Top 10 Avenged Sevenfold Songs
They’re in bat country. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 Avenged Sevenfold songs.
For this list, we’ve chosen our entries based on a combination of the artist’s fan favorites and their most commercially successful songs.
#10: “Buried Alive”
Nightmare (2010)
As the fourth and last single from Avenged Sevenfold’s fifth album, “Buried Alive” is an almost 7-minute track that fuses heavy metal and hard rock. Its intro blends mellow guitar with strings until M. Shadows’ vocals lure us a little over a minute in. And while the number starts off slowly, things soon get much more intense as its grim lyrics, killer guitar work and a driving rhythm section set in.
#9: “Hail to the King”
Hail to the King (2013)
The band has the title cut off Hail to the King to thank for their second number one album on the Billboard 200 charts. The five-minute track didn’t only top the U.S. rock charts but also went to number one in the UK for several weeks. With a chorus that just makes you want to chant along, “Hail to the King” also really keeps us hooked with its riffing and shredding.
#8: “Critical Acclaim”
Avenged Sevenfold (2007)
Opening with an organ-led intro and epic guitar solo, this single from the band’s eponymous 2007 effort gets very aggressive very fast and that’s just the way we like it. “Critical Acclaim” doesn’t only have M. Shadows sharing lead vocals with drummer The Rev but also two pounding guitar riffs we just can’t get out of our heads. The song showed the band wasn’t afraid to experiment through its use of symphonic rock and hard rock.
#7: “Beast and the Harlot”
City of Evil (2005)
This single off City of Evil proved Avenged Sevenfold didn’t have to stay within the genre of metalcore to find success. With M. Shadows taking on a cleaner vocal style and a mix of heavy metal and thrash metal, “Beast and the Harlot” earned the band a top 20 track on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart. The song’s also memorable for its rapid-fire riff and lyrics that compare the fall of Babylon to Hollywood.
#6: “A Little Piece of Heaven”
Avenged Sevenfold (2007)
Written by The Rev, this 8-minute number is the second-to-last track on AvengedSevenfold’s fourth effort. While the drummer also provides co-lead vocals alongside M. Shadows, it’s the inclusion of instruments like cello, violin, saxophone, trumpet and trombone that really makes it unique. Let’s not forget the addition of female vocals and a choir later on. It’s not necessarily something you’d expect from the band but that’s exactly why we like it.
#5: “Seize the Day”
City of Evil (2005)
Written by M. Shadows and The Rev, City of Evil’s fourth single continues with the band’s exploration into hard rock. Considered a rock ballad by some, “Seize the Day” revealsAvenged Sevenfold’s softer side while still allowing them to show off their musical talents in the process.
#4: “Bat Country”
City of Evil (2005)
Inspired by the Hunter S. Thompson novel “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” this City of Evil single helped its parent album sell over 2.5 million copies around the world. Starting off with a blast of energy and power, “Bat Country” didn’t only chart within the Top 10 of the American rock charts but crossed over to the mainstream and reached the 60th spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
#3: “Almost Easy”
Avenged Sevenfold (2007)
M. Shadows may be Avenged Sevenfold’s lead vocalist, but this single from their self-titled album shows that all the members possess some singing ability. In fact, in addition to their duties on their respective instruments, Zacky Vengeance, The Rev, Synyster Gates and Johnny Christ provide backing vocals on “Almost Easy.” The song also topped the UK charts, hit the top 10 in the U.S. and appeared on the “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” movie soundtrack.
#2: “Nightmare”
Nightmare (2010)
The title track to their fifth record, “Nightmare” is also the band’s first single without late drummer The Rev. Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy recorded the track’s drum arrangement and helped Avenged Sevenfold earn their second charting-entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Thanks to their mix of hard rock and heavy metal, it also became one of the most played rock songs on American radio in 2010.
Honorable Mentions
- “So Far Away” Nightmare (2010)
- “Dear God” Avenged Sevenfold (2007)
- “Unholy Confessions” Waking the Fallen (2003)
- “Sidewinder” City of Evil (2005)
- “The Wicked End” City of Evil (2005)
#1: “Afterlife”
Avenged Sevenfold (2007)
Whether you prefer the strings-heavy version on the album or the shorter radio edit, “Afterlife” showcases Avenged Sevenfold in all of their glory, with M. Shadows’ gritty but powerful vocals, heavy metal guitars and a energetic rhythm section. Written by The Rev, “Afterlife” also topped the UK rock chart and found a spot in the top 20 of the American rock charts.
Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite Avenged Sevenfold track? For more entertaining top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.