Filed under: Avenged Sevenfold
Today would be Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan’s 29th birthday. Rest in peace, FoREVer in our hearts.
Avenged Sevenfold have been nominated along with Atreyu, Death By Stereo, Pistolero and Throwdown in the 9th annual 2010 OC Music Awards “Best Metal” category. All winners will be revealed on March 6th at The Grove in Anaheim. Thank you to Dawn for sending this in!
The band’s “City Of Evil” also came in at #3 on the O.C. Oughties: 10 Best Albums Of The 00’s list.
3. Avenged Sevenfold, City of Evil (2005)
I so disliked their Hopeless Records efforts, including the cultishly admired roar of Waking the Fallen from 2003, that I almost took this Warner Bros. breakthrough as a joke. M. Shadows had gratifyingly stopped shouting and learned to sing instead, but were they really serious about these almost operatic torrents of GNR-gone-speed-metal? Were we not supposed to chuckle at the Iron Maiden-ish cover of a sword-wielding skeleton charging through what I’ve always figured is the title town atop a horse from hell? But then “Bat Country” inexplicably took over the MTV airwaves, and it all became clear –- not only was this move away from the guttural and toward heavy gloss designed for maximum stereo impact, it was a calculated move to make these remodeled hard-partyin’ bad boys mega-stars. And it worked: apart from anything associated with Gwen Stefani, this is the only album from an Orange County act to go platinum all decade (even Sugar Ray only made it to gold). It deserved a Grammy nod at the time; five years on it’s still one of the best hard-rock albums of the era, as is the self-titled follow-up from 2007. At least once, play it loud for the Rev.
Vengeance University is currently looking for artists and web/graphic designers. You can get in touch with them at orders@vengenz.com
Avenged Sevenfold’s “Avenged Sevenfold” took over Room Thirteen’s Albums Of The Decade list with their 2007 release. Check out what staff member Jenni Wallace had to say about the band and that album:
2007 – As the decade started to close there was still time for a few more classic moments, from 2007 Jenni Wallace goes with
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged SevenfoldAvenged Sevenfold had been known in the metalcore scene for a while before their self-titled album. However it was the 2007 release that made the real mark. A mainstream success, it charted well and produced four solid singles, and with it the five highly stylised, heavily tattooed Southern Californian’s brought catchy, well written and accessible heavy music into the mainstream.
For many fans who discovered metal in the late 2000’s, ‘Avenged Sevenfold’ features highly on their list. This was an album that introduced a whole new set of people to the joys of deep, heavy sounds. Hit single ‘Afterlife’ with its sing along chorus, heavy beats and a string orchestra sits neatly next to songs such ‘Critical Acclaim’ which is pure rock and riff heavy. Even lighter songs like ‘Dear God’ do their part in bringing people into the Avenged Sevenfold world and putting them on the path to enjoying metal. With their extreme styles and crazy names many underestimated their seriousness, but put on any track of this album and you instantly discover well crafted songs created by highly talented and passionate musicians.
‘Avenged Sevenfold’ is an album that is a gateway to a world of heavier, deeper music.
Filed under: Uncategorized
According to an article and The Pulse of Radio the track “Nothing To Say” featuring M Shadows from Slashs upcoming album may be the first to head to rock radio.
Although the track was initially slated to be the first single from Slash’s record, due to legal issues The Pulse of Radio hears that a song featuring AVENGED SEVENFOLD’s M. Shadows on vocals, titled “Nothing To Say”, may now be the first one headed to rock radio stations.
Thanks to Cheryl for sending this in!
According to Deathbat News reader Buffie who got in touch with Revolver Magazine they will be paying tribute to Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan in their March/April issue scheduled to hit shelves on March 2nd, 2010. The statement from Revolver can be found below:
The March/April issue will include a tribute to The Rev. It comes out 3/2. Thanks for writing!
REVOLVER
Thanks Buffie!
Vengeance University is thanking the fans for all of their support by offering 33% off when using the code CLUB33.
Its been a very difficult month here at VU. Your support has helped us so much and to show our thanks we wanted to give you the biggest discount we have ever offered. Ive never been good with numbers and dont really care about making a profit. I just wanted to show my thanks as much as I could. It means so much that you would represent Vengeance University. If I could give it away for free I would. We will get new stuff up and on the site as soon as possible too.
Use code CLUB33 at checkout to receive 33% off your entire order.
much love
ZV
and all at VU
foREVer
At the the end of this weeks “In The Pipeline” Chris Epting sends out a special message to all Avenged Sevenfold fans:
Finally, a comment about the overwhelming amount of mail I received last week and continue to receive in regards to my piece on Avenged Sevenfold drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan. I’ve never experienced anything like this as a column writer. The majority of the messages were from young fans over the world. Collectively, they mourn, but individually, they expressed in vivid, heart-wrenching language the pain they feel from Sullivan’s death. Their notes became like so much poetry; intense love letters and introspective reflections about a drummer, and a band that is an integral part of their existence. This loss is a huge moment in their young lives, and judging from the writing I saw, this loss ties them all even closer together as a community.
I wish all of you A7X fans, if you’re reading this, peace and healing. And may the power of the music push you to do great things. Lastly, I’m in the process of answering each note received, and though it may take a while, I promise to do it.
Chris, your words were not only beautiful but brought closure to some fans as we felt like we got to take part in laying Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan to rest and share our stories of meeting the legend while talking about the impact he had on our lives, along with everyone else. Thank you.
Benji Madden recently got in touch with Kerrang! to speak about Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan.
Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden contacted Kerrang! to pay tribute to Avenged Sevenfold’s drummer, Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan, who was found dead in his Huntington Beach home on December 28.
“This isn’t something I have had to deal with a lot in my life, so I really don’t know what to write,” begins Benji. “Right now, it doesn’t really feel real. [After Jimmy's service], we went to Shadows house and had a few drinks, telling our best Jimmy stories and we laughed until we cried. The Rev has more stories about him than any other person I know. Stories we couldn’t tell in a church, stories that sound like exaggerations but they aren’t. The Rev is rock ‘n’ roll through and through. One of the greats. One of those souls that comes along so rarely and just touches every single person around him. To know Jimmy is to love Jimmy. If you happen to have spent an evening out with The Rev on tour somewhere or at some get together or function, well, you were best friends for life after that. And Jimmy didn’t forget it. It’s not an act. I must have heard 50 people call Jimmy their best friend [during the service]. And they meant it. Loveable is a great word to describe Jimmy. Endearing. Kind hearted. Carefree. A fucking legend!
“I’m just talking about the kid who, as Shadows recalled, took communion in a ‘Slayer Fucking Slayer’ T-shirt when he was 12, dancing up the church aisle the whole way, making all the kids laugh. I’m talking about the guy that who stood up to his all time musical hero, for talking disrespectfully to his best friend’s girl. He doesn’t judge people. Rev didn’t have a bad bone in his body. That quality… It is impossible to describe, he was just born with it. That’s just The Rev.
“I took you for granted, Rev,” he continues. “I took for granted being able to hang with you at the family get-togethers and holidays over the years. I took for granted watching you play drums. I took for granted our conversations. And fuck man, watching you play drums! You want to love music? Watch The Rev play drums. Listen to him play on a demo. Listen to him play on a record.
“Good Charlotte and A7X are more than just bands,” says Benji. “We are family. We celebrate each other’s lives together, holidays, weddings, kids being born. Successes and failures. Jimmy is at the heart and soul of all of it. He has taught me more then anyone I ever met in any church. And now you get to live forever, Jimmy. You are one of the greats.
“See you on the other side Rev,” he concludes. “We love you forever.”
TwentyFourCore Productions (“Dear God” “Live In The LBC”) have set up an amazing video tribute to the Rev. A message from M Shadows has also been posted and you can read that below:
Message From M Shadows:
I don’t know how to start this or know where to begin. First I would like to thank all the fans for their support through the passing of Jimmy. It has been comforting to see his fans, our fans, and everyone in general give their support. Jimmy was my best friend, as he was best friends with many other people including the members of Avenged Sevenfold. He was hands down the greatest person I have ever known. I told him I loved him everyday. He demanded your love and was never afraid to give it back. I have walked side by side with Jimmy, everyday, for the last 18 years of my life. I have no memories before Jimmy, and it’s going to be damn hard to move forward without him here. It still doesn’t seem real. He was my best friend, songwriting partner, band mate, confidant, and most importantly, he was my brother. The crazy thing about Jimmy was that everyday was a crazy story. We have told our favorite Jimmy stories for the last 2 weeks and never have we repeated ourselves. This guy was magical. The out pour of art from his soul was unlike the world has ever seen. Unless you spent a day with Jimmy, or 18 years, it’s impossible to explain, so I’m not going to try. He inspired people in different ways. He wasn’t just a drummer, he honestly didn’t care so much for the technical side of drums, cause he could play anything he wanted. He was all about creating beautiful songs, original fills and hopefully touching people with his art and mind. He told all of us for years, including his parents, that he knew two things in life. He wanted to be a rockstar, and that he wasn’t going to live past 30 years old. He was right on both accounts, but I know Jimmy, and if he knew how much pain this would cause for the ones he left behind, he would have done anything he could to stick around a little longer. Jimmy gave so much and in the end it was his time to go. All my reasons for wanting him to stay are selfish and I know he is in a better place then this, so in a way I’m joyful that my best friend is now at peace. He made it to the other side first and I can’t wait to hang with him again. I have so much to say but can’t find the words so I will wait until time can allow me to find a way to express myself. As for the rest of us, it has become clear what we need to do. We had just finished writing a record with Jimmy. I can’t promise what the future holds because right now it’s too painful to think about, but we know we need to record and put out this record in honor of Jimmy, for Jimmy. He would call me every night to talk about songs and tell me “this shit is gonna change the world.” I agreed with him, unfortunately I didn’t know it would be on these terms. Please be patient with us for we cannot imagine how hard this is gonna be to get through, we just know we have to do it for his legacy. After that, who knows? But I know Jimmy will help us make that decision when the time comes. I love you Jimmy and I feel like the luckiest man in the world to have known you and spent 18 years of my life with you. Rest in Peace my friend.
M. Shadows
We’d like to thank our good friend Mon for scanning the pages from Kerrang’s tribute to The Rev. You can check them out by clicking on the images below:
Chris Epting from the Huntington Beach Independent wrote a beautiful piece detailing Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan’s vigil and funeral. You can read the entire article here
Avenged Sevenfold guitarist Brian Haner, a.k.a. Synyster Gates, delivered a soaring eulogy with focus and class. You look at him and the other young men in the band, M. Shadows, Zacky Vengeance and Johnny Christ, and wonder what they must be feeling — but in their eyes, you see the pain of their loss.
I will tell you here that besides their music, what I love about Avenged Sevenfold is that they choose to remain part of Huntington Beach. They could easily have left after hitting it big, but they didn’t. They bought homes here, they’re known around town, they hire their buddies as crew; they’re good guys. Rock stars? Whatever. They’re hard-working, successful young men who got where they are because they’re very good at what they do, and the city is better for having them here.
In the January 13th Issue #1295 of Kerrang! magazine fans and stars pay tribute to Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan. The issue will also feature a commemorative poster as well. In addition Zacky Vengeance took to his twitter today with the following:
Jimmy will always be with me in everything I do. Except sitting at home being sad, so today Im going to try to start living again. foREVer
Schecter Guitar’s are cranking them out in 2010 from Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates! Not only will you be able to get Syn’s red on black custom but it looks as though they may be making more gold on white as well according to Page 24. You can also check out the brand new ZV Mirror on Page 36. You can download the new 2010 Schecter Guitar catalog right here thanks to our friend Dafna or check them out by clicking the smaller pictures for fullsize.
Back in October we posted an article about the Dirty Heads remixing their song “Check The Level” with M Shadows and Slash. You can now check it out on their Myspace page! We really like it, what do you guys think?
