Concert Review: Avenged Sevenfold with Seether and Alter Bridge

 

 

Taking a momentary break from their current tour schedule, Avenged Sevenfold rolled into Atlanta to headline as well, a one-off show with support from two of the hardest rocking bands on this summer's tour circuit, Seether and Alter Bridge. The explosive, power-packed performances of all three of these bands made it a concert lover's dream come true. Alter Bridge, Seether and Avenged Sevenfold on one stage; an absolutely epic concert experience.

 

Avenged Sevenfold is headlining around the globe hot on the heels of the release of Nightmare, which is proving to be not only their most successful album to date, but an album that's going to be incredibly "significant" in music over the long term.

 

As much as it is hard rocking, lyrically Nightmare is fueled with raw emotion; anger and heartbreak; intense and brutally honest there is nothing contrived within it. It is a fearless face-off between life and death, the hard facts of life and the eternal consequences that everyone must consider at some point in their lives, and hopefully before it's too late. It connects with people on a very personal level and it is an album that promises to impact music historically, maintaining its relevance. It is also the driving force behind the phenomenal live performance that Avenged Sevenfold is packing, and their deep connection with their audience. From the opening notes of "Nightmare," through the emotional tribute to The Rev and a fuel-injected, expletive filled run through explosive songs like "Afterlife," "Bat Country" and "Unholy Confessions," they, and their fans, are a tightly bound unit.

 

My first experience with Avenged Sevenfold was reviewing their incredible stand-out performance as direct support for Disturbed at Uproar Festival 2010 - Uproar Photo page. I had written in that review that it was one of the most impressive performances I had seen in a very long time--needless to say, with Avenged Sevenfold topping the bill, my expectations for this show were decidedly higher than usual. I'm pleased to say that, impossible as I thought it might be, I was more impressed than ever.

 

And I wasn't the only one excited for the night's performance, as the sun descended on Atlanta and the glow of the Nightmare stage set from behind its drop-cloth acted like a beacon, drawing A7X fans into the pit, the feeling of excited anticipation grew. The air was almost vibrating with barely restrained electricity as the curtain dropped and a rush of fog rolled off the stage.

 

Avenged Sevenfold has the most incredible show opener, each member emerging out of the shadows to the notes of "Nightmare," a momentary distraction as they move about, playing and taking their places on stage. There's a feeling that the entire audience is holding their breath--and then Shadows bursts onto a riser, one part menacing, one part wicked humor, his growling "Nightmare" scream fills the night air. They'll never be able to capture the raw power of his vocals on a studio album and that's truly a shame. He is stunning.

 

M. Shadows is absolutely fierce on stage. A powerhouse of pile-driving, metal vocals and charisma; the best frontman I've seen in over ten years. You'd have to go back to the David Lee Roth days of Van Halen or the over-the-top Axl Rose, Guns N Roses days to find that kind of charisma--the kind that can drive a crowd into a frenzy as soon as he hits the stage. But the one thing Shadows is packing in comparison is an incomparable ability to totally take control of an audience. That is the rarest of all gifts for a frontman--the ability to silence an out-of-control crowd with just a gesture of his hand. 

 

From the moment he hits the stage M. Shadows is 100% locked in with the audience, he understands that it's his job to take charge and this he does well. However, it takes more than just a great frontman to create the sort of epic, driving performance that Avenged Sevenfold is packing. There has to be a special chemistry within the band to make it all work. The one thing that Avenged Sevenfold has in abundance, and very obviously, is a cohesion that allows all of their individual talents to be showcased without one over-shadowing the others. And that is what makes their show so stellar. They are decidedly loyal to one another and it shows most of all in the way they encourage one another.

 

This is a band made up of some of the most incredibly talented musicians in rock today and they seem to truly respect one another for that. To say that Synyster Gates can lay down some of the meanest, sickest guitar solos in metal would be an understatement--his amazing fretwork is a large part of the foundation that has made their latest album, Nightmare, connect with both new fans and veteran A7X fans as well--whether he's ripping the f*ck out of your ears on songs like "Bat Country" or joining forces with Zacky Vengeance, laying down the heavy, melodic guitar harmonies that have become signature A7X, there is no doubt that his guitar playing is one of the most important, and impacting, elements within the band.
 
On stage many guitarists let their guitars do the talking, but not Synyster Gates, he's very much about connecting with fans personally, from running up on the drum stage to moving around from riser to riser he spends the whole show connecting with the audience, drawing them in. When he wasn't playing he was standing on a riser, just looking out at the audience. Not one to hide beneath a mane of locks, his acknowledgement of his fans is refreshing.

 

That sort of awareness and unity with the audience is a large part of what makes Avenged Sevenfold's live performance stand out from the rest. The energy they bring to the show, constantly moving around, trading places--and often joining one another on the risers--keeps the audience amped up; connected with the whole band. Amazingly, the whole time they're moving around they are still laying down wickedly fast, brutal metal without pause.

 

One of the highlights of the Avenged Sevenfold show, the moments that fans look most forward to, are when Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates come together for their guitar harmonies; it's truly amazing to watch them. They are left and right, two parts of one unit and you can't truly experience their chemistry on an album. On songs like "Critical Acclaim" and "Afterlife" you can really feel their connection, how tightly wound they are musically.

 

And Zacky is definitely one of the strongest rhythm guitarists out there. He lays down some mean guitar riffs, but it is his rhythm guitar that is the backbone of Avenged Sevenfold's sound. You'll never be more aware of that than when you watch him live, he's moving around, filling in background vocals, but his fingers never stop moving. He is the glue that pulls the music together and holds it together, as the band rolls through songs from their five album catalogue. No doubt about it, Zacky Vengeance is the sh*t when it comes to rhythm guitarists, that guy plays his a$$ off.

 

Johnny Christ is very obviously Avenged Sevenfold's rockstar on the rise, still a bit baby-faced, but well on his way. He holds down a tight, thumping percussion, but he has no problem popping off an ass-spanking bass lead as well. Check out his awesome lead on "Afterlife," he just tears it up! Johnny is their cool, without a doubt. He just rocks; does what he wants, wears what he wants--and he doesn't give a sh*t what anyone else thinks of it. I love his ballsy, swaggering attitude; makes it a blast to watch him play live.

 

Arin Ilejay did an incredible job on drums. Amazingly young for his impressive playing, he brings a veteran's experience and his very own unique hard-rock-meets-metalcore flavor to the music. Will he become a permanent member of Avenged Sevenfold? Only time will tell. But for now, he seems a perfect fit as Avenged Sevenfold moves into the summer tour season.

 

Avenged Sevenfold has already signed on to headline Uproar Festival 2011 with direct support from Three Days Grace. They'll be joined as well by Seether (Check back for my up-coming Uproar and Mayhem Festival Previews). That headlining spot seems to be the catalyst that has launched Avenged Sevenfold from stellar to epic in the performance category--they are absolutely meant to be a headlining band and they keep proving their ability to maintain the top spot, headlining their own Nightmare After Christmas and Welcome to the Family tours, as well as festivals like Carolina Rebellion 2011.

 

Avenged Sevenfold is a band that consistently delivers an out-standing show, regardless of where they're playing or who is on the bill with them. And the Nightmare stage set is incredible under a night sky, no matter how far away you are. It's just mind-blowing.

 

 

You can check AvengedSevenfold.com for up-coming tour dates and announcements. You'll find there as well, Avenged Sevenfold's latest video for "So Far Away." A moving tribute in memory of their drummer, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan.

 

The opening band for the evening was Alter Bridge who are riding high with the release of their third album, AB III. I had the pleasure of reviewing Myles Kennedy when he was playing with Slash on the Ozzy Osbourne Scream tour. An absolutely mind-blowing hard rock musician and vocalist, Myles Kennedy has found his perfect match in former Creed members Mark Tremonti, Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips.

 

For all of the well-deserved success of Creed, there is nothing about Alter Bridge that relies on the previous connection--they are an incredible, ass-kicking, hard rock band in their own right and they definitely have a heavier, more edgy, rock sound.

 

Alter Bridge opened the show to a packed, ready-to-rock audience and it was clear that they appreciated being met head-on by the raucous crowd. Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti were in a particularly good humor as they rolled through Alter Bridge fan favorites like "Metalingus," "Buried Alive" and the latest single from AB III, "Isolation."

 

When it comes to a pile-driving, rock and roll concert Alter Bridge always delivers. They are just phenomenal live. Alter Bridge amped the audience up, kept them on their feet, devil's horns up. A perfect lead in for the next band to hit the stage, Seether.

 

 

As the back-drop changed to the cover art for Seether's latest album, Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray, it should have been a warning that things were about to get crazy. Once the stage lights hit the artwork it came alive. It was incredible.

 

Seether hit the stage with an energy and attitude that reflected their wild, vivacious, ever-changing back-drop. They came to kick ass and asses were definitely getting kicked--Seether rocked the shit out of Atlanta. An absolutely unforgettable performance!

 

As Seether started their set I had to stop rocking and do a body count. Shaun Morgan, Dale Stewart and John Humphrey--present and accounted for. Apparently Seether has now become a trio, not that it matters... Lead guitarist? We don't need no stinking lead guitarist! What they lack in head-count, Seether makes up for in pure, rocket-fueled adrenalin. This was my first time seeing Seether live and, other than being a fan of their music and their awesomely weird-ass videos like my favorite, Remedy, I really didn't have any pre-concert expectations--which actually added to their mind-blowing performance.

 

I was fortunate to get to see them perform again 3 days later when I covered the first ever Welcome to Rockville festival. With 21 bands on the roster I had forgotten that Seether would be performing until I went through the stage list with photographer Scoggins--I couldn't wait to see their set again. We came limping back to Atlanta after a 16 hour drive with 14 GBs of festival photos and two sore necks from head-banging--in part, the aftermath of another stand-out Seether performance, look for the up-coming performance reviews from that Festival here, including concert photographs of all of the bands.

 

With two back-to-back performance reviews under my belt I can honestly say that Seether promises to be one of the most energetic, fun performers on this summer's tour circuit and their enthusiasm is infectious! In Atlanta it didn't take long for the crowd surfers to jump into the mix.

And once they got started all hell broke loose!

 

After an incredible rendition of Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box" Seether rolled into the latest single from Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray, "Country Song."  <-- Click to watch the video.

 

 

Before that song was over the audience had become a sea of waving arms--and then the bodies began to rise. Between Shaun Morgan's ferocious vocals, John Humphrey's nail-your-ass-to-the-wall drumming and Dale Stewart, who is easily one of the hardest working bass players out there--seriously, that guy never stops rocking! Atlanta didn't stand a chance.

 

As the band continued to drive the audience like an out-of-control locomotive it was clear there would be no brakes--Seether was going 'balls to the wall' and they were taking the audience with them. "Rise Above This," "Fake it" and "Remedy": I counted three bodies going over the barricade and two more making their way over the heads of the crowd at one time. Atlanta had completely lost its mind.

 

The combined power-punch of Alter Bridge and Seether left Atlanta totally amped up and ready to go insane; the perfect mind set for Avenged Sevenfold to move in and finish them off. Which they did.

Like shooting fish in a barrel.

 

Visit AlterBridge.com and Seether.com for tour updates and announcements.

 

 

 

Preview the concert videos: MOTLEY CRUE Rocks! and POISON Rocks!

 

 

Originally published: Avenged Sevenfold Rocks with Seether and Alter Bridge