HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Hail To The King – Avenged Sevenfold

Music can be a powerful healer for people across the globe. It salves the wounds of life. Helps us to help ourselves. What happens then when the people who provide the poultice are dealt their own blow? This was the case for AVENGED SEVENFOLD who lost their founding member and drummer James “The Rev” Sullivan in 2009. His legacy lives on within 2010’s Nightmare but could 2013’s Hail To The King step up to the plate?

The sixth album had a lot to live up to and saw the band at a sonic crossroads. Taking a leap, standalone single Carry On, which had been written for gaming giant Call Of Duty: Black Ops II, was a precursor for AVENGED SEVENFOLD shedding their metalcore skin. Shred gave way to larger, blues inspired riffs. Intricacies were stripped away in favour of simplicity. And it seems fans ate it up, even if they were apprehensive of Arin Ilejay sitting behind the kit.

Recording for Hail To The King began in January 2013 between Can-Am and Capitol Studios in Hollywood. According to M. Shadows in an interview with Metal Hammer, AVENGED SEVENFOLD’s mission statement was clear: “I wanna write a classic metal record, a classic rock record in 2013”. Citing BLACK SABBATH and LED ZEPPELIN as influences, this certainly wasn’t a band afraid to aim high. Those loft ambitions paid off as groove metal orientated Shepherd Of Fire, driving swing of This Means War, and epic metal ballad Acid Rain go to prove.

Fans would be drip fed information about the album through the band’s YouTube channel. Clips would reveal the title, release date, and tracklisting causing fans to salivate. A fact bolstered by snippets of tracks being shared via a radio app AVENGED SEVENFOLD had curated purely for this purpose. With the musical hors d’oeuvres circulating, critics slamming the band’s seeming change in direction weren’t far behind. Bassist Johnny Christ would tell BraveWords; “It’s definitely us. It’s just the next progression”. After all, the band can’t make varying versions of City Of Evil (2005) for the rest of time.

August 8 2013 saw the revelation of single Shepherd Of Fire being used as the theme song for Call Of Duty: Black Ops II’s Zombies map Origins. With a gaming studio as large as Activision behind them, AVENGED SEVENFOLD were on track to have one of their most successful record campaigns to date. The proof was in the pudding as release day came.

Hail To The King released on August 23 2008 and sold a staggering 159,000 units in its first week. This resulted in the band’s second number one album in the US (the first being Nightmare). AVENGED SEVENFOLD would also top the UK Album Charts for the first time.

Fans were more than sated. What of the critics? Hail To The King would receive glowing reviews across the board, earning an average of 4 out of 5 stars. Diving into the reviews; Chris Epting of Loudwire would describe the album as “a modern metal classic that reflects the past while very much embracing the present” and brand it a “watermark moment in this band’s history.”. The Guardian’s Dom Lawson penned; “Stripped down to a core of thudding Sabbath-like grooves and brash, spiky vocal refrains, Avenged now sound every bit as vital and imperious as the bands they aspire to emulate.”.

Emulation brings us to a rather interesting criticism which aired not long after Hail To The King topped charts. The acclaim caught the attention of MACHINE HEAD’s Rob Flynn who said in a rather scathing Facebook post; “who knew that re-recording Metallica, Guns N Roses, and Megadeth songs could be such a worldwide hit!!??”. While we can no longer unhear the similarities between This Means War and METALLICA’s Sad But True, Flynn would later go on to divulge this post was a joke and he’s ultimately happy for AVENGED SEVENFOLD in their success.

That’s ultimately what Hail To The King would become for AVENGED SEVENFOLD. It was their opening foray into lining themselves up to become our generation’s legacy band. The album would reach Platinum certification in 2021 and is regarded as many people’s gateway into AVENGED SEVENFOLD’s discography.

This sonic and literal carnation of AVENGED SEVENFOLD wouldn’t last long however. Ilejay was dismissed from the band in 2015 with Shadows telling That’s Not Metal in 2016; “as nice of a guy as he is, there were just a bunch of things that didn’t represent us at all, and you can’t have that, especially when we’ve worked for so long and so hard at what we do.”. With Brooks Wackerman joining the ranks, the band were able to move towards a more progressive sound with 2016’s The Stage and 2023’s Life Is But A Dream.

There are many who see Hail To The King as the black sheep. Its radio friendly and anthemic demeanour opened the door for new fans and casual listeners while alienating some others. A pattern which would only continue in later releases. Hail To The King ultimately serves as a masterclass in how less is more. Simplicity reigned supreme for this monarch and will continue to do so for years to come.

Hail To The King originally released on August 23 2013 via Warner Bros Records.

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