Music Review

03 December 2008 06:17 BST

Avenged Sevenfold: Live In The LBC & Diamonds In The Rough

Warner Bros Records, out September 30th.

In a nutshell...

Roaring, relentless, retro, rock rollercoaster.

What's it all about?

Avenged Sevenfold, or A7X as they are known to their fans, return to their hometown to peddle their live wares as headliners of the Rockstar Taste Of Chaos Tour and throw in a collection of non-album tracks to boot.

Who's it by?

Kerrang! favourites A7X have carved out a career emulating the likes of Guns N' Roses, Megadeth and Iron Maiden and following last year's self-titled highly-flammable fourth album offer a taste of their live show and some lesser-known and unreleased material.

Having dealt with numerous comparisons to the bands that so clearly inspired their sound, A7X achieved a level of form with their last release that truly warrants their popularity – but the question remains, can they cut it live? And should their unreleased material remain in the Warner Bros archives?

As an example...

"I left you bound and tied with suicidal memories/Selfish beneath the skin/But deep inside I'm not insane." – Almost Easy

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys

The message from the critics and their fans was clear on the release of their last album; this was a band that had hit a career high.

However, despite the record featuring a track called Critical Acclaim, the band have yet to score big in terms of awards, it seems unlikely that a live DVD or collection of rarities will change this.

What the others say

"Avenged Sevenfold are fast becoming … new stars in the firmament of modern day metal and worthy successors to Metallica if and when the leviathans ever decide to move over." – Patrick Gates, Virgin Media

"Flashy, confident and decidedly R-rated, the DVD makes this package a worthy purchase for most Avenged Sevenfold fanatics." – Andrew Leahey, allmusic

So is it any good?

There is no doubt this CD/DVD package is meant, as most releases of this type are, for existing fans - and as such this makes for a very easy review.

Although the live DVD is a highly polished release, there is no question the talent on display is at a career peak. Note-perfect dual-guitar solos are accompanied by booming bass parts and a lightening fast drummer you could set a stopwatch by.

However, it is vocalist M Shadows that must be given special credit. Shadows' soaring vocals and stage presence - although owing a sizeable debt to one W Axl Rose - keeps the explosive proceedings thundering along at breakneck pace.

Other highlights include one audience member – going by the name Matteo – who takes the mic for a rendition of Pantera classic Walk that seems to genuinely shock the band in its competency as much as it does the crowd.

Almost Easy, The Beast And The Harlot and A Little Piece Of Heaven are just three of the other songs on this setlist that are executed with precision and professionalism without losing any of the spontaneity of a live performance.

Accompanying audio CD Diamonds In The Rough is a decent enough collection, with one track, Flash Of The Blade, sounding like the song Queen never got round to putting on the Highlander soundtrack.

The rest are fairly standard A7X fare that completists will be more than happy to own - with the only bewildering addition a studio cover of Walk so close to the original it hardly seems worthwhile. Perhaps next time the band will give Matteo a call.

9/10

Noel Mellor