411 Mania Reviews “Nightmare” Single.

Avenged Sevenfold’s ‘Nightmare’: Bouncing back after the sudden, tragic death of drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, Avenged Sevenfold are back with their new lead single, “Nightmare.” It’s the first track from the album of the same title, due July 27th. Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy filled in during the recording sessions, playing the material Sullivan left behind for the album from what I’ve gathered. He’ll be filling on for them on their fall tour dates as well, including Avenged’s co-headlining slot on the Rockstar Energy Uproar Tour alongside Disturbed.
It’s got the loudness of the Avenged Sevenfold I fell in love with and they have a renewed – and fucking justified – aggression compared to most of the tunes on their more eclectic self-titled record that preceded Nightmare. These Huntington Beach rockers have always had a little bit of a theatrical side and that’s quite present on this song too. M. Shadows’ melodies always have a little bit of drama to them, which he’s definitely pushed a lot more on their more recent tunes. “A Little Piece of Heaven” is a really good example of that. I’ll toss that one in here, being one of my favorite songs of theirs n’ all.
But yeah, I’m still getting used to what seems to be the next phase of Avenged Sevenfold’s work and I’m excited about it. The drums are definitely top notch, so kudos for Portnoy for stepping in during an obvious hell in this band’s history and banging the skins with integrity for them.