As uncool and un-hipsterish as it may be for me to admit on a blog, I'm a fan of Avenged Sevenfold. Their breakthrough album City of Evil and its blistering lead single Bat Country sucked me in, and their varied, multiple era sprawling attack kept me around waiting for more. Their 2007 self titled effort was just as strong in its shameless genre hopping, planting their feet firmly in the technical metal that endeared them to so many while reaching out to explore new sounds.
With that said, I felt 2010's Nightmare was a step back; while it had some genuinely thrilling moments, it overall lacked some of the adventurousness that made them so interesting.
Upon listening to Hail To The King's title track for the first time, I was admittedly disappointed by its trite lyrics and (mostly) simplistic musicianship. However, repeated exposure has helped the track age well; once you get past the lyrics you can enjoy the tune for the fist-pumping slab of chug-a-chug rock that it is.
Those who loved what they heard without jumping to conclusions will find plenty to love on Hail To The King, the album. Its ten tracks play like the kind of power metal mixtape that any self-respecting Metallica and/or Megadeth and/or Guns N' Roses fan might have dubbed on their dual-cassette hifi twenty years ago. If there's a fault to be found with Hail To The King, it's that its influences are perhaps a little too explicit; just try to listen to Doin' Time without picturing M. Shadows doing the Axl mic stand sway pretty much the entire time, or This Means War without imagining the Sad But True mash-up that someone has probably already constructed.
Of course, the perceived lack of originality is only a detriment to the album if you're offended by it. And normally I fear I'd be the first one sneering and crying foul at a stunt like this, but the truth is it's way too much fun to listen to. That, and the faithfulness to the classic sounds in these performances smacks more of genuine respect than plagiarism.
Overall, Hail To The King shouldn't be lauded as a benchmark for the band nor scoffed at or belittled as ripoffs of classics; to do either is, quite frankly, overthinking it for a record as shamelessly fun and celebratory of all the great metal that's come before. Just stop reading this, dust off your jean jacket with the Slayer and G N' R patches on it, crank it the fuck up and enjoy.
Hail To The King is out August 27 on Warner Bros. Records.
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