AVENGED SEVENFOLD

(UNITED STATES)

LIFE IS BUT A DREAM

(2023)
LABEL:

WEA

GENRE:

HEAVY METAL

TAGS:
Rasping vocals
"With "Life Is But a Dream", Californians Avenged Sevenfold release an album the likes of which you only see a handful of each year, a masterpiece of progressive metal."
PROGRACER (06.07.2023)  
5/5
(0) opinions (6) comment(s)
"Life Is But a Dream" is the 10th album from Avenged Sevenfold in their 25-year career. Who dared to predict in the early 2000s that the Californian quintet would be where they are 23 years later? Not many, especially as the metalcore of their early days has evolved considerably over the last 15 years: heavy, thrash, prog, pop and even electro, A7X's palette is very broad.

This 2023 release gets off to a flying start with 'Game Over', a frenzied Thrash Metal with System of A Down-style double vocals, the band's trademark melodies and an airy, delicate finale. This is followed by four of the best tracks the band has ever produced, including 'Mattel', with its constant contrast between jerky riffs and eerie quiet parts, and a heady 'Nobody' reminiscent of Pain Of Salvation's "Scarsick" period. Another nod to the Swedish combo, 'We Love You' is a musical UFO like the two bands know how to write, between crazy rhythms, off-beat melodies, heavy-indus atmospheres and expressive, crazy vocals. It's on 'Cosmic' that Mr. Shadows' vocal talent comes into its own. He deploys an impressive vocal spectrum, delivering a flood of varied emotions thanks to his inimitable timbre and unique granularity.

This great variety, a way of life for the band, is all the more present at the end of the album, as the group explores yet more genres. Starting with funk on the astonishing '(O)rdinary', a track that sounds like something out of the latest Daft Punk with its funk rhythm, doctored vocals and gentle melody. A potential hit in radio format in the form of a tribute. The other UFO that directly follows the previous one is '(D)eath', which sounds like a Dean Martin-style crooner ballad, with its languorous violins. The album ends magnificently with 'Life Is But a Dream', a gentle piano piece again reminiscent of Sweden's Pain Of Salvation.

Would we say that this excellent album, which explores many facets of metal with its creative and varied songwriting, diverse vocals, incessant rhythmic variations and ambiences as unexpected as they are intoxicating, is a masterpiece of the year's progressive metal? The Californians of Avenged Sevenfold are certainly releasing an album this summer the likes of which you only see a handful of each year. Don't miss it!
- Official website

TRACK LISTING:
01. Game Over
02. Mattel
03. Nobody
04. Cosmic
05. Beautiful
06. Easier
07. G
08. (O)rdinary
09. (D)eath
10. Life Is But A Dream...
11. We Love You

LINEUP:
Brooks Wackerman: Batterie
Johnny Christ: Basse
M. Shadows: Chant
Synyster Gates: Guitares
Zacky Vengeance: Guitares
   
(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS    
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(6) COMMENT(S)    
 
 
TOWNSEND LE DEVIN
23/07/2023
 
559
0
Je n'ai pas écouté....je devrais peut-être mais je n'ai pas vraiment envie. Ce que je connais du groupe m'en empêche. AS connait un succès relatif assez inexplicable pour moi...
KINGEDDIE
23/07/2023
 
226
1
Heureusement je m'en vais tiédir un peu tous ces laudateurs : c'est pas parce on trouve un peu tous les styles( il manque le reggae,le ska, le free-jazz et beaucoup d'autres...) qu'on peut crier au génie ! C'est pas parce que les structures des morceaux sont parfois alambiquées que c'est novateur ou inspiré ! Et l'utilisation du vocoder pour le chant n'est pas pour moi un gage de qualité, bien au contraire ! Même si ici ou là, quelques belles parties de guitare viennent nous rappeler qu'on n'est pas en présence du groupe de baloche du coin, ça suffit pas à produire un chef-d'œuvre ! Bref, j'ai pas aimé, limite endormi...et surtout épargnez moi vos leçons "tu n'as rien compris..." je pense avoir autant de capacités que quiconque à comprendre la musique... désolé...
KOZKOZ
10/07/2023
 
3
1
Quelle claque ! Riche, diversifié et surtout cohérent de bout en bout .
Album de l année, voir même plus.
Bravo.
GYVY
09/07/2023
  0
Cet album est tout simplement énorme! Un Avenged au sommet de son art où tout est à se décrocher la machoire, les changements de rythme, la voix, les solos... Les superlatifs me manquent tant c'est grisant.
NEWF
06/07/2023
  0
Si on m'avait dit que l'un des albums de l'année serait celui d'A7X, je ne l'aurais pas cru. C'est bien simple, le groupe est totalement métamorphosé et sa musique l'est tout autant. Je me suis même demandé à certains moments si Mike Patton n'avait pas composé certains titres. Bref, "Life Is But A Dream" est une grosse claque que pas grand monde n'avait vue venir (en tout cas pas moi). Comme le dit fort justement Progracer, il est interdit de passer à côté.
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT AVENGED SEVENFOLD
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