Best Avenged Sevenfold Albums

The Top Ten
1 Avenged Sevenfold

It's weird, but I think this is A7X's best album. It's the most eclectic in style and is the first album, as well as the last album (other than Diamonds), to feature The Rev on vocals. Although the instrumentation isn't difficult per se, the songwriting is as heartfelt and powerful as it has ever been for this band. Their self-titled album stands as a time capsule of an album, one that brings me, the listener, very clearly back to my sophomore year of high school.

And although this is an album that doesn't go into rotation as often for me, when I put it on, I am almost always in love with it. Oddly enough, it's almost easy to say that despite the fact that my favorite A7X albums are The Stage, City of Evil, and Sounding the Seventh Trumpet, this one kind of stands on its own as the secret best one of the bunch.

And the funniest thing is that it's songs like Gunslinger and Dear God that shine through this album with the best character. Who would have thought that a country song would capture A7X so deeply to their core.

2 Nightmare

As terrible as the Rev's death was, it inspired a flawless album that proved to be a musical masterpiece from start to finish. The brutal and head-banging songs such as Nightmare, Natural-Born Killer, and God Hates Us have kick-ass riffs, while the longer songs like Victim and Save Me are beautiful and intricate, only getting better as they progress. Then there are the emotion-evoking Danger Line, So Far Away, and Fiction, as well as the middle ground - emotional yet remaining true to its metallic roots with strong choruses and solid riffs and structures - such as Welcome to the Family, Tonight the World Dies, and Buried Alive. It will always be a Top 3 for A7X.

3 City of Evil

In my humble opinion:

1. City of Evil
2. Nightmare
3. Avenged Sevenfold
4. Waking the Fallen
5. Hail to the King
6. Diamonds in the Rough
7. Sounding the Seventh Trumpet

I really do enjoy all of their albums, and the margin of difference in the top 5 is razor thin. However, City does not have a single weak song, while every other one does. On Waking, Won't See You Tonight Part 2 drags down the album. Dear God hurts A7X's chances for the top bid, and on Nightmare, there are simply too many slow songs in the second half. Had they substituted 4 AM or Lost It All for Tonight the World Dies, then that album may be number one for me. For Hail to the King, This Means War is the weak spot. On City of Evil, their weakest track (in my opinion) is Trashed and Scattered. If that's your weakest track, then you have created an absolutely classic album. My top 3 tracks on City are Beast and the Harlot, The Wicked End, and MIA.

4 Waking the Fallen

I used to be really into A7X, then I kind of grew out of it and grew into better metal. No offense, for example, Opeth. I mean, go listen to Still Life, Ghost Reveries, or Blackwater Park right now. But with the re-release of this album, I thought I might go for a quick listen. Now, I appreciate this album the most because of songs like: I Won't See You Tonight, Chapter Four, Unholy Confessions, etc. The half-screaming, half-singing gives A7X more variety in their music and balances out the heavy to soft much better than just clean vocals or just screaming/growling. Nearly all new metal sounds too similar. The guitars weren't overdone like in City of Evil, but the band still had their classic A7X sound.

1. Waking The Fallen
2. Avenged Sevenfold
3. Nightmare
4. City Of Evil
5. Hail To The King
6. Sounding The 7th Trumpet

The self-titled album was an experiment that definitely worked. Nightmare had a good variety of soft to heavy songs. City Of Evil was too high-note and guitar-heavy for me, though it was good. Hail To The King didn't have enough variety, and Sounding The 7th Trumpet was disgusting. But they had to start somewhere. And their next release (this) was better sevenfold.

5 Hail to the King

Hail to the King is a masterpiece. It is incredibly underrated. Once Shepherd of Fire kicks in, you know that the album is going to be amazing. Hail to the King is my favorite song of all time. Gates has always been great at guitar solos, and this album features a lot of their best solos. Arin Illejay's drumming is spot on. M. Shadows's vocals are flawless. I love that Avenged Sevenfold took inspiration from other bands when making this album. This Means War is a very good tribute to Sad But True. Crimson Day reminds me of Enter Sandman. The solo in Coming Home is incredible.

6 The Stage

By far, my favorite album by them is The Stage. I'm already a sucker for concept albums, and the fact that my favorite band released one about something I'm so interested in already (space and tech) is what makes this such an amazing album. From The Stage to Exist, it's an amazing, technical, progressive album, and I feel like it's their first album I can call straight metal as opposed to hard rock. There's not one song on here I don't like (including the deluxe version)! Every original track is killer. I also think Dose could have fit nicely between Roman Sky and Fermi Paradox.

Please, give this album another chance if you don't like it. Explore the lyrics and just let Exist take you on its journey. I can't get enough of this amazing album. It really stands out next to their other great albums.

7 Diamonds In the Rough

Great album! Amazing Pantera and Iron Maiden covers with Walk and Flash of the Blade. If you have not listened to this whole album in its entirety, I highly suggest you do! Possibly the best songs on this album are Demons and Crossroads. Very good rhythm and kick in the drums. The best solo on this album is most likely on the last track, Dancing Dead. A7X for Life!

Demons, Girl I Know, Crossroads, Flash of the Blade, Until the End, Tension, Walk, Dancing Dead, Afterlife (Alternative Version)? All very, very good songs that got cut from their debut album. If anything, the album should've been a double disc because most of these songs are better than the ones from the actual album!

8 Sounding the Seventh Trumpet

This album is an absolute masterpiece and has great variety. It includes mostly hardcore songs, with ballads like Warmness of the Soul and Shattered by Broken Dreams, and also some punk elements in Streets and Thick and Thin. My favorite tracks are Forgotten Faces, Shattered by Broken Dreams, Thick and Thin, and Warmness of the Soul. This, The Stage, and Waking the Fallen are my favorite A7X albums. Definitely give this album a listen.

Wow, I can't believe people are putting this album last. I'd say it's the second best. Honestly, they really disappointed with the self-titled album and haven't quite been the same since. Nightmare has some good stuff. Hail and The Stage are better than that self-titled album, but hardly close to Waking the Fallen.

1. Waking the Fallen
2. Sounding the Seventh Trumpet
3. City of Evil
4. Nightmare
5. The Stage
6. Hail to the King
7. Self Titled

9 Black Reign (Ep)

Mad Hatter was a really cool song that I heard on the radio. Even though there are only 3 tracks on it, I'd say it deserves to be a little higher.

This is way better than Warmness on the Soul, guys!

10 Warmness on the Soul
The Contenders
11 Life is but a Dream...
12 All Excess
13 Waking the Fallen: Resurrected

It was as great as Waking the Fallen. It also included demos, live footage, alternate versions, two music videos, and a 30-minute documentary.

What is by far their best album. I love the screaming vocals. Eternal Rest live was also a great bonus track.

14 Live at the Grammy Museum
15 1999 Demo

This is truly the start of their career!

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