Concert Review: Avenged Sevenfold Rocks with Seether and Alter Bridge

If you only see one concert this year: Avenged Sevenfold, hands-down. There's no band out there that can even compete with them. They are the musical punch-to-the-face that metal fans have been begging for.

Taking a momentary break from their current Welcome to the Family tour, Avenged Sevenfold rolled into Atlanta to headline as well, a one-off show with support from two of the hardest rocking bands on this summer's tour circuit, Seether and Alter Bridge. The explosive, power-packed performances of all three of these bands made it a concert lover's dream come true. Alter Bridge, Seether and Avenged Sevenfold on one stage; an absolutely epic concert experience.

Avenged Sevenfold is headlining around the globe hot on the heels of the release of Nightmare, which is proving to be not only their most successful album to date, but an album that's going to be incredibly "significant" in music over the long term.

As much as it is hard rocking, lyrically Nightmare is fueled with raw emotion; anger and heartbreak; intense and brutally honest, there is nothing contrived within it. It connects with people on a very personal level and it is an album that promises to impact music historically, maintaining its relevance. It is also the driving force behind the phenomenal live performance that Avenged Sevenfold is packing, and their deep connection with their audience.

From the opening notes of "Nightmare," through the emotional tribute to The Rev and a fuel-injected, expletive-filled run through explosive songs like "Afterlife," "Bat Country" and "Unholy Confessions," they, and their fans, are a tightly bound unit.

My first experience with Avenged Sevenfold was reviewing their incredible stand-out performance as direct support for Disturbed at Uproar Festival 2010. I had written in that review that it was one of the most impressive performances I had seen in a very long time--needless to say, with Avenged Sevenfold topping the bill, my expectations for this show were decidedly higher than usual. I'm pleased to say that, impossible as I thought it might be, I was more impressed than ever.

And I wasn't the only one excited for the night's performance, as the sun descended on Atlanta and the glow of the Nightmare stage set from behind its drop-cloth acted like a beacon, drawing A7X fans into the pit, the feeling of excited anticipation grew. The air was almost vibrating with barely restrained electricity as the curtain dropped and a rush of fog rolled off the stage

Avenged Sevenfold has the most incredible show opener, each member emerging out of the shadows to the notes of "Nightmare," a momentary distraction as they move about, playing and taking their places on stage. There's a feeling that the entire audience is holding their breath--and then Shadows bursts onto a riser, one part menacing, one part wicked humor, his growling "Nightmare" scream fills the night air. They'll never be able to capture the raw power of his vocals on a studio album and that's a shame. He is stunning.

M. Shadows is absolutely fierce on stage. A powerhouse of pile-driving, metal vocals and charisma; the best frontman I've seen in over ten years. You'd have to go back to the David Lee Roth days of Van Halen or the over-the-top Axl Rose, Guns N Roses days to find that kind of charisma--the kind that can drive a crowd into a frenzy as soon as he hits the stage. But the one thing Shadows is packing in comparison is an incomparable ability to totally take control of an audience. That is the rarest of all gifts for a frontman--the ability to silence an out-of-control crowd with just a gesture of his hand.

From the moment he hits the stage M. Shadows is 100% locked in with the audience, he understands that it's his job to take charge and this he does well. However, it takes more than just a great frontman to create the sort of epic, driving performance that Avenged Sevenfold is packing. There has to be a special chemistry within the band to make it all work. The one thing that Avenged Sevenfold has in abundance, and very obviously, is a cohesion that allows all of their individual talents to be showcased without one over-shadowing the others. And that is what makes their show so stellar. They are decidedly loyal to one another and it shows most of all in the way they encourage one another.

This is a band made up of some of the most incredibly talented musicians in rock today and they seem to truly respect one another for that. To say that Synyster Gates can lay down some of the meanest, sickest guitar solos in metal would be an understatement--his amazing fretwork is a large part of the foundation that has made their latest album, Nightmare, connect with both new fans and veteran A7X fans as well--whether he's ripping the fuck out of your ears on songs like "Bat Country" or joining forces with Zacky Vengeance, laying down the heavy, melodic guitar harmonies that have become signature A7X, there is no doubt that his guitar playing is one of the most important, and impacting, elements within the band

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