Avenged Sevenfold
American heavy metal band formed in Huntington Beach in 1999.
Avenged Sevenfold, often shortened to A7X, came together in Huntington Beach, California, in 1999. The current members are vocalist M. Shadows, guitarists Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates, bassist Johnny Christ, and drummer Brooks Wackerman. The group is recognized for a wide-ranging rock style and bold, theatrical visuals on album art and merchandise.
The band started with a metalcore sound on their first album, *Sounding the Seventh Trumpet*, and kept that approach for their second record, *Waking the Fallen*. Their third album, *City of Evil*, marked a shift toward a more traditional heavy metal style, and it was also their first release on a major label. They kept experimenting with their self-titled album and gained more mainstream success. In 2009, founding drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan died. Despite this loss, the band carried on with help from Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy, releasing their fifth album *Nightmare* in 2010. That record hit number one on the Billboard 200, their first album to debut at the top.
Drummer Arin Ilejay joined for tours and recording in 2011. The band’s sixth studio album, *Hail to the King* (2013), was the only one featuring Ilejay. It leaned into a heavy metal and hard rock style, written as a tribute to the band’s influences. *Hail to the King* reached number one on the Billboard 200, the UK Albums chart, and charts in Finland, Brazil, Canada, and Ireland. Ilejay left in late 2014, and former Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman took over, though the lineup change wasn’t announced until 2015. The band surprise-released their seventh album, *The Stage*, in October 2016. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. *The Stage* was their first concept album and moved toward a progressive metal sound. Their eighth album, *Life Is But a Dream...*, came out in June 2023 and was highly experimental.
As of now, Avenged Sevenfold has put out eight studio albums, one live album/DVD, two compilations, and eighteen singles. They have sold more than 8 million albums worldwide and earned five platinum album certifications from the RIAA. The band also created four original songs for the *Call of Duty: Black Ops* series, collected on the 2018 EP *Black Reign*. Loudwire ranked them number 47 on its list of the Top 50 Metal Bands of All Time.
Quick Facts
- Landscape
- yes
- Origin
- Huntington Beach, California, U.S.
- Discography
- Avenged Sevenfold discography
- Genre
- Heavy metal / progressive metal / alternative metal / hard rock / metalcore (early)
- Years Active
- 1999–present
- Label
- Good Life / Hopeless / Warner / Capitol
- Spinoffs
- Pinkly Smooth
- Current Members
- M. Shadows / Zacky Vengeance / Synyster Gates / Johnny Christ / Brooks Wackerman
- Past Members
- Matt Wendt / Justin Sane / Dameon Ash / The Rev / Arin Ilejay
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Avenged Sevenfold was formed in 1999 by Matt Sanders (M. Shadows), James Sullivan (The Rev), Zachary Baker (Zacky Vengeance), and Matt Wendt. The band's name references the biblical story of Cain and Abel. Their first demo was recorded in October 1999, and they played their first show on February 11, 2000. After signing with Good Life Recordings, they released their debut album Sounding the Seventh Trumpet in 2001. The band's early sound was metalcore, continued on their second album Waking the Fallen (2003).
Their third album City of Evil (2005) marked a shift to a more traditional heavy metal style and brought international popularity. The band's self-titled album followed, and they enjoyed mainstream success before founding drummer Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan died in 2009. Despite his death, the band released Nightmare (2010), which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Drummer Arin Ilejay joined in 2011 and played on Hail to the King (2013), which also reached number one. Ilejay left in 2014 and was replaced by Brooks Wackerman. The Stage (2016) was a conceptual album with a progressive metal sound, and Life Is But a Dream... (2023) was highly experimental.
Reader's Guide
Avenged Sevenfold emerged from the Southern California metalcore scene of the late 1990s and evolved into one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands of the 21st century. Their stylistic shifts—from metalcore to traditional heavy metal, hard rock, progressive metal, and experimental rock—demonstrated a willingness to defy genre expectations. The band's dramatic album covers and merchandise imagery became a hallmark of their identity. Their resilience after the death of founding drummer The Rev, continuing with guest drummer Mike Portnoy and later permanent replacements, underscored their commitment to the group. The band's five RIAA platinum album awards and multiple number-one debuts on the Billboard 200 reflect their broad appeal. They have also contributed four original songs to the Call of Duty: Black Ops series, compiled in the 2018 EP Black Reign. Loudwire ranked them the 47th-best metal band of all time in 2016, and AllMusic described them as 'one of the more successful and accessible metalcore outfits of the early 21st century.'
Did You Know?
- The band's name comes from the biblical story of Cain and Abel, specifically Genesis 4:24.
- Founding drummer Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan died in 2009; the band continued with Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy for the album Nightmare.
- Hail to the King (2013) was the only Avenged Sevenfold album featuring drummer Arin Ilejay.
More in American alternative metal musical groups 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced