Avenged Sevenfold - wikipedia Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold in 2016. From left to right : Synyster Gates, Zacky Vengeance, M. Shadows, Johnny Christ, and Brooks Wackerman Background information Also known as A7X Origin Huntington Beach, California, U.S. Genres Heavy metal progressive metal hard rock metalcore ( early ) Years active 1999 -- present Labels Capitol Warner Bros. Hopeless Good Life Associated acts Pinkly Smooth Website avengedsevenfold.com Members M. Shadows Synyster Gates Zacky Vengeance Johnny Christ Brooks Wackerman Past members The Rev Mike Portnoy Arin Ilejay Matt Wendt Justin Sane Dameon Ash Avenged Sevenfold ( sometimes abbreviated as A7X ) is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band 's current lineup consists of lead vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Zacky Vengeance, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Synyster Gates, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny Christ, and drummer Brooks Wackerman. Avenged Sevenfold is known for its diverse rock sound and dramatic imagery in album covers and merchandise. Avenged Sevenfold emerged with a metalcore sound on the band 's debut Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. However, Avenged Sevenfold 's style had evolved by the band 's third album and first major label release, City of Evil, into a heavy metal and hard rock style. The band continued to explore new sounds with its self - titled release and enjoyed continued mainstream success before their drummer, James `` The Rev '' Sullivan, died in 2009. Despite his death, Avenged Sevenfold continued on with the help of now - former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, and released and toured in support of its fifth album Nightmare in 2010, which debuted on the top spot of the Billboard 200, Avenged Sevenfold 's first number one debut. In 2011 drummer Arin Ilejay joined the band on tours and recording. Avenged Sevenfold 's sixth studio album Hail to the King, which was released in 2013, marked the only Avenged Sevenfold album featuring Arin Ilejay. Hail to the King charted as number 1 on the Billboard 200, the UK Albums chart, as well as the Finnish, Brazilian, Canadian, and Irish charts. In late 2014 Ilejay left the band, and was replaced by former Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman, but was n't revealed as his replacement until in 2015 the band announced Ilejay 's departure. The band surprise - released their seventh studio album titled The Stage on October 28, 2016, which debuted as number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US. The Stage is their first conceptual album and it marked another stylistic change for the band, moving towards the progressive metal sound. To date, Avenged Sevenfold has released seven studio albums, one live album / DVD, two compilation albums and eighteen singles and have sold over 8 million albums worldwide. Avenged Sevenfold was ranked No. 47 on Loudwire 's list of Top 50 Metal Bands of All Time. Contents 1 History 1.1 Formation and Sounding the Seventh Trumpet ( 1999 -- 2002 ) 1.2 Waking the Fallen and City of Evil ( 2003 -- 05 ) 1.3 Avenged Sevenfold ( 2006 -- 08 ) 1.4 The death of The Rev and Nightmare ( 2009 -- 11 ) 1.5 Hail to the King and Waking the Fallen : Resurrected ( 2012 -- 14 ) 1.6 Drummer change and The Stage ( 2015 -- present ) 2 Style and influences 3 Members 4 Discography 5 Accolades 6 References 7 External links History Formation and Sounding the Seventh Trumpet ( 1999 -- 2002 ) The band was formed in 1999 in Huntington Beach, California with original members M. Shadows, Zacky Vengeance, The Rev and Matt Wendt. M Shadows came up with the name as a reference to the story of Cain and Abel from The Bible, which can be found in Genesis 4 : 24, although they are not a religious band. Upon its formation, each member of the band also took on a pseudonym which were already nicknames of theirs from high school. Matt Wendt was later replaced by Justin ' Sane ' Meacham who was previously the bassist for Suburban Legends. Before the release of their debut album, the band recorded two demos in 1999 and 2000. In mid-2001, it was reported that Meacham had attempted suicide by drinking excessive amounts of cough syrup. The attempt affected the band 's Take Action Tour. During his hospitalization he remained in poor condition and was replaced by Dameon Ash. In an interview, lead singer M. Shadows said of Meacham that `` he perma - fried his brain and was in a mental institution for a long time, and when you have someone in your band who does that, it ruins everything that 's going on all around you, and it makes you want to do something to prevent it from happening to other people. '' Avenged Sevenfold 's debut album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet, was recorded when the band members were in their late teens and still in high school. It was originally released on their first label, Good Life Recordings in 2001. When lead guitarist Synyster Gates joined the band after the album was released, the introductory track `` To End the Rapture '' was re-recorded featuring a full band element. The album was subsequently re-released on Hopeless Records in 2002. The band started to receive recognition, performing with bands such as Mushroomhead and Shadows Fall and playing on the Take Action Tour. Waking the Fallen and City of Evil ( 2003 -- 05 ) Having found a new bassist, Johnny Christ, the group released their second studio album titled Waking the Fallen on Hopeless Records in August 2003. The album featured a more refined and mature sound production in comparison to their previous album. The band received profiles in Billboard and The Boston Globe, and played in the Vans Warped Tour. In 2004, Avenged Sevenfold toured again on the Vans Warped Tour and recorded a video for their song `` Unholy Confessions '' which went into rotation on MTV2 's Headbanger 's Ball. Shortly after the release of Waking the Fallen, Avenged Sevenfold left Hopeless Records and were signed to Warner Bros. Records. City of Evil, the band 's third album and major label debut, was released on June 7, 2005 and debuted at No. 30 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling over 30,000 copies in its first week of release. It utilized a more classic metal sound than Avenged Sevenfold 's previous albums, which had been grouped into the metalcore genre. The album is also notable for the absence of screamed and growled vocals ; M. Shadows worked with vocal coach Ron Anderson -- whose clients have included Axl Rose and Chris Cornell -- for months before the album 's release to achieve a sound that had `` grit while still having the tone ''. The album received positive reviews from several magazines and websites and is credited for propelling the band into international popularity. Avenged Sevenfold ( 2006 -- 08 ) After playing Ozzfest in 2006, Avenged Sevenfold memorably beat out R&B Singers Rihanna and Chris Brown, Panic ! at the Disco, Angels & Airwaves and James Blunt for the title of Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards, thanks in part to their Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - inspired song `` Bat Country. '' They returned to the Vans Warped Tour, this time headlining and then continued on their own `` Cities of Evil Tour. '' In addition, their lead single `` Bat Country '' reached No. 2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts, No. 6 on the Billboard Modern Rock Charts and the accompanying video made it to No. 1 on MTV 's Total Request Live. Propelled by this success, the album sold well and became Avenged Sevenfold 's first gold record. It was later certified platinum in August 2009. Avenged Sevenfold in 2007 Avenged Sevenfold was invited to join Ozzfest tour on the main stage, alongside other well known rock / heavy metal acts such as DragonForce, Lacuna Coil, Hatebreed, Disturbed and System of a Down for the first time in 2006. That same year they also completed a worldwide tour, including the US, The United Kingdom ( as well as mainland Europe ), Japan, Australia and New Zealand. After a sixteen - month promotion of City of Evil, the band announced that they were cancelling their Fall 2006 tour to record new music. In the interim, the band released their first DVD titled All Excess on July 17, 2007. All Excess, which debuted as the No. 1 DVD in the USA, included live performances and backstage footage that spanned the band 's eight - year career. Two tribute albums, Strung Out on Avenged Sevenfold : Bat Wings and Broken Strings and Strung Out on Avenged Sevenfold : The String Tribute were also released in October 2007. On October 26, 2007, Avenged Sevenfold released their self - titled album, the band 's fourth studio album. It debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with over 90,000 copies sold. Two singles, `` Critical Acclaim '' and `` Almost Easy '' were released prior to the album 's debut. In December 2007, an animated video was made for `` A Little Piece of Heaven ''. Due to the song 's controversial subject matter, however, Warner Brothers only released it to registered MVI users over the internet. The third single, `` Afterlife '' and its video was released in January 2008. Their fourth single, `` Dear God '', was released on June 15, 2008. Although critical reception was generally mixed the self - titled album went on to sell over 500,000 copies and was awarded `` Album of the Year '' at the Kerrang ! Awards. The Rev Avenged Sevenfold headlined the 2008 Taste of Chaos tour with Atreyu, Bullet for My Valentine, Blessthefall and Idiot Pilot. They used the footage from their last show in Long Beach for Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough, a two - disc B - sides CD and live DVD which was released on September 16, 2008. They also recorded numerous covers, including Pantera 's `` Walk '', Iron Maiden 's `` Flash of the Blade '' and Black Sabbath 's `` Paranoid ''. The death of the Rev and Nightmare ( 2009 -- 11 ) Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates live in Norway in 2011 In January 2009, M. Shadows confirmed that the band was writing the follow - up to their self - titled fourth album within the upcoming months. They also played at Rock on the Range, from May 16 -- 17, 2009. On April 16, they performed a version of Guns N ' Roses ' `` It 's So Easy '' onstage with Slash, at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. On December 28, 2009, the band 's drummer James `` The Rev '' Sullivan was found dead at his home at the age of 28. Autopsy results were inconclusive, but on June 9, 2010, the cause of death was revealed to have been an `` acute polydrug intoxication due to combined effects of Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, Diazepam / Nordiazepam and ethanol ''. In a statement by the band, they expressed their grief over the death of The Rev and later posted a message from Sullivan 's family which expressed their gratitude to his fans for their support. The band members admitted in a number of interviews that they considered disbanding at this point in time. However, on February 17, 2010, Avenged Sevenfold stated that they had entered the studio, along with now - former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, to drum for the album, in place of The Rev. The single `` Nightmare '' was digitally released on May 18, 2010. A preview for the song was released on May 6, 2010 on Amazon.com, but was removed soon after for unknown reasons. Mixing for the album had been completed in New York City, and Nightmare was finally released worldwide on July 27, 2010. It met with mixed to positive reviews from music critics but was well received by the fans. Nightmare beat sales projections easily, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 with sales of 163,000 units in its first week. After finishing recording, in December, Portnoy and the band posted simultaneous statements on their websites stating that he would not be their replacement for The Rev. However, Portnoy did travel with the band overseas in December 2010 for three shows in Iraq and Kuwait sponsored by the USO. They played for U.S. Soldiers at Camp Adder, Camp Beuhring, and Balad Air Base. On January 20, 2011, Avenged Sevenfold announced via Facebook that former Confide drummer Arin Ilejay would begin touring with them that year. He was not yet considered a full - time member at this point. Avenged Sevenfold performed at the Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals on June 3 -- 5, 2011 alongside other bands such as Alter Bridge, System of a Down, and In Flames. On April 2011, the band headlined the Golden God Awards held by Metal Hammer. The same night the band won three awards for `` Best Vocalist '' ( M. Shadows ), `` Epiphone Best Guitarist ( s ) '' ( Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance ) and `` Affliction 's Album of The Year : '' for Nightmare, while Mike Portnoy won the award for `` Drum Workshop 's Best Drummer '' for his work on the album. Avenged Sevenfold headlined the 2011 Uproar Festival with supporting acts Three Days Grace, Seether, Bullet for My Valentine, Escape The Fate, among others. In November and December 2011, the band went on their `` Buried Alive '' tour with supporting acts Hollywood Undead, Asking Alexandria, and Black Veil Brides. Hail to the King and Waking the Fallen : Resurrected ( 2012 -- 14 ) On April 11, 2012, Avenged Sevenfold won the award for `` Best Live Band '' and `` Most Dedicated Fans '' at the Revolver Golden Gods awards. The band toured through Asia into April and early May, and played at the Orion Music + More, Festival on June 23 and 24 in Atlantic City, New Jersey alongside Metallica and Cage the Elephant among many others. M. Shadows at Rock im Park, 2014 On September 24, 2012, Avenged Sevenfold released a new song, titled `` Carry On '' ; it was featured in the video game Call of Duty : Black Ops II. On November 15, 2012, vocalist M. Shadows said that the band had been working on a new album since the recording of `` Carry On '' in August 2012. The band began recording material for the album in January 2013. The band then started streaming snippets of the album in May 2013 on their new radio app. There, Arin Ilejay was confirmed as an official band member and replacement of deceased The Rev. M. Shadows said that the album would sound more blues rock - influenced and more like classic rock / metal like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. The band was confirmed to play at the 2013 Rock in Rio festival on September 22, 2013. On May 24, 2013, the band have announced dates for their European tour with Five Finger Death Punch and Device serving as their support bands. The album, entitled Hail to the King, was released on August 27, 2013. This is the first Avenged Sevenfold album without any musical contributions from deceased The Rev. The album 's lead single and title track was released on July 15, 2013. Hail to the King charted as No. 1 on the US Billboard 200, the UK albums chart, as well as the Finnish, Brazilian, Canadian, and Irish charts, and was commercially and critically acclaimed. The band headlined Monster Energy 's Welcome to Rockville two - day music festival in Jacksonville, FL, April 26 -- 27, 2014, joined by more than 25 rock acts, such as Motörhead, Rob Zombie, Chevelle, Korn, Staind, Alter Bridge, The Cult, Five Finger Death Punch, Volbeat, Black Label Society, and Seether. On June 13, the band headlined the Friday night of Download Festival 2014. The band also headlined the Mayhem Festival 2014 with Korn, Asking Alexandria, and Trivium. In March 2014, vocalist M. Shadows revealed in an interview with Loudwire that the band had plans in the works to put something out for the overdue 10th anniversary of Waking the Fallen. Waking the Fallen : Resurrected was released August 25, 2014. The reissue charted No. 10 on the US Billboard 200. Drummer change and the Stage ( 2015 -- present ) In October 2014, M. Shadows confirmed that the band will begin writing their seventh album during mid-2015. In May 2015, the band posted a video on their website teasing their upcoming second live DVD / documentary, entitled This is Bat Country, which will show performances from Download Festival, Rock in Rio and Rock on the Range. As of 2016, the band has n't released the DVD because of the ongoing lawsuit with Warner Bros. In July 2015 the band announced on their website that they would part ways with drummer Arin Ilejay, due to `` creative differences ''. In October 2015, the band announced on their website that they had been working with a new drummer for over a year, making sure that it was a good fit before making sudden changes. On October 21, in an interview with Kerrang ! magazine, guitarist Zacky Vengeance revealed that the band had been working on the new album for the past couple of months and that a couple of songs had already been completely written. On November 4, 2015, the band announced that Brooks Wackerman would replace Arin Ilejay as the drummer for Avenged Sevenfold. In an interview with Kerrang ! magazine on December 3, guitarist Zacky Vengeance said that the new album went in all sorts of aggressive and melodic directions and described it as very `` aggro ''. On January 14, 2016, Billboard reported that Avenged Sevenfold had been sued by Warner Bros. for trying to leave the label. The band later released a statement clarifying that they wanted to leave because a majority of the executives who helped sign the band to Warner Bros were no longer at the label. They also revealed that the band was going to be entering the studio to record their new album very soon, intending to release it later in 2016. On March 31, the band posted a teaser of their upcoming album on their website. On August 18, 2016, the band performed a free live show for 1500 people in Minnesota, marking it the first live performance with new drummer Brooks Wackerman. The band was announced as support for Metallica with Volbeat in the U.S. Bank Stadium on August 20, 2016, making it the first ever rock show in the stadium. The band was announced as a headliner of Monster Energy Rock Allegiance 2016, along with Alice in Chains, Slayer, The Offspring, Breaking Benjamin and others. Avenged Sevenfold also performed on `` Louder Than Life '' festival as headliners on October 1, with Slipknot, Slayer, Disturbed, Korn and other artists. On June 21, the band announced a U.S. Fall tour with Volbeat, Killswitch Engage, and Avatar. The band also announced a UK tour for January 2017 with Disturbed and In Flames. Avenged Sevenfold was announced as a headliner of 2016 edition of Knotfest Mexico. The band also announced the European Tour for February and March 2017 along with Disturbed and Chevelle. On October 3, 2016, the band 's logo Deathbat started appearing as a projection in London. After that, Deathbat also started appearing in Berlin, Toronto and Paris, indicating a release of the new album. On October 12, Chris Jericho posted an Instagram photo of the Deathbat logo with a date 12 / 9 / 16 underneath it. He then revealed the supposed title of the album, Voltaic Oceans, It was later revealed that the new album would actually be called The Stage, a concept album about artificial intelligence, which was released on October 28, 2016 via Capitol Records. The album was released to generally favorable reviews, and the band decided to make a unique stage production for it, hiring Cirque du Soleil directors for its making. Avenged Sevenfold was announced as the main support act on Metallica 's WorldWired 2017 stadium summer tour in the US and Canada, alongside Volbeat and Gojira. The band also announced a series of 2017 US headlining summer shows of The Stage World Tour, with Volbeat, Motionless in White, and A Day to Remember as special guests across various dates. On December 22, 2017, the band released a deluxe edition of The Stage that included one new original track, six cover songs, and four live tracks from their European tour earlier that year. Style and influences The band 's influences include Guns N ' Roses, Iron Maiden, Pantera, Bad Religion, Dream Theater, Motörhead, Megadeth, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, AC / DC, NOFX, Alice in Chains, Black Flag, Corrosion of Conformity, Suicidal Tendencies, Misfits, Slayer, The Vandals, Rage Against the Machine, Korn, Deftones, and AFI. The band has been categorized under many genres of heavy music. Mainly categorized as heavy metal, hard rock, progressive metal and metalcore, Avenged Sevenfold 's music has evolved over most of the band 's career. At first, the band 's debut album Sounding the Seventh Trumpet consisted almost entirely of a metalcore sound ; however, there were several deviations from this genre, most notably in `` Streets '', which shows a punk rock style, and `` Warmness on the Soul '', which is a piano ballad. On Waking the Fallen, the band displayed a metalcore style once more, but added more clean singing and leaned a bit more towards metal and bit less close to hardcore. In the band 's DVD All Excess, producer Andrew Murdock explained this transition : `` When I met the band after Sounding the Seventh Trumpet had come out before they had recorded Waking the Fallen, M. Shadows said to me ' This record is screaming. The record we want to make is going to be half - screaming half - singing. I do n't want to scream anymore. And the record after that is going to be all singing '. '' On City of Evil, Avenged Sevenfold 's third album, the band chose to abandon the metalcore genre, using a more hard rock and heavy metal style. Avenged Sevenfold 's self - titled album, however, has some experiments with other music genres than that from City of Evil, most notably in `` Dear God '', which shows a country style and `` A Little Piece of Heaven '', which is circled within the influence of Broadway show tunes, using primarily brass instruments and stringed orchestra to take over most of the role of the lead and rhythm guitar. Nightmare contains further deviations, including a piano ballad called `` Fiction '', progressive metal - oriented track `` Save Me '' and a heavy metal sound with extreme vocals and heavier instrumentation on `` God Hates Us ''. The band 's sixth studio album Hail to the King shows more of a classic metal sound and a riff - oriented approach. On their newest album The Stage, the band explores further into progressive metal, blending it with elements of thrash metal. In the past, Avenged Sevenfold has also been described as alternative metal, screamo, and pop punk metal. The band has been criticized for `` not being metal enough ''. Vocalist M. Shadows responded to this with, `` we play music for the sake of music, not so that we can be labeled a metal band. That 's like telling us we are n't punk enough. Who cares ? ''. Avenged Sevenfold is one of the notable acts of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal. Members Main article : List of Avenged Sevenfold members Current M. Shadows -- lead vocals ( 1999 -- present ) ; piano, acoustic guitar ( 1999 -- 2001 ) Zacky Vengeance -- rhythm & lead guitar, backing vocals ( 1999 -- present ) Synyster Gates -- lead guitar, backing vocals ( 2001 -- present ) ; piano ( 2001 -- 2007 ) Johnny Christ -- bass, backing vocals ( 2002 -- present ) Brooks Wackerman -- drums, percussion ( 2015 -- present ) Discography For a more comprehensive list, see Avenged Sevenfold discography. Studio albums Sounding the Seventh Trumpet ( 2001 ) Waking the Fallen ( 2003 ) City of Evil ( 2005 ) Avenged Sevenfold ( 2007 ) Nightmare ( 2010 ) Hail to the King ( 2013 ) The Stage ( 2016 ) Accolades This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( September 2016 ) Year Nominated work Award Result 2006 Band : Avenged Sevenfold MTV Music Awards : Best New Artist Won Band : Avenged Sevenfold Golden God Awards : Best International Band Won Synyster Gates on City of Evil Total Guitar : Guitarist of the Year Won Synyster Gates on City of Evil Dimebag Darrell `` Young Shredder '' Award Won Band : Avenged Sevenfold Kerrang ! Awards : Best Band on the Planet Nominated 2008 Band : Avenged Sevenfold Kerrang ! Awards : Best International Band Nominated Band : Avenged Sevenfold Kerrang ! Awards : Best Live Band Nominated Avenged Sevenfold Kerrang ! Awards : Album of the Year Won The Rev on Nightmare Golden God Awards : Best Drummer Won Band : Avenged Sevenfold Kerrang ! Awards : Best International Band Nominated 2011 Mike Portnoy on Nightmare Golden God Awards : Best Drummer Won Synyster Gates & Zacky Vengeance on Nightmare Golden God Awards : Best Guitarists Won M. Shadows on Nightmare Golden God Awards : Best Vocalist Won Nightmare Golden God Awards : Album of the Year Won Best Live Band Golden God Awards : Best Live Band Nominated Best Live Band Kerrang ! Awards : Best Live Band Nominated Avenged Sevenfold Loudwire Music Awards : Live Act of the Year Won Nightmare Kerrang ! Awards : Best Single Nominated Nightmare Kerrang ! Awards : Best Album Nominated Band : Avenged Sevenfold Kerrang ! Awards : Best International Band Nominated Buried Alive Revolver Magazine : Song of the Year Nominated 2012 Best Live Band Golden God Awards : Best Live Band Won Most Dedicated Fans Golden God Awards : Most Dedicated Fans Won 2013 Carry On Golden God Awards : Song of the Year Nominated Hail to the King Loudwire Music Awards : Best Rock Song Won Hail to the King Loudwire Music Awards : Rock Album of the Year Nominated Avenged Sevenfold Loudwire Music Awards : Rock Band of the Year Won Avenged Sevenfold Loudwire Music Awards : Most Devoted Fans Nominated 2014 Most Dedicated Fans Golden God Awards : Most Dedicated Fans Won Hail to the King Golden God Awards : Album of the Year Nominated M. Shadows on Hail to the King Golden God Awards : Best Vocalist Nominated Synyster Gates & Zacky Vengeance on Hail to the King Golden God Awards : Best Guitarists Won Arin Ilejay on Hail to the King Golden God Awards : Best Drummer Won Johnny Christ on Hail to the King Golden God Awards : Best Bassist Nominated Hail to the King Golden God Awards : Song of the Year Nominated Avenged Sevenfold Golden God Awards : Best International Band Won 2016 Synyster Gates & Zacky Vengeance on The Stage Total Guitar : Best Metal Guitarists in the World Won 2017 Avenged Sevenfold Golden God Awards : Best International Band Won References Jump up ^ Harding, Cortney ( July 26, 2010 ). `` Avenged Sevenfold Returns with ' Nightmare ' After Drummer 's Death ''. Billboard.com. Retrieved November 8, 2014. Jump up ^ Caulfield, Keith ( August 4, 2010 ). `` Avenged Sevenfold Scores First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 ''. Billboard.com. Retrieved November 8, 2014. 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Accessed via LexisNexis. `` Earlier, Avenged Sevenfold showed a dramatic flair, opening its set with a sample of the theme from `` The Exorcist '' before combining impressive harmonies with a muscular melody that recalled early A.F.I. '' Jump up ^ Vans Warped Tour 2003 News Unrated Magazine. Publicity Release. Jump up ^ `` Headbanger 's Ball spawns second compilation '' BPI Entertainment News Wire. `` Here is the MTV2 Headbanger 's Ball, Volume 2 '' track list... Disc one... ' Unholy Confessions, ' Avenged Sevenfold. '' August 2, 2004. Jump up ^ Whitmire, Margo Coldplay Earns First Billboard 200 No. 1 Billboard. June 15, 2005. Jump up ^ Avenged Sevenfold 's `` City of Evil '' Unleashed June 7 Market Wire. June 22, 2005. ^ Jump up to : Warped Tour outlasted by putting teenagers ' interests first The Orange County Register. July 6, 2005. `` We were lumped into metalcore, but with this record we really wanted to get out of it... We did n't even know why we were screaming. One day, we were just like, ' ( Bleep ) this, there 's no way we 're gon na scream on the next record. ' '' Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold : City of Evil. '' The New Zealand Herald accessed via LexisNexis. September 11, 2005. `` But City of Evil is some of the most exciting and epic rock'n'roll around at the moment. In fact, this album is a snorting and snarling mongrel that is as much for fans of classic rock as it is for those into metal. '' Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold Feature Interview At ''. Blistering.com. November 22, 2007. Archived from the original on May 4, 2009. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ Betts, Stephen. `` Music New Music News, Reviews, Pictures, and Videos ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ Avenged Sevenfold 's Cities Of Evil Tour 2005 to Begin October Market Wire through Warner Bros. Records. September 13, 2005. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2012. 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Jump up ^ Avenged Sevenfold to Cover Black Sabbath Metal Hammer. January 21, 2009. Jump up ^ We Wanted to Cover Mr. Bungle Metal Hammer. January 27, 2009. Jump up ^ Rock on the Range Avenged Sevenfold Official Website. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on May 9, 2009. Retrieved May 6, 2009. Jump up ^ `` RoadRunnerRecords.com ''. RoadRunnerRecords.com. Retrieved September 18, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Autopsy for Avenged Sevenfold Drummer Inconclusive -- ABC News ''. Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved September 18, 2010. Jump up ^ Jon Wiederhorn ( June 9, 2010 ). `` Avenged Sevenfold Drummer Died of Accidental Overdose Rolling Stone Music ''. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 22, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Ryansrockshow.com ''. Ryansrockshow.com. January 4, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Facebook.com ''. Facebook.com. Retrieved September 18, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold ''. Rock Sound. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold ''. Rock in Town. Jump up ^ `` AvengedSevenfold.com ''. AvengedSevenfold.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2010. Jump up ^ `` AVENGED SEVENFOLD To Release Nightmare Single This Month ''. Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. May 7, 2010. Archived from the original on May 11, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Avenged Sevenfold Nightmare -- Further Details Made Available ! ''. Metal Hammer. May 7, 2010. Archived from the original on May 10, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Late AVENGED SEVENFOLD Drummer ' Appears ' On Band 's New Album ''. Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. May 14, 2010. Archived from the original on May 17, 2010. Retrieved May 14, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold Tops Billboard 200 ''. Billboard. August 4, 2010. Archived from the original on August 7, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Avenged 01 ''. USO. December 10, 2010. Retrieved October 19, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Message from A7X ''. Facebook. January 20, 2011. Jump up ^ `` News Avenged Sevenfold announce Arin Ilejay as new drummer ''. Alt Press. January 20, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Schon 60.000 Eintrittskarten für Ring und Park verkauft ''. Rock am Ring. January 13, 2011. Archived from the original on January 16, 2011. Jump up ^ `` JamBase : Uproar Fest 2011 ''. JamBase. Retrieved March 24, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Buried Alive Tour ''. Archived from the original on May 20, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2012. Jump up ^ Riddle, Tree ( April 12, 2012 ). `` Avenged Sevenfold Win ' Best Live Band ' and ' Most Dedicated Fans ' at 2012 Revolver Golden Gods ''. Loudwire. Retrieved June 5, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Upcoming Shows ''. Avenged Sevenfold. Jump up ^ Ouellette, Mary ( September 24, 2012 ). `` Avenged Sevenfold Unleash New Song ' Carry On ' for ' Call of Duty : Black Ops II ' Video Game ''. Loudwire. Retrieved September 24, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold Singer Says New Album Is ' Coming Along Nicely ' ''. Blabbermouth.net. November 15, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2012. Jump up ^ `` AVENGED SEVENFOLD Confirmed To Enter Studio Next Month ''. Blabbermouth.net. December 21, 2012. Archived from the original on December 21, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on May 15, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2013. Jump up ^ `` M Shadows Wants The New Avenged Sevenfold Album To Be A Metal / Rock Classic ''. Metal Hammer. February 13, 2013. `` The new album has a lot more of a Sabbath and Zeppelin feel to it '', he states. `` There 's definitely more Sabbath in what we 're writing, and we 're proud of ' Carry On ', but this album is going to be on a whole new level. We 're shooting for late January, early February ( to enter the studio ) and to have the album out in the summer. I 'm pretty sure that we 're looking to go overseas first, so you guys will be seeing it before everyone else... We 're going back to Sabbath stuff. We 're looking at blues chords they 're playing most of their stuff in. We 're listening to Zeppelin. We 're going backwards with what we want this record to feel like. I wan na write a classic metal record, a classic rock record in 2013. '' Jump up ^ `` Rock in Rio anuncia Avenged Sevenfold no dia do Iron Maiden '' ( in Spanish ). G1. December 7, 2012. Archived from the original on December 21, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold Reveal Cover Art, Title, and Release Date of New Album ''. Jump up ^ Kaufman, Spencer. `` Welcome to Rockville 2014 : Avenged Sevenfold, Korn + More ''. Loudwire. Retrieved January 29, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold Plan ' Waking the Fallen ' Reissue, New DVD ''. Loudwire. March 27, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold To Release Waking The Fallen : Resurrected August 25 ''. Hopeless Records. June 24, 2014. Jump up ^ Caulfield, Keith ( September 3, 2014 ). `` Ariana Grande Nabs Second No. 1 Album in Less Than A Year ''. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 3, 2014. Jump up ^ News, Desk ( October 26, 2014 ). `` Avenged Sevenfold To Begin Writing New Album By Next Summer ''. Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved November 8, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold part ways with drummer Arin Ilejay ''. Nme.com. July 24, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ `` A Message From Avenged Sevenfold Regarding Auditioning Drummers. News ''. Avenged Sevenfold. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ Miller, Jennifer ( October 21, 2015 ). `` Avenged Sevenfold in the studio to work on new album ''. Avenged Sevenfold News. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold 's New Drummer Is Brooks Wackerman ''. Loudwire.com. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Zacky Vengeance, Synyster Gates & Brooks Wackerman Talk New Avenged Sevenfold Album. News ''. Avenged Sevenfold. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold Sued By Warner Bros. After Trying To Get Out of Record Contract ''. Blabbermouth.net. January 13, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ `` 2016 Avenged Sevenfold March Mania Song Tournament Winner & A Special Thank You. News ''. Avenged Sevenfold. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Announce Free Show in Minneapolis. News ''. Avenged Sevenfold. Retrieved August 27, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Metallica To Play First Rock Show at New Minneapolis Stadium ''. Loudwire.com. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Playing Monster Energy Rock Allegiance Festival. News ''. Avenged Sevenfold. Retrieved June 30, 2016. Jump up ^ `` To Get Louder Than Life. News ''. Avenged Sevenfold. Retrieved June 30, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Hitting The Road With Volbeat, Killswitch Engage & Avatar. News ''. Avenged Sevenfold. Retrieved June 30, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Announce 2017 UK Tour With Disturbed And in Flames. News ''. Avenged Sevenfold. Retrieved August 27, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Timeline Photos ''. M.facebook.com. Retrieved August 27, 2016. Jump up ^ http://www.metalinjection.net/latest-news/rumors/avenged-sevenfold-death-bat-popping-up-all-over-the-world-new-album-coming Jump up ^ http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/avenged-sevenfold-new-album-will-be-called-the-stage-and-it-will-arrive-this-friday/. Retrieved October 26, 2016. Missing or empty title = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` The Stage Reviews ''. Metacritic.com. Retrieved April 17, 2017. Jump up ^ http://loudwire.com/avenged-sevenfold-team-cirque-du-soleil-producers-new-stage-show/ Jump up ^ http://avengedsevenfold.com/news/avenged-sevenfold-joining-metallica-on-worldwired-tour/ Jump up ^ http://avengedsevenfold.com/news/avenged-sevenfold-announce-series-of-us-headline-shows/ Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold influences ''. MTV. Retrieved October 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold Bassist Interviewed on Spokane 's Rock 94 And 1 / 2 ( Video ) - Blabbermouth.net ''. BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Jump up ^ Fuoco, Christina. `` Avenged Sevenfold ''. Allmusic. Retrieved July 20, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold, playing Musikfest, claiming heavy metal throne with ' Hail to the King ' ''. Morning Call. ^ Jump up to : Freeman, Channing ( August 10, 2006 ). `` City of Evil - Avenged Sevenfold ''. Sputnikmusic. Retrieved February 26, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Avenged Sevenfold ''. Allmusic. ^ Jump up to : `` Avenged Sevenfold ''. Chad Bowar. Retrieved December 28, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold announce spring 2014 Borth American tour dates ''. AXS. Jump up ^ `` No. 20 : Avenged Sevenfold, ' Bat Country ' -- Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs ''. Loudwire. ^ Jump up to : http://teamrock.com/feature/2017-02-20/how-avenged-sevenfold-became-the-worlds-least-likely-prog-stars Jump up ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-stage-mw0002993358 Jump up ^ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/dec/08/avenged-sevenfold-the-stage-album-review Jump up ^ http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-12-20/what-to-look-forward-to-when-avenged-sevenfold-hit-the-uk-in-2017 Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold 's M. Shadows : Metalcore Not Something We Find Enjoyment in Listening To ''. Loudwire. Jump up ^ Avenged Sevenfold : Sounding the Seventh Trumpet Archived October 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Global Domination. December 20, 2007. Jump up ^ Weiderhorn, Joe ( June 9, 2005 ). `` Avenged Sevenfold Salute Dimebag, Shun Metalcore on Evil ''. MTV. Jump up ^ `` James `` The Rev '' Sullivan ``. Modern Drummer. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold Biography ''. Rolling Stone. Jump up ^ `` Avenged Sevenfold Post New Single `` Nightmare '' METALITY.Net Heavy Metal News, Reviews, Interviews, and Videos ``. Metality.net. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ Eliscu, Jenny ( July 28, 2005 ). `` City of Evil ''. Rolling Stone. Jump up ^ `` Finally - Los Angeles Times - 12 Sep 2008 - Randy Lewis ''. Los Angeles Times. ^ Jump up to : Bowar, Chad. `` Avenged Sevenfold Interview ''. About.com. Retrieved October 20, 2012. Jump up ^ `` ' New Wave of American Heavy Metal ' Book Documents Over 600 Bands ''. Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved April 27, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Revolver Golden God Awards 2010 ''. hollywoodmusicmagazine.com. Retrieved 15 March 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Avenged Sevenfold Dominate The 2011 Golden Gods Awards ''. Star Pulse. April 21, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2011. External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : Avenged Sevenfold Wikimedia Commons has media related to Avenged Sevenfold. Official website Avenged Sevenfold M. Shadows Zacky Vengeance Synyster Gates Johnny Christ Brooks Wackerman The Rev Matt Wendt Justin Sane Dameon Ash Arin Ilejay Studio albums Sounding the Seventh Trumpet Waking the Fallen City of Evil Avenged Sevenfold Nightmare Hail to the King The Stage Live albums Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough Compilations The Best of 2005 -- 2013 DVDs All Excess Singles `` Warmness on the Soul '' `` Darkness Surrounding '' `` Eternal Rest '' `` Second Heartbeat '' `` Unholy Confessions '' `` Chapter Four '' `` Burn It Down '' `` Bat Country '' `` Beast and the Harlot '' `` Seize the Day '' `` Walk '' `` Critical Acclaim '' `` Almost Easy '' `` Afterlife '' `` Dear God '' `` Scream '' `` Nightmare '' `` Welcome to the Family '' `` So Far Away '' `` Not Ready to Die '' `` Buried Alive '' `` Carry On '' `` Hail to the King '' `` Shepherd of Fire '' `` This Means War '' `` The Stage '' `` God Damn '' Tours Avenged Sevenfold Tour Personnel Brian Haner, Sr. Donnell Cameron Andrew Murdock Mike Elizondo Mike Portnoy Related articles Discography Members Strung Out on Avenged Sevenfold : Bat Wings and Broken Strings Strung Out on Avenged Sevenfold : The String Tribute Pinkly Smooth Covered, A Revolution in Sound Book VIAF : 158730069 ISNI : 0000 0001 0675 4573 GND : 16044286 - 2 BNF : cb15929384p ( data ) MusicBrainz : 24e1b53c - 3085 - 4581 - 8472 - 0b0088d2508c Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avenged_Sevenfold&oldid=811464527 '' Categories : American metalcore musical groups Avenged Sevenfold Hard rock musical groups from California Heavy metal musical groups from California Hopeless Records artists Kerrang ! Awards winners Musical groups established in 1999 Musical groups from Orange County, California Musical quintets Warner Bros. 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Question: when did avenged sevenfold release their first album
Answer: 2001