Hail to the King was pretty sellout and felt bland to me even though it was a huge commercial success but I thought the stage was really proggy and ambitious and perhaps their best work. You should definitely give it a listen sometime.
I might have to do that. I've heard Waking the Fallen and City of Evil and then some of their singles after that (Afterlife, Nightmare, Hail to the King) but that's it.
@@CriticalReactions "Exist" is the song from their last album which is really different from any other a7x song, you can`t even put it in one genre so hope you will react to it
Httk was deliberately done that way The band was trying to get into the "metal" scene and leave the "metalcore" genre behind. It also had a pretty clear statement of being an album that honored the bands they grew up listening to. That's why so many people find some songs in this album "familiar".
I feel the same about this song. I started listening to Avenged Sevenfold when they came out with Nightmare. Then went back and listened to their whole discography. I absolutely love The Stage. Every song. They have definitely matured. This was a fun song for the time and excellent production, but I can't say I want it in my every day playlist anymore.
I still need to catch up on their stuff. I started on City of Evil and went backwards, falling in love with Waking the Fallen. I've heard some of their singles (Afterlife, Nightmare) but pretty much stopped paying attention to them and didn't even know they were still making music 😅
@@CriticalReactions you should really give their latest stuff, The Stage, a chance 🙂 its very proggy and experimental and (mostly) not very radiofriendly 😂 i mean Exist is like a 15min song with 9min instrumentals, 3min vocals and topped of with a speech from Neil deGrasse Tyson 😂 other songs i would recommend is The stage, paradigm, god damn and creating god 🙂
I love this song. This song was supposed to be on a Halloween ep they where working on but when they showed their record label the song they said this has to be on the next album.
Yes!!! Great reaction to Avenged Sevenfold. One of my favorite songs by them. I think The Stage is one of their best albums besides City of evil, and Waking the fallen..
Their last album the stage is indeed one of their best in my opinion. "Exist" is just such an amazing song, and over 15 minutes, which is their longest song I think
As far as the lyrics go, I personally don't take them seriously at all. I often find myself making this point when discussing films (but also occasionally music, literature, etc.) with people, but depiction isn't promotion. Many people assume it is because we've inherited the culture of Romanticism where it became common to conflate the artists with their art, to think that the ideas/feelings expressed had some personal connection with those making it. Back then that bias was often well-founded. However, long before that (and to a great extent during and after it) it was common for artists to almost completely separate themselves from their art and not "comment" or "editorialize" but to simply depict. Of course, there's still plenty of artists that do "say something" with their art. The point is merely that it's not always that simple, and we should be careful about whether we're in the realm of depiction or promotion before judging. When it comes to a song like this, it's clearly meant to be a kind of dark fantasy, and like most dark fantasies it's doubtful that those writing it would actually endorse the content of what it's about. Art has often been an outlet for expressing such things, and I tend to think it's a healthy one in contrast to just trying to repress them. Despite constant historical concerns that violent or sexual or whatever media is going to lead to the downfall of society, statistics seem to show that things have gotten better since such media became commonplace. There's even the surprising finding that pornography seems to correlate with declines in sexual assault, even though it often depicts it. I also don't think it's wrong for us to enjoy such depictions of fantasy. Simple fact is that we're the products of evolution, and certain things that species do to survive and reproduce aren't always nice, which is probably why many women and men have, eg, rape fantasies, because such things are biologically hardwired into the recesses of our unconsciousness. The important thing is just to recognize that of course it's wrong to do such things in real life ("no means no"), and media like this is merely a healthy outlet for such fantasies that shouldn't be taken as a serious endorsement.
Oh shit I missed this!!! just now starting !! I already know this is gonna be great 🤣 I've seen lots of videos of them performing this as the last encore track, however last time I saw them they actually ended with the last encore track being "planets" I lost my shit lol such a good show.
Their last album The Stage was incredible. Not so much catchy songs but you can tell that they are high end musicians with their writing. The Stage is more than music, it’s an experience… however, it’s an album that took a lot of listens for people to really understand and like it. So you may not dig it at first but it’s truly incredible .
I remember when A7X came out as I thought they were going to be the heirs to Iron Maiden's throne of catchy, accessible, classic-style metal without sacrificing technical talent, compositional interest, or ambition. I don't think they quite lived up to that legacy, but I still think that they're among the funnest metal bands of this century. They're such an easy band to listen to an enjoy. Unlike many, I don't really lament that they went "more commercial," I just lament that they didn't do it better, or couldn't do it (like Maiden did) without sacrificing those other elements, and I dare say that their "transition" didn't really do much to win them more commercial success. As far as this song goes, it's OK but it's not one of my favorites of theirs. What I do enjoy about it is its unabashed theatricality and grandiosity. It's really tongue-in-cheek, which is a quality I tend to appreciate in metal (or even music in general) that's going for this grandiosity. It's also fun how it moves through so many different contrasting sections, though my one complaint there is that most of them don't stick around long enough to make much of an impression outside of the chorus. Likewise, I've never thought the chorus here (despite its catchiness) fully lands because it just isn't sung/played with enough passion/conviction. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it almost feels like a musical where the singer is afraid to really let loose with a big belt: even though they're hitting the notes, they simply aren't selling the emotions/scene. Likewise the guitars/drums/bass seem underused and makes the whole thing sound a bit thin because the other elements aren't filling out the sound, which seems to contradict the theatricality/grandiose vibe the piece is going for.
Do you have a source for that? Because I can only find Steve Bartek and Marc Mann (members of Oingo Boingo) as actually having any involvement. Obviously the song is inspired by Danny Elfman, but I can't find anything saying he contributed.
one of many A7X epics right here, but i see where ur coming from with the sellout statement tbh, Nightmare was still an amazing album and of course HTTK gets it fair share of shit but The Stage from 2016 is on par with City Of Evil, if not better, in terms of songwriting, musicianship, and honestly versatility, and great performances from everyone in the band... also their original drummer here The Rev (RIP) was insane but their current drummer Brooks Wackerman is also incredible, not the same simplistic drumming from HTTK, this album is very well thought out and executed imo... also, the production 👌
Oh no, the sellout statement was a bit of parody as the "emo" version of myself. Notice the drastic change in speech pattern during the intro vs the reaction and analysis. That's not how I actually feel about their musical choices over the years 😅 I don't mind bands "selling out." They make the music they want to make and that doesn't affect me at all. I might wish they had went in a different direction but that's about all the thought I put towards it.
Yes 100%. The "Emo Bryan" character is a fan favorite and pops up every Halloween. It's very tongue in check and I try to overplay the satire in hopes it isn't taken seriously. :)
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
in the chorus, the strings replies to the vocals. "you had my heart", and strings replies. "let's make a new start"...
Hail to the King was pretty sellout and felt bland to me even though it was a huge commercial success but I thought the stage was really proggy and ambitious and perhaps their best work. You should definitely give it a listen sometime.
I might have to do that. I've heard Waking the Fallen and City of Evil and then some of their singles after that (Afterlife, Nightmare, Hail to the King) but that's it.
@@CriticalReactions "Exist" is the song from their last album which is really different from any other a7x song, you can`t even put it in one genre so hope you will react to it
@@snitchex5087 It’s prog metal dude. No need to complicate it lol
@@ExcaliberHD to be true i dont really know the terms and genres in specific so i tried my best to interest him
Httk was deliberately done that way
The band was trying to get into the "metal" scene and leave the "metalcore" genre behind. It also had a pretty clear statement of being an album that honored the bands they grew up listening to. That's why so many people find some songs in this album "familiar".
I feel the same about this song. I started listening to Avenged Sevenfold when they came out with Nightmare. Then went back and listened to their whole discography. I absolutely love The Stage. Every song. They have definitely matured. This was a fun song for the time and excellent production, but I can't say I want it in my every day playlist anymore.
I still need to catch up on their stuff. I started on City of Evil and went backwards, falling in love with Waking the Fallen. I've heard some of their singles (Afterlife, Nightmare) but pretty much stopped paying attention to them and didn't even know they were still making music 😅
@@CriticalReactions you should really give their latest stuff, The Stage, a chance 🙂 its very proggy and experimental and (mostly) not very radiofriendly 😂 i mean Exist is like a 15min song with 9min instrumentals, 3min vocals and topped of with a speech from Neil deGrasse Tyson 😂 other songs i would recommend is The stage, paradigm, god damn and creating god 🙂
@@patriklundberg9527 I love Roman Sky also. It gives me goosebumps. So much emotion. It's very somber and beautiful.
@@CriticalReactions I still haven't listened to Hail to the King. I just couldn't get into it. But I highly recommend The Stage.
I love this song. This song was supposed to be on a Halloween ep they where working on but when they showed their record label the song they said this has to be on the next album.
This song was written specifically for the self titled album
Yes!!! Great reaction to Avenged Sevenfold. One of my favorite songs by them. I think The Stage is one of their best albums besides City of evil, and Waking the fallen..
Their last album the stage is indeed one of their best in my opinion. "Exist" is just such an amazing song, and over 15 minutes, which is their longest song I think
I agree. The Stage is my new favorite Avenged Sevenfold. Every song is great imo. They have definitely matured.
After watching this you need to react to the behind the scenes video to see how everyting came together!
the making of video for this song is amazing with (I believe) the Rev just playing the whole thing on piano to the band for the first time.
As far as the lyrics go, I personally don't take them seriously at all. I often find myself making this point when discussing films (but also occasionally music, literature, etc.) with people, but depiction isn't promotion. Many people assume it is because we've inherited the culture of Romanticism where it became common to conflate the artists with their art, to think that the ideas/feelings expressed had some personal connection with those making it. Back then that bias was often well-founded. However, long before that (and to a great extent during and after it) it was common for artists to almost completely separate themselves from their art and not "comment" or "editorialize" but to simply depict. Of course, there's still plenty of artists that do "say something" with their art. The point is merely that it's not always that simple, and we should be careful about whether we're in the realm of depiction or promotion before judging.
When it comes to a song like this, it's clearly meant to be a kind of dark fantasy, and like most dark fantasies it's doubtful that those writing it would actually endorse the content of what it's about. Art has often been an outlet for expressing such things, and I tend to think it's a healthy one in contrast to just trying to repress them. Despite constant historical concerns that violent or sexual or whatever media is going to lead to the downfall of society, statistics seem to show that things have gotten better since such media became commonplace. There's even the surprising finding that pornography seems to correlate with declines in sexual assault, even though it often depicts it. I also don't think it's wrong for us to enjoy such depictions of fantasy. Simple fact is that we're the products of evolution, and certain things that species do to survive and reproduce aren't always nice, which is probably why many women and men have, eg, rape fantasies, because such things are biologically hardwired into the recesses of our unconsciousness. The important thing is just to recognize that of course it's wrong to do such things in real life ("no means no"), and media like this is merely a healthy outlet for such fantasies that shouldn't be taken as a serious endorsement.
I don't have time to respond to this right now but I've made a note to come back to this later.
@@CriticalReactions No problem. It's an interesting subject for discussion that I've had many times before, so I look forward to having it again. :)
I really like the way you put it my man. I agree 100%
Oh shit I missed this!!! just now starting !!
I already know this is gonna be great 🤣
I've seen lots of videos of them performing this as the last encore track, however last time I saw them they actually ended with the last encore track being "planets"
I lost my shit lol such a good show.
dude why your hair so funny
Their last album The Stage was incredible. Not so much catchy songs but you can tell that they are high end musicians with their writing. The Stage is more than music, it’s an experience… however, it’s an album that took a lot of listens for people to really understand and like it. So you may not dig it at first but it’s truly incredible .
Miss You TheRev BestDurmmer 😭 R.i.P Jimmy"TheRev"Sullivan
Muppet voice = drummer The Rev. This song was his brain child. foREVer
Une Balle Dans Le Pied by Throane is a song that gives me chills every time I listen to it. It’s a long song but I’d recommend it
Never thought I'd see Throane recommended here but happy to see it
That Muppet voice is responsible for this damn gem of a song!
I remember when A7X came out as I thought they were going to be the heirs to Iron Maiden's throne of catchy, accessible, classic-style metal without sacrificing technical talent, compositional interest, or ambition. I don't think they quite lived up to that legacy, but I still think that they're among the funnest metal bands of this century. They're such an easy band to listen to an enjoy. Unlike many, I don't really lament that they went "more commercial," I just lament that they didn't do it better, or couldn't do it (like Maiden did) without sacrificing those other elements, and I dare say that their "transition" didn't really do much to win them more commercial success.
As far as this song goes, it's OK but it's not one of my favorites of theirs. What I do enjoy about it is its unabashed theatricality and grandiosity. It's really tongue-in-cheek, which is a quality I tend to appreciate in metal (or even music in general) that's going for this grandiosity. It's also fun how it moves through so many different contrasting sections, though my one complaint there is that most of them don't stick around long enough to make much of an impression outside of the chorus. Likewise, I've never thought the chorus here (despite its catchiness) fully lands because it just isn't sung/played with enough passion/conviction. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it almost feels like a musical where the singer is afraid to really let loose with a big belt: even though they're hitting the notes, they simply aren't selling the emotions/scene. Likewise the guitars/drums/bass seem underused and makes the whole thing sound a bit thin because the other elements aren't filling out the sound, which seems to contradict the theatricality/grandiose vibe the piece is going for.
Oof. That's an L take. Song is a fucking masterpiece.
Great analysis
Danny Elfman composed the orchestral parts for this song, fleshing out the Rev's original idea.
Do you have a source for that? Because I can only find Steve Bartek and Marc Mann (members of Oingo Boingo) as actually having any involvement. Obviously the song is inspired by Danny Elfman, but I can't find anything saying he contributed.
It wasn’t Elfman himself but it was musicians who have worked very closely with him.
Knocked Loose's new EP would be a good one.
Next : A7X Afterlife Live LBC TheRevBestDrummer 🤘
Another A7x's masterpiece song is "Save Me"
one of many A7X epics right here, but i see where ur coming from with the sellout statement tbh, Nightmare was still an amazing album and of course HTTK gets it fair share of shit but The Stage from 2016 is on par with City Of Evil, if not better, in terms of songwriting, musicianship, and honestly versatility, and great performances from everyone in the band... also their original drummer here The Rev (RIP) was insane but their current drummer Brooks Wackerman is also incredible, not the same simplistic drumming from HTTK, this album is very well thought out and executed imo... also, the production 👌
Oh no, the sellout statement was a bit of parody as the "emo" version of myself. Notice the drastic change in speech pattern during the intro vs the reaction and analysis. That's not how I actually feel about their musical choices over the years 😅 I don't mind bands "selling out." They make the music they want to make and that doesn't affect me at all. I might wish they had went in a different direction but that's about all the thought I put towards it.
Listen to "Save me" by Avenged Sevenfold it would be interesting to see your reacting Listen to me 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Surprise! You don't have to wait for me to check that one out.....I already did! Hope you like that reaction ruclips.net/video/SrtRoVmeXRM/видео.html
GOTTA REACT TO NEW AMERICA BY NICK NITTOLI NEXT ITS INSANE AND POWERFUL 🤓🔥🔥🔥🔥
Jimmy Sullivan wrote this, that's why. The Rev was the most talented person in A7X. There's a reason their new music isn't that good
The Stage: LOL
next a7x_MIA this is the best song
Subbed! Can you do new America by nick nittoli ? It's amazing! Thanks 👍👍👍
"Poser pop rock". Please tell me the intro was somewhat satirical. lol
Yes 100%. The "Emo Bryan" character is a fan favorite and pops up every Halloween. It's very tongue in check and I try to overplay the satire in hopes it isn't taken seriously. :)
Reaction a7x live LBC .
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