Avenged Sevenfold - Life Is But A Dream... (Album Review)
Tuesday, 06 June 2023
Written by Will Marshall
Photo: Brian Catelle
Across a career spanning more than two decades, Avenged Sevenfold have taken on assorted guises. They were once a band that made furious, technical metalcore, before pushing into Metallica worship and, eventually, prog with 2016’s ‘The Stage’.
Its followup, ‘Life Is But A Dream…’ displays an even keener desire to rewrite their story. If its predecessor skewed prog, this is a wild, drug-fuelled exploration of the unknown. It’s also the worst thing they’ve put their name to.
Game Over is an awkward mishmash of Spanish guitars and uninspired thrash, with M. Shadows’ voice sounding more blown out and indecipherable than it ever has before.
Mattel’s opening chugging riff is fine but its central analogy about the artificiality of the modern world—at one point Shadows intones “my vinyl skin provides protection”— is heavy-handed and more than a little bold when the band is in the NFT business.
Elsewhere there are superfluous horns, cringeworthy lyrics and jarring tonal dissonance, perhaps best encapsulated by the final minute of Cosmic’s passable space balladry, which the band has described as Daft Punk meets Elton John. It sits alongside Beautiful Morning, a poor Alice In Chains imitation, the heavily AutoTuned Easier and (O)rdinary, which tries its hand at prog-rock in the form of meandering, aimless guitars and a horrific vocal swell.
It all smacks of a band that decided “progressive” meant throwing every idea at the wall and keeping everything, even if it didn’t stick. Moving forward creatively means taking risks, but the kitchen sink approach leaves ‘Life Is But A Dream…’ overstuffed and listless, ricocheting between funk, soul, R&B, prog, and occasionally metal. But none of it works. It’s Mr. Bungle but without any of the signature, wonky charm.
Avenged Sevenfold Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri June 09 2023 - LOS ANGELES California - Kia Forum (USA)
Fri June 23 2023 - NEW YORK New York - Madison Square Garden (USA)
Tue July 18 2023 - CAMDEN New Jersey - Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (USA)
Wed July 19 2023 - MANSFIELD Massachusetts - Xfinity Center (USA)
Fri July 21 2023 - QUEBEC CITY Quebec - Videotron Centre (Canada)
Sat July 22 2023 - MONTREAL Quebec - Bell Centre (Canada)
Mon July 24 2023 - OTTAWA Ontario - Canadian Tire Centre (Canada)
Wed July 26 2023 - CLARKSTON Michigan - Pine Knob Music Theatre (USA)
Fri July 28 2023 - TINLEY PARK Illinois - Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre (Formally Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Tinley Park) (USA)
Sat July 29 2023 - MINNEAPOLIS Minnesota - Target Center (USA)
Mon July 31 2023 - WINNIPEG Manitoba - Canada Life Centre (Canada)
Wed August 02 2023 - SASKATOON Saskatchewan - SaskTel Centre (Canada)
Fri August 04 2023 - EDMONTON Alberta - Rogers Place (Canada)
Sat August 05 2023 - CALGARY Alberta - Scotiabank Saddledome (Canada)
Mon August 07 2023 - VANCOUVER British Columbia - Rogers Arena (Canada)
Sat September 16 2023 - WEST PALM BEACH Florida - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre (USA)
Sun September 17 2023 - TAMPA Florida - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds (USA)
Tue September 19 2023 - CHARLOTTE North Carolina - PNC Music Pavilion Charlotte (USA)
Wed September 20 2023 - ALPHARETTA Georgia - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre (USA)
Fri September 22 2023 - NASHVILLE Tennessee - Bridgestone Arena (USA)
Sat September 23 2023 - KENTUCKY Kentucky - Exposition Center (USA)
Mon September 25 2023 - MARYLAND HEIGHTS Missouri - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre St Louis (USA)
Tue September 26 2023 - KANSAS CITY Missouri - T-Mobile Center (USA)
Thu September 28 2023 - DENVER Colorado - Ball Arena (USA)
Sat September 30 2023 - SALT LAKE CITY Utah - USANA Amphitheatre (USA)
Mon October 02 2023 - TACOMA Washington - Tacoma Dome (USA)
Tue October 03 2023 - PORTLAND Oregon - Moda Center at the Rose Quarter (USA)
Thu October 05 2023 - SACRAMENTO California - Discovery Park (USA)
Sat October 07 2023 - CHULA VISTA California - North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre (USA)
Sun October 08 2023 - PHOENIX Arizona - Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre (formerly Ak-Chin Pavilion) (USA)
Tue October 10 2023 - ALBUQUERQUE New Mexico - Isleta Amphitheater (USA)
Thu October 12 2023 - THE WOODLANDS Texas - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (USA)
Fri October 13 2023 - AUSTIN Texas - Germania Insurance Amphitheater (USA)
Sun October 15 2023 - FORT WORTH Texas - Dickies Arena (USA)
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