Avenged Sevenfold formed in Huntington Beach, California in 1999 and grew from metalcore roots into full-blown heavy metal in the Iron Maiden and Metallica lineage. City of Evil (2005) and the self-titled 2007 album are the classic starting points; founding drummer The Rev died in 2009, and Nightmare (2010) followed. Find Avenged Sevenfold vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Avenged Sevenfold formed in Huntington Beach, California in 1999. The band's classic lineup of M. Shadows, Synyster Gates, Zacky Vengeance, Johnny Christ (who joined in 2002), and The Rev (James Sullivan) developed across early albums on Hopeless Records before signing with Warner Bros. for City of Evil (2005) and subsequent releases. The Rev died from accidental drug intoxication in December 2009; Brooks Wackerman (formerly of Bad Religion) joined as the band's permanent drummer in 2015. The band moved to Capitol Records for The Stage (2016) and Life Is but a Dream... (2023).
Avenged Sevenfold's sound has evolved across their catalog. Their early work was rooted in metalcore and post-hardcore; from City of Evil onward, they developed a more traditional heavy metal sound drawing on Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Guns N' Roses traditions. More recent albums have incorporated progressive metal, hard rock, and experimental influences.
Warner Bros. and Capitol pressings of the post-2005 catalog have been issued in multiple color variants and limited editions. City of Evil and Nightmare have particularly extensive reissue histories.
Listeners new to Avenged Sevenfold typically start with City of Evil (2005) or the self-titled 2007 album.
