The 10 Best Avenged Sevenfold Songs Of All-Time
Since the mid-2000s Avenged Sevenfold has been one of the pillars of modern metal, regularly headlining tours and festivals, in many people’s eyes they are as close to the “next Metallica” as we have right now in metal music. During their tenure as a band, they have released seven albums to date. Here are the top 10 best Avenged Sevenfold songs of all time.
10. Hail to the King – Hail to the King (2013)
Do you know how everyone goes through a midlife crisis? Hail To The King feels like Avenged Sevenfold’s. The title track from the band’s sixth album, Hail To The King is a great song on a fairly mediocre album, at least by the band’s standards. During this time the band opted for a more mainstream approach, with many songs having a Metallica vibe to them. It was also the first, and only, album to feature drummer Arin Ilejay, whose style didn’t really fit in with what we knew and loved about the band prior.
9. Second Heartbeat – Waking The Fallen (2003)
One of Avenged Sevenfold’s heavier songs and a highlight of the Waking The Fallen album. While the track is largely absent from setlists these days, with it rarely being seen post-2008, it was once a staple of their live performances. This is also one of the few songs where the demo version can stand up to the original, with it featuring a much heavier vocal style and more raw feel. It is labelled as the “Alternate Version” of Waking The Fallen Resurrected album and we highly recommend you go and check it out.
8. Nightmare – Nightmare (2010)
The title track from their 2010 album, Nightmare is one of the songs that The Rev worked on before he passed away in 2009. Although Mike Portnoy plays drums of the song, The Rev did the arrangement of the track prior to his death, making it one of the last songs he worked on.
7. So Far Away – Nightmare (2010)
So Far Away is Avenged Sevenfold’s tribute to The Rev, who died in 2009. The track also features one of the best music videos that the band has released, this is one every fan should watch.
6. Buried Alive – Nightmare (2010)
The Nightmare album was a very strange album as it was the last album to feature The Rev, who died during the writing process. It is the band’s grieving process, which resulted in some fantastic tracks, just we wish it was under better circumstances. Buried Alive is the highlight of the album, with a more ballad feel through the first half of the track before ramping up into the typical modern metal style of Avenged Sevenfold.
5. Afterlife – Avenged Sevenfold (2007)
Avenged Sevenfold went from strength to strength, with every of the first four albums being better than the last. Afterlife was a lead single from the band’s self-titled, and self-produced, album. This is the first time that the band took complete control over the writing and production process and this song is a fine example of what the band can do when they have no constraints.
4. Bat Country – City of Evil (2005)
Bat Country is the song that made Avenged Sevenfold into rockstars, with the music video garnering major airtime on TV channels worldwide. Following the release of City Of Evil the band immediately became a main-stage act at festivals such as Download. The band has long been pitched and the next major headline band and has seen many headline tours and festival appearances, and a lot of it can be owed to the success of Bat Country and City of Evil.
3. Unholy Confessions – Waking The Fallen (2003)
Unholy Confessions was the band’s breakout track when Waking The Fallen released in 2003. This is the song that helped put Avenged Sevenfold on the map before they became mainstream stars with City Of Evil. Unholy Confessions has become a fan favourite and is often used as the show closer when the band is performing live.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSaBveD7zvA
2. Beast and the Harlot – City of Evil (2005)
The opening track from the band’s third album City of Evil. Beast and the Harlot also helped gain the band many new fans due to its inclusion on Guitar Hero 2. Featuring blistering drums and lead guitar, it is one of the most exciting tracks that the band has created, it is next to impossible to not groove to this track.
1. A Little Piece of Heaven – Avenged Sevenfold (2007)
A Little Piece of Heaven is a 9-minute masterpiece that almost didn’t make it onto the album, with the original plan being to release it on a Halloween themed EP that never materialized. Had it been kept for the EP it is possible the song would have never seen the light of day, thankfully that wasn’t the case and it was included on the self-titled album. The song is a very experimental and elaborate song that wouldn’t sound out of place in any Tim Burton movie. The song’s original demo was written by The Rev, and will go down as the best song he wrote before he sadly passed away in 2009.