HOUSTON – “All of you f**king crazy people are out here on a Thursday?” Lead singer M. Shadows screamed into the mic as he looked out into the crowd, craning his neck to see onto the lawn. “The gratitude from this band is immense, thank you guys so much!”
I don’t think we’re in Houston anymore, this is starting to look like Bat Country.
Avenged Sevenfold performed a grinding set at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion on Thursday, providing a refreshing take on a broken-in set.
They opened with Shadows sitting in a low leather chair, center-stage, with a ski mask obscuring his face. The words ‘WE LOVE YOU’ were embroidered on the forehead, with ‘NOTHING’ printed on the throat. The band joined him shortly after and performed “Game Over.” The mask peeled off for new single “Mattel,” with a sweater following soon after for “Afterlife” to reveal a vintage Megadeth t-shirt.
Avenged Sevenfold came with a floor-to-ceiling three-panel LED backdrop, explaining the semi-trucks parked next to the tour bus. They were clear and bright, anything but a gimmick with their seamless imagery jumping from one panel to another. The tech team worked like rent was due, igniting guitarist Synyster Gates during his solo and lighting the whole stage on fire and other points of the song. “Afterlife” was even better. With visuals like this, it was was easy to forget to miss the pyrotechnics that often accompany similar acts.
Rhythm Gguitarst Zacky Vengence added body to each song, sticking to stage left for most of the show. Bassist Johnny Christ, however, produces sound the entire stage. He was the most radiantly dressed, drawing eyes as he wove in between his bandmates.
The band really stretched theiur wings during “Hail To The King,” fans jumping out of their seats to scream along to the chorus.
Shadows paused for breath after the song, giving those who still had the energy to cheer while others sat down or took a drink.
“I think I know why I feel so at home here,” Shadows said. “It’s because everyone from California moved to Texas.”
The previously saucer-eyed audience erupted into angry, aggressive boos. It certainly sounded more like Houston than Los Angeles at that moment, but Shadows wasn’t letting up.
“Do you guys like us filling up your cities? Do you like us bringing our politics?”
Shadows chuckled all throughout the booing, thoroughly enjoying the anger. After a bit of banter, a bit of heaviness took over Shadows’ voice as he talked to the crowd.
“I’m sure many of you, if you think right now, there’s somebody in your life that comes to mind, that every time you think about that person, all you want is good things for them,” he said. “And if they were to leave us, it would be devastating. But there’s so many memories, times, so many things that continue to live on in your mind and make this life worth living.
“We’re gonna do something different today. We’re gonna not only live for the people that we’ve lost, but we’re gonna live in the present. I want you all to think of somebody that if you lost them, you will be devastated, but they’re here. They’re here on this planet, and they’re gonna make your life and you’re gonna go home, you’re gonna hug them, and you’re gonna make sure you’re kind to them because life is f**king fast. And we don’t know when it’s gonna end. We’re going to think about someone that we’re lost, for us it’s The Rev. For you it could be a grandparent, a parent, a friend. Let’s think about them now. This one is called “So Far Away.”
Nightmare’s “So Far Away” was released in 2010 to honor James Owen Sullivan, professionally known as ‘The Rev.’ He passed away due to an undetected heart condition in 2009, leaving the band reeling. Many had known each other as children, often citing him as the kindest one in the group. In addition to being the glue to the group, his distinctive drumming style was the backbone of many of Avenged Sevenfold’s tracks. The Rev was more than just a drummer, he was family, and the band made a point to include him in songs and in verbal mentions often, his silhouette projecting behind them as they played through “So Far Away.”
The tempo picked back up a few songs later with “Nightmare” and “Bat Country,” during ewwhich he delighted a fan by grabbing their cellphone
The band came back for an encore after a very short pause, not bothering with the extended stops to build tension like so many other bands. Truly, it might have just been a blackout pause, as it was never announced as an encore.
Nevertheless, the pause was needed, as the next song was fan favorite, “A Little Piece of Heaven.”
The macabre song tells the tale of two rather toxic lovers who allow pettiness to escalate to murder. Luckily, they are able to reconcile in hell and theoretically live happily ever after. Imagery from the song’s lyrics was depicted on the screen such as a wedding between corpses and a fresh heart on a dinner plate as fans screamed along.
The band seemed to really enjoy playing the song, despite the countless times they’d played it over the years, feeding off of each other’s energy and the crowd’s screams.
The closers for the night were the trifecta of new songs “G,” “(O)rdinary” and “(D)eath,” a clear reference to an O.D. if you squint. Shadows had put a ski mask back on, but it wasn’t the same as the one he’d begun the night with. While the first was black but reassuring, this one was white with aggressive, bleeding eye sockets. Shadows made it a point to be less interactive while wearing it, often standing menacingly in front of drummer Brooks Wackerman’s drum kit while his bandmates played as normal.
Avenged Sevenfold has worn in their songs and inter-member relationships like a quality pair of American-made leather boots. Their mix of future classics and creative modern takes ensures fans will be entertained, regardless of how long they’ve been with the band.
I am a multimedia journalist with a passion for guitar-based music – be that rock-n-roll, bachata, or anything in between. When not in a mosh pit, I can be found knitting, collecting CDs, thrifting, journaling, or attempting to incite chaos among feuding global powers. I hold a bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism and a masters degree in Mass Communication from the University of Houston, making me twice the Coog you'll ever be 😉
