M. Shadows discussed making ‘Hail To The King’ and simplifying their sound in a Bradley Hall interview.
The band simplified the album despite feeling ‘unnatural.’ They wanted to make a hard rock and heavy metal record like Metallica’s ‘Black record.’
“‘Hail to the King’ was a response to our big band status but the fact that no bar would play our tunes. We had nothing like AC/DC, Metallica’s ‘Black Album’, or other beloved albums. Our music is too complex and neoclassical, the vocalist said.
We started cutting close, wearing our influences on our sleeves in this dumbed-down rock music, he said. That’s not a dig at those bands—they do it well. They outperform us. However, we wanted to test it. Our nature is not to do this.”
They intended their album to have a “Black Album” side, but earlier albums didn’t. “With each album we’re becoming a little more fearless,” Shadows remarked in 2007.
He added: “The scene’s stagnating. Five million shameful heavy metal bands exist. What’s the point of copying Iron Maiden or Metallica?
Avenged Sevenfold will tour in June, starting in France on June 14, after ending their festival run in 2025. The band will perform in Slovenia, Italy, Germany, and others before ending in Sweden on June 29.