Avenged Sevenfold

When Avenged Sevenfold broke through in the U.S. with 2005’s pulverizing twin-guitar assault “Bat Country,” their sudden popularity was akin to “madness,” according to frontman M. Shadows. “We were pretty much one of the only new breed of rock bands being played on MTV,” he recalled to Apple Music. “We were going against Britney Spears and Rihanna on TRL.” Finding success while recalibrating audience expectations has always been an Avenged Sevenfold trademark. Shadows (real name: Matt Sanders), guitarist Zacky Vengeance, and drummer James “The Rev” Sullivan co-founded the Huntington, CA, band in 1999 while still in high school, with the goal of fusing together punk, metal, and hardcore. After adding nimble lead guitarist Synyster Gates, Avenged Sevenfold achieved this goal (and then some) with their frantic, aggressive 2001 debut full-length, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. On subsequent albums, the band covered vast sonic ground—growling metalcore, radio-friendly power ballads, Metallica-caliber thrash, and even carnival-esque rock with brass and strings—while overcoming major tragedies, including the 2009 death of The Rev from an accidental overdose. Yet Avenged Sevenfold’s resilience and singular vision propelled them forward, and with former Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman keeping time, the band sounded as fresh and ferocious as ever on the 2020 riff bonanza Diamonds in the Rough. Three years later, they released 2023's Life Is But a Dream…, inspired by the writings and philosophy of French author Albert Camus.