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Formed
1999 in Huntington Beach, Californa M. Shadows (vocals), Zacky Vengeance (guitar), Synyster Gates (guitar), the Reverend (drums), and Johnny Christ (bass) formed as troublesome aggressive teens into Avenged Sevenfold (A7X). -
First Album
The band made its official debut in July 2001, releasing Sounding the Seventh Trumpet on the Goodlife label -
Second Album & Third Album
2003 Released Waking the Fallen, Warner Bros taking a high interest in the bands aggressive sound issued another release, City of Evil in June 2005. -
RIse to Stardom
As demand for their music increased, Avenged Sevenfold canceled their tour dates for fall 2006 and set to work on a fourth studio album. Boasting a grittier sound than previous releases, the self-titled/self-produced disc appeared in October 2007, debuting at number four on the Billboard Top 200 and spinning off the radio single "Almost Easy." -
"Diamonds in the Rough"
Released in September 2008, the CD/DVD package Live in the LBC and Diamonds in the Rough captured the band during a tour stop in Long Beach. -
So Far Away
In 2009, the band announced plans to begin work on its third studio release. That same year, drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan passed away at the age of 28. -
Nightmare Album release & Carry On single
In 2010 the band released Nightmare with replacement drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater). In 2011, they recorded the song "Carry On" for the Call of Duty: Black Ops II video game. -
Hail to the King
2013's Hail to the King, which featured new drummer Arin Ilejay of Confide, and reached the number one spot on the Billboard 200.
The Stage Citing "creative differences," Ilejay left the group shortly after the album's release and was replaced by Brooks Wackerman -
The Stage
The Stage arrived in October 2016 following a live-streamed, 360-degree, 3-D performance atop the Capitol building in Hollywood. The record was their longest to date and was described by the band as a concept album exploring the theme of artificial intelligence. -
A New Direction
The band continued to expand on the album by releasing a string of singles in 2017, including a cover of the Rolling Stones' "As Tears Go By." The single "Mad Hatter" arrived in September 2018 in conjunction with the video game soundtrack Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.