Avenged Sevenfold guitarist Zacky Vengeance has argued that the band have proved they’re the “real deal” with their approach to musicianship and performance.
And he’s described the band’s latest album, The Stage, as a mix of progressive and punk music and attitudes.
He’s recalled how the band received a mixed response when they first played in the UK, and they decided to respond to the challenge directly.
Vengeance tells MusicRadar: “I remember playing the Underworld early on, then the Astoria, and getting the biggest backlash from all the London fans wanting to tear us down to see if we were the real deal.
“So we said, ‘Alright, we’re not coming back. We’re cancelling the tour, and starting from the ground up.’ We’ve shown everyone we are musicians first and foremost. We’ll produce our own albums and play the 100 Club.
“We earned people’s respect. We’re not the band on MTV, wearing a bunch of makeup. We’ve proved we’re the real deal.”
The Stage was released last year in a low-key format after Avenged Sevenfold decided to turn their backs on the kind of approach used by their previous record label.
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Vengeance says: “The album is progressive in nature, but in spirit it’s very punk rock – about not giving a fuck, doing what we want to do.
“Me and M Shadows always send each other books and articles to read, bouncing ideas. I gave him something about artificial intelligence, he sent me a book by Bill Nye called Undeniable: Evolution And The Science Of Creation, which really inspired me to pursue The Stage music video.”
He believes the sum total of their experience to date has put them on course to become even better. “Everything an artist does is scary, but we do it anyway,” he says. “If someone tries to steer you off course, push them out the way and get back on course.
“Never giving up – that’s what I truly believe all the greatest bands have done.”
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