a more heavy and powerful bridge. They only played eleven songs, but I don’t think anyone in whole building had enough energy for one more. The crowd was pumping their fists in the air and Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance reciprocated the admiration by hold up their guitars one handed simultaneously. The fans walked out of the venue sweaty and some bruised from an unforgettable show.