Now here's where things get fucky. The Stage isn't A7X. Well, not what we know it as. It holds the biggest stylistic change 4 the band yet, a jarring transition not unlike City of Evil. We now go 2 fucken prog metal and experimental shit. And it's actually experimental this time it's not just 3 country songs and a Mr. Bungle cameo. Shadows voice also takes a dip, but it's not bad. It's just a sidegrade. It's preferable 2 the City of Evil voice, at any rate. There's also a new drummer, Brooks Wackermann, which is another cool name. But yeah, this is another grand and epic album that has weight 2 it. Conceptually, the album is about robots and the future and AI and stuff like that. It's kinda wacky like that, but I think it's a nice change of pace from stuff about war and death, etc. Especially after a whole album of such meat-headed topics.
I haven't listened 2 The Stage since April of 2023. It's now November. I don't remember this album being this good. This album, along with the next, feels like you're transcending reality. The riffs are fucking angelic and transcendental, otherworldy, and Shadows singing on here compliments it very nicely. And that's when it's being metal. Only 2/3 of this album is really metal. A whole 1/3 of it is soft and gentle. 3.5 whole songs. I'd also like 2 add the soft tracks here are really good. Soft A7X songs have an inconsistent track record on quality, but all the gentle songs on here are gr8 in there own ways.
We also really get 2 hear more instruments on here than usual. A7X is no stranger 2 extra instruments. They've used stuff like carol bells and strings as early as Waking the Fallen. But the appearance of trumpets and strings and bells on this album, the appearance feels much more prominent, even if it's not AS experimental as people claim. Sure, it's definitely a bit out there, but it's still recognizably A7X, even 2 some1 who might've only heard 2 or 3 songs b4.
I like this album, but there's also stuff I don't like. The album isn't always boring, but when it is, it's some of the lowest lows in their discography. The Stage is fine, but Fermi Paradox and Creating God I fucking h8. They are such momentum killers in an otherwise uphill journey. I talked about how good the gentle tracks were, but I also don't like how much of them there are. This album is constantly fighting 4 momentum among itself, which gives me conflicted feelings.
But it's still good, and A7X feels unrecognizable by the time we hit Exist, and they start heading in a new direcion. It's really interesting 2 see fucken Avenged Sevenfold of all people mature like this, and it's very nice 2 see after the borefest of Hail to the King. Good shit.
The Stage: A Step In A New (And Good) Direction
Now here's where things get fucky. The Stage isn't A7X. Well, not what we know it as. It holds the biggest stylistic change 4 the band yet, a jarring transition not unlike City of Evil. We now go 2 fucken prog metal and experimental shit. And it's actually experimental this time it's not just 3 country songs and a Mr. Bungle cameo. Shadows voice also takes a dip, but it's not bad. It's just a sidegrade. It's preferable 2 the City of Evil voice, at any rate. There's also a new drummer, Brooks Wackermann, which is another cool name. But yeah, this is another grand and epic album that has weight 2 it. Conceptually, the album is about robots and the future and AI and stuff like that. It's kinda wacky like that, but I think it's a nice change of pace from stuff about war and death, etc. Especially after a whole album of such meat-headed topics.
I haven't listened 2 The Stage since April of 2023. It's now November. I don't remember this album being this good. This album, along with the next, feels like you're transcending reality. The riffs are fucking angelic and transcendental, otherworldy, and Shadows singing on here compliments it very nicely. And that's when it's being metal. Only 2/3 of this album is really metal. A whole 1/3 of it is soft and gentle. 3.5 whole songs. I'd also like 2 add the soft tracks here are really good. Soft A7X songs have an inconsistent track record on quality, but all the gentle songs on here are gr8 in there own ways.
We also really get 2 hear more instruments on here than usual. A7X is no stranger 2 extra instruments. They've used stuff like carol bells and strings as early as Waking the Fallen. But the appearance of trumpets and strings and bells on this album, the appearance feels much more prominent, even if it's not AS experimental as people claim. Sure, it's definitely a bit out there, but it's still recognizably A7X, even 2 some1 who might've only heard 2 or 3 songs b4.
I like this album, but there's also stuff I don't like. The album isn't always boring, but when it is, it's some of the lowest lows in their discography. The Stage is fine, but Fermi Paradox and Creating God I fucking h8. They are such momentum killers in an otherwise uphill journey. I talked about how good the gentle tracks were, but I also don't like how much of them there are. This album is constantly fighting 4 momentum among itself, which gives me conflicted feelings.
But it's still good, and A7X feels unrecognizable by the time we hit Exist, and they start heading in a new direcion. It's really interesting 2 see fucken Avenged Sevenfold of all people mature like this, and it's very nice 2 see after the borefest of Hail to the King. Good shit.
Song ranking
1. Creating God
2. Fermi Paradox
3. The Stage
4. Angels
5. Roman Sky
6. Higher
7. God Damn
8. Exist
9. Simulation
10. Sunny Disposition
11. Paradigm