Tracklist :
1. « Nightmare » – 2. « Welcome to the Family » – 3. « Danger Line » – 4. « Buried Alive » – 5. « Natural Born Killer » – 6. « So Far Away » – 7. « God Hates Us » – 8. « Victim » – 9. « Tonight the World Dies » – – 10. « Fiction » – 11. « Save Me »

Realease Date : 27 July 2010

There are some albums whose one expects a lot. Almost three years after the release of their last experimental and eponym album, Avenged Sevenfold had to refocus its style, knowing what their music was about. The death by drug overdose, in December 2009, of their drummer James “The Rev” Sullivan did not make things better while they where in the process of writing new songs. We now believe that A7X knew how to deal with it to offer us a brand new album mixing emotion as well as a brilliant style and musical level.

The title, Nightmare, reflects in itself both the “Death Bat” universe and the past events. The artwork is graphically amazing, even letting appearing a tribute on the grave in the background : FoREVer. This writing is the main guideline : this album is the reflection of what the band had endured and how it went through. Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater, legendarily famous drummer, has been invited by the members left to record drum tracks written by their lost brother, and accessorily to tour with them on a couple of dates.

Now that the context is set, let’s get thrilled by pushing the play button. The first xylophone notes from the first single “Nightmare” act like a thick smoke letting a dark massacre getting discovered. We would even meet again the musical violence of the first albums. “Natural Born Killer” seems to deal with the thrash metal genre, giving me the feeling of listening a proper Slayer track, especially the intro. M. Shadows even reincorporated some screamed vocals (“Go Hates Us All”). This violence is however paused by few ballads (“Tonight The World Dies”, “Fiction“, “Buried Alive”). That last one reminds me without a doubt some progressions of “One” from Metallica in 1989. Globally the musical style is close to City of Evil in 2005, very progressive (”Buried Alive”, “Save Me”, “So Far Away”). The last track, “Save Me” is by the way the longest composition of the entire band discography so far. “Welcome To The Family” and “Danger Line” seem being apart from the album with their kind of metalpop accent, even daring the trumpet at the end of “Danger Line”.

The tribute paid to the Reverend Tholomew Plague is not summed up by the artwork only : it influences pretty much all the lyrics. Some tracks deal directly with the death and the generated pain/depression (« Buried Alive », « So Far Away », « Tonight The World Dies », « Victim », « Save Me ») whereas others are fulfilled of hate (« Nightmare », « God Hates Us », « Natural Born Killer », « Fiction »).

Indeed, like the rythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance had noticed : listening to this album alone while driving back home at 4 in the morning drown us in another environment : a melancholic insecurity. I like this kind of album, which knows how to transmit its atmosphere at the rhythm of a roller coaster : both tenderly and violently at the same time.

Listening to Nightmare on Spotify
Listening to Nightmare on Deezer