Hey, where are my deathbats at?
I first discovered this particular band while reading a book. It told me to listen to one of their songs before reading the story so I would understand the characters, and since then, I have been in love with this band. A lot of their lyrics have inspired me and are now permanently inked on my body. I also have the privilege of getting to see them in September at Texas Mutiny.
But before I leap into my top 20... let me explain who these boys are to the noobs. The boys began in Huntington Beach and different members than the current ones. But to begin, there is the lead singer, Matt "M. Shadows" Sanders; the lead guitarist, Brian "Synyster Gates" Haner Jr.; the rhythms guitarist, Zacky "Vengeance" Baker; the bassist, Johnny "Christ" Seward; and drummer, Jimmy "the Rev" Sullivan. The Rev died before the completion of their album Nightmare and was later replaced by Arin Illerjay who was then replaced by Brooks Wackerman.
Without further ado, my top twenty Avenged Sevenfold songs:
20. "Strength of the World" -- City of Evil
"Strength of the world is on my side." When I first heard this song,I fell in love with it. The lyrics "Ice in my veins for those who have died" and "Strength of the world is on my side" have stayed with me for years. Nine minutes of beautiful lyrics and spectacular guitar riffs make this song last in my top list. The go between of soft rock to hard rock makes this song, and it's just truly beautiful.
19. "Brompton Cocktail" -- Avenged Sevenfold
"I believe my choice has been forgive; And I believe my choice will save me from; this life." The original I can't feel my face song. I'm not even kidding. One of the lyrics is, "But I can't feel my face." Lyrics aside, the beat of this song is crazy. It starts so differently than any of their songs that I instantly know it when it plays on my iTunes. It's one of my favorite songs for sure, and it's nice to run to.
18. "4:00 AM" -- Welcome to the Family
"Like beautiful stories the greatest chapters; flew right by." So I bought this song because I read the lyrics and thought it was a beautifully written song. After listening to it, I knew it would be an all-time favorite. It starts off slow and then powerhouses its way through to the end. It's interesting to listen to and to hear the how the boys have changed styles through their musical careers.
17. "Crossroads" -- Crossroads
"I walk through the center with no rules; to guide me." It's probably one of my favorite songs that I have on my iTunes list. It's fast-paced and filled with a rocking drum line. Not to mention it has some of the greatest lyrics I have heard and makes me want to head-bang every time it's on. It would be epic to see live.
16. "Danger Line" -- Nightmare
"Nothing shocks you like a bullet hole; Leaving my fear on the danger line." As I write this, I can hear the song playing in my head. From the riffs of the guitars to the beat of the drums to the command in the vocals, I enjoy listening to this song. It seems like it's about combat, and it plays out like a sad ballad set to a fast pace. The chorus is my jam!
15. "Chapter Four" -- Waking the Fallen
"You took his side, you took his gift; feel the power of a fallen man; crestfallen man." The balance between singing and screaming makes this song. The guitar is fast and heavy and the drums are a true testament to the Rev's skill. It's a head-banging song, and I can't even imagine what it is like to hear this live.
14. "Save Me" -- Nightmare
"Sorry did I wake your dreams?; Some questions run too deep." My favorite line in the entire Nightmare album is, "We only, only wake up when we sleep" which is just so damn profound to me. I love the opening of this song and the absolute beauty of the story. The whole thing feels like this very powerful tribute to Jimmy, and it's ten minutes of joy and sadness.
13. "Heretic" -- Hail to the King
"Mad men define what mad is." The first album I ever bought from A7X was Hail to the King, and I fell in love with it. "Heretic" is higher up for me (even though "Hail to the King" is incredible and a true favorite) because of the story behind it. I like the beat a bit more an the base line is fantastic!
12. "St. James" -- Hail to the King
"Some times our saints are sinners." If there is one song that can make me cry, it's this one. It is the tribute to the Rev and for a bonus song, it's brilliant. It starts off with background noise in a bar and ends with this tragically beautiful story with such a true and beautiful track.
11. "Seize the Day" -- City of Evil
"Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost." I love this song with everything inside of me. It's the type if song that seems so different from their normal stuff and is so sweet and simple. I feel like so many Deathbats connect with this song and the lyric that opens the song, "seize the day or die regretting the time you lost." It's just sch a well-written song and then the Gate's solo comes in and the song becomes a classic.
10. "MIA" -- City of Evil
"The fighting rages on and on; to challenge me you must be strong." Seven minutes of a song has never been more amazing than this one! Starting off slow and with Shadow's raspy voice then blaring into a powerful scream makes this top ten for me. And the connection to those in the military makes this a truly powerful ballad and a wonderful listen. Read the lyrics sometimes and this will sit with you for life.
9. "A Little Piece of Heaven" -- Avenged Sevenfold
"And a word to the wise when the fire dies; you think it's over but it's just begun."This song is completely different than any of their other songs. The vocal backgrounds, the strings, the drum, Rev's vocals and the story combine for perfection. It is a funny, albeit horrifying story, and the Rev singing is a whole new experience! I love this song so darn much.
8. "Afterlife" -- Avenged Sevenfold
"A place of hope and no pain, perfect skies; with no rain." Okay, one of the main reasons I like this song is because of the music video, I'm not gonna lie. But visuals (and shirtless Shadows) aside, I really like the guitars on this and the drums. It feels like a rejuvenation of A7X and like they enjoyed every second singing and playing. It's a great song to jam to and one of my favorite songs to run to.
7. "Nightmare" -- Nightmare
"Still dancing with your demons; (Victim of your own creation)." This was one of the first songs I heard by the boys, and Shadows vocals are insane. Then the drums and guitar comes in and it's freaking crazy! The screams are fabulous and it just fits their overall vibe so well. Not to mention that the Rev loved it, so it stayed on their first album without him.
6. "Unholy Confessions" -- Waking the Fallen
"Nothing hurts my world; just affects the ones around me." Just the introduction to this song makes me feel like moshing. The guitar is so fast paced and the drums make the song. It's quintessential Sevenfold. And the screams are perfectly timed and delivered.
5. "The Fight" -- Diamonds in the Rough
"The problem with society's been how do we teach; And if they'll believe." I love everything about this song. It's such an incredibly well-written song discussing how society is affected by people, and the music is so fitting. Shadows rasps his way through the song and makes the song a contender for my all-time favorites. And seriously, just listen to the lyrics alone some time, it's life changing.
4. "So Far Away" -- Nightmare
"Time still turns the pages of the book it's burned." The song is the saddest, most touching songs ever. You can feel the emotion in every section of the song from the first verse to the chorus to the last verse. The vocals are inspiring, the guitars are balanced, the base is perfect and the drums are everything. Sad, sweet and simple. I'm almost in tears now thinking about the song and video-- a tribute to the Rev.
3. "Dancing Dead" -- Diamonds in the Rough
"And while the world that they built; Told 'em to change; Told 'em to listen; They just kept it the same." I love this song! I'm obsessed with it. I love the opening, the beat, the guitar break, and the lyric, "Tick tock the time bomb has been recognized." This song is everything, and I wish they would play it live.
2. "Gunslinger" -- Avenged Sevenfold
"I reach towards the sky I've said my; goodbyes; My heart's always with you now." The acoustic guitar that starts this song really made it my top song. The addition of Gates just pushed it over the edge. My favorite part is the shift from the raspy baritone to screaming god in the second verse. I love it so much.
1. "Dear God" -- Avenged Sevenfold
"Dear God, the only thing I ask of you; Is to hold her when I'm not around; When I'm much too far away." The first song I ever heard by them, the reason I fell in love with them, etc. It's beautiful and unique and just everything that makes this band what it is. It's a country twang that we don't hear from them and when I heard this song, I had to hear more. The second song I ever heard by them was "God Hates Us." Quite a leap there, but this song will forever hold a special place in my heart.
