Life Is But a Dream... | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 2, 2023 | |||
Recorded | 2018–2022 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 53:21 | |||
Label |
| |||
Producer |
| |||
Avenged Sevenfold chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Life Is But a Dream... | ||||
Life Is But a Dream... is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on June 2, 2023, through Warner Records. Its release follows nearly seven years after its predecessor, The Stage (2016), marking the band's longest gap between studio albums to date. It is also the first album to feature contributions from their late drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan since Nightmare (2010). Similar to The Stage, Life Is But a Dream... was produced by the band with Joe Barresi. It marked the band's return to Warner following a legal dispute between the band and Warner Music in the mid-2010s.
Life Is But a Dream... received acclaim from music critics for its themes, experimental approach, and blend of influences and genres. The album peaked at 13 on the Billboard 200, which was the band's lowest since their 2005 album City of Evil.
Writing and recording for Life Is But a Dream... commenced in 2018 and was completed in 2022. [3] Recording took place at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, producer Joe Barresi's House of Compression studio in Pasadena, California, and Costa Mesa Recording Studios in Costa Mesa, California. [4] The band had finished recording much of the album's material by the end of 2020, though the COVID-19 pandemic prolonged the album's recording stage, primarily due to concerns about traveling. The band also expressed dissatisfaction towards the idea of releasing the album without being able to promote it with a tour. [5]
Lead vocalist M. Shadows claimed the album was 70 percent complete in February 2021, with items such as mixing and recording orchestral sections still needing to be done. [6] The band recorded with 78-piece San Bernardino Symphony orchestra at the Sony Scoring Stage in Culver City, California. [4] The recording of the orchestral sections was completed in February 2022, with drummer Brooks Wackerman touting on social media that the album was now 90 percent complete. [7] Andy Wallace, the band's longtime mixer, finished mixing the album in September 2022, [8] with Wackerman stating on social media that the album would now be ready for release in 2023. [9]
Musically, Life Is But a Dream... has been described as avant-garde metal [10] [11] and progressive metal. [11] [12] Lyrically, the album was inspired by the writing and philosophy of Albert Camus, with existentialism and absurdism being two major themes throughout the album. [3] Camus' 1942 novella The Stranger was particularly influential on the lyrics for songs like "Nobody". [13] Shadows and guitarist Synyster Gates created a demo for "Nobody" after being inspired by a painting, also titled "Nobody", created by Wes Lang, who later led the art direction and created the cover art for Life Is But a Dream... [14] M. Shadows has also stated about the band's direction that the album's music was greatly inspired by electronic music and hip hop. [15] Shadows and Gates were also largely inspired by their experiences with psychedelic drugs, particularly 5-MeO-DMT. [16]
Avenged Sevenfold began teasing new material in February 2023 with an online scavenger hunt that began with their social media accounts being supposedly hacked, claiming that certain upcoming appearances at music festivals were canceled. [17] The scavenger hunt was centered around a Reddit user named "Libad5343", the suspected hacker of the band's social media accounts, and their blog, which included articles written with ChatGPT and images generated by DALL-E 2. [3] [17] Eventually, one of the clues featured coordinates leading to The Ritz, a music venue in San Jose, California, which had "Libad5343 Presents Nobody" written on its signage, with a hidden phrase instructing people to meet at the venue at midnight on March 6, 2023. [17]
Upon the scavenger hunt being completed, fans were rewarded with an unlisted YouTube video that had a countdown set for 8 a.m. PT on March 14. Soon after, the band confirmed the legitimacy of the countdown video. [18] The lead single, "Nobody", was released on March 14, accompanied by a stop motion music video directed by Chris Hopewell. On the same day, the band also revealed the details for Life Is But a Dream..., including its release date and cover art, which was designed by Wes Lang. [3]
The album's second single, "We Love You", was released on May 12. [19] [20] Three weeks before the album's release, certain fans were able to hear the album early at an "immersive" paid listening event. The event took place at Area15 in Las Vegas, from May 11 to May 14, 2023. [21] The band announced on May 11 that they would also play a surprise concert, their first in 5 years, at Area15 the next day. The concert featured the live debut of the two singles, as well as album opener "Game Over". [22] [23]
Life Is But a Dream... was released on June 2, 2023, through Warner Records in both digital and physical formats. [24] It is the band's first studio album to be released through Warner since Hail to the King (2013), as they released The Stage (2016) through Capitol Records following a legal battle with Warner Music. [25] Life Is But a Dream... includes 11 different color variations for its vinyl release, most of which are exclusive to a respective retailer. [26]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 87/100 [27] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [28] |
Blabbermouth.net | 8.5/10 [29] |
Classic Rock | [30] |
Distorted Sound | 6/10 [31] |
Ghost Cult | 9/10 [32] |
Hysteria Mag | 9/10 [33] |
Kerrang! | [34] |
Metal Hammer | [35] |
Sputnikmusic | 4.5/5 [36] |
Wall of Sound | 7/10 [37] |
Life Is But a Dream... received critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 87, based on four reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [27]
Sam Law of Kerrang! praised the album's diversity in styles and musical elements as well as its adventurous nature, writing, "In the process of shedding any lingering preconceptions about genre, consistency and the basic rules of songwriting, [Avenged Sevenfold] haven't just made an album that's more out-there than any they've put their name to before – they've delivered a set of songs that are simply far more fun." [34] Merlin Alderslade of Classic Rock wrote, "With Life Is But a Dream..., Avenged Sevenfold haven't just transcended their metal peers for good, they've also created their definitive artistic statement," describing it as "bloody fantastic". [30]
Simon K. of Sputnikmusic praised the album, noting that the music was very different from mainstream rock and metal, and a bold departure from the band's usual style. He wrote, "Ultimately, Life is But a Dream.. is the real deal. Avenged [Sevenfold] didn't come up with a half-baked idea here and got cold feet halfway through its development, they see this through to the end. This will piss people off, there's no doubt about that, but I think it's an album that will be looked on very fondly in ten years' time." [36]
In June 2023, Alternative Press published an unranked list of the top 25 albums of the year to date and included this release, calling it "an experimental record that leaned into the unpredictability of pushing boundaries and bending genres". [38]
Publication | List | Rank |
---|---|---|
Alternative Press (United States) | 50 best albums of 2023 | – [39] |
Classic Rock | The 50 Best Rock albums of 2023 | 21 [40] |
Kerrang! (United Kingdom) | The 50 Best Albums of 2023 | 6 [41] |
Loudwire (United States) | The 25 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2023 | – [42] |
Loudersound (United States) | The 50 best rock albums of 2023 | 21 [43] |
Metal Injection | Metal Injection's Top 20 Albums Of 2023 | 9 [44] |
Metal Hammer | The 50 best metal albums of 2023 | 7 [45] |
Revolver | 30 best albums of 2023 | 4 [46] |
Rock Sound (United Kingdom) | Top 50 Albums of 2023 | 6 [47] |
Rolling Stone | The 11 Best Metal Albums of 2023 | 7 [48] |
All tracks are written by Zachary Baker, Brian Haner Jr., Matthew Sanders, Jonathan Seward, and Brooks Wackerman, except where noted [49]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Game Over" | 3:46 | |
2. | "Mattel" |
| 5:30 |
3. | "Nobody" | 5:53 | |
4. | "We Love You" | 6:15 | |
5. | "Cosmic" | 7:31 | |
6. | "Beautiful Morning" |
| 6:32 |
7. | "Easier" | 3:37 | |
8. | "G" | 3:37 | |
9. | "(O)rdinary" | 2:52 | |
10. | "(D)eath" | 3:19 | |
11. | "Life Is But a Dream..." |
| 4:29 |
Total length: | 53:21 |
Avenged Sevenfold
Additional musicians
| Additional personnel
|
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Meteora is the second studio album by American rock band Linkin Park, released on March 25, 2003, through Warner Bros. Records, following Reanimation, a collaboration album which featured remixes of songs included on their 2000 debut studio album Hybrid Theory. The album was produced by the band alongside Don Gilmore. The title Meteora is taken from the Greek Orthodox monasteries originally bearing the name. Meteora has a similar sound to Hybrid Theory, as described by critics, and the album took almost a year to be recorded. It is the first Linkin Park studio album to feature bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell after he rejoined the band in 2000 following his temporary touring with other bands.
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, bassist Johnny Christ, and drummer Brooks Wackerman.
Waking the Fallen is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on August 26, 2003, through Hopeless Records. It is the band's first full-length album with new lead guitarist Synyster Gates and bassist Johnny Christ.
City of Evil is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on June 6, 2005, through Warner Bros. and Hopeless Records. Co-produced by Andrew Murdock, City of Evil contains a more traditional heavy metal and hard rock sound than Avenged Sevenfold's previous two albums, which showcased a predominantly metalcore sound. The album title is derived from a lyric in the song, "Beast and the Harlot". The album is notable for the absence of fry vocals. M. Shadows worked for months before the album's release with vocal coach Ron Anderson, whose clients have included Axl Rose and Chris Cornell, to achieve a sound that had "grit while still having the tone". In order to increase stamina and strength on the pedals, The Rev would sit for hours practicing until he could get up to 210 beats per minute.
American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold has released eight studio albums, one soundtrack album, one live album, two compilation albums, 24 singles, two video albums and 29 music videos. Formed in Huntington Beach, California in 1999, the band originally featured vocalist M. Shadows, guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Matt Wendt and drummer The Rev. Synyster Gates joined as lead guitarist in 2001, just after the group released their debut album Sounding the Seventh Trumpet on Good Life Recordings, which was later reissued on Hopeless Records.
"Bat Country" is a song by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released in August 2005 as the second single from their third album, City of Evil. Avenged Sevenfold won 'Best New Artist Video' at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards for "Bat Country" and the single was certified platinum by the RIAA and silver by the BPI. For these reasons, "Bat Country" is often believed to be the band's most commercially successful song.
The discography of Trivium, an American heavy metal band, consists of ten studio albums, three extended play, two demo albums, 42 singles and 34 music videos. Formed in Orlando, Florida in 1999, the group's first recording lineup included vocalist and guitarist Matt Heafy, bassist Brent Young and drummer Travis Smith, who together released Ember to Inferno on Lifeforce Records in 2003. After the addition of guitarist Corey Beaulieu and new bassist Paolo Gregoletto in place of Young, the band signed with Roadrunner Records and released Ascendancy in 2005, which reached number 151 on the US Billboard 200. It also reached number 79 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The Crusade followed in 2006, peaking at number 25 on the Billboard 200 and number 7 on the UK Albums Chart. The album's second single "Anthem " reached number 40 on the UK Singles Chart and topped the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart, while its third single "The Rising" was the band's first to register on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, reaching number 32.
Avenged Sevenfold is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on October 30, 2007, through Warner Bros. and Hopeless Records. Recorded in the middle of 2007, it is the band's first studio album to be solely self-produced. It is also their final studio album to feature The Rev performing on drums before his death during production of their follow-up album, Nightmare (2010). Originally slated for an October 16 release, it was delayed by two weeks in order to provide more time to complete bonus material and production for the record.
"Afterlife" is a song by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The song is released as the third single from their self-titled album. The song itself features a string orchestra and was written by the band's drummer, The Rev. The single and music video were released in early 2008. The song is one of the band's most performed live, and is a fan favorite. The song was included in the second Track Pack DLC released for Rock Band.
Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough is the first live DVD and compilation album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on September 16, 2008 by Warner Bros. Records. The live DVD features the band's April 10, 2008 show at Long Beach Arena headlining the Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour, while the CD contains previously unreleased B-sides that were recorded during the making of the band's self-titled 2007 album, plus covers, and other never-before-heard material.
Nightmare is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on July 23, 2010, through Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Mike Elizondo, mixed in New York City by audio engineer Andy Wallace, and mastered by Ted Jensen.
"Nightmare" is a song by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. It was released on May 18, 2010, as the lead single for their fifth studio album, Nightmare.
Hail to the King is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on August 23, 2013, through Warner Bros. Records. The album was produced by Mike Elizondo. Hail to the King is the only Avenged Sevenfold album to feature drummer Arin Ilejay, prior to his departure in July 2015. It is also the first Avenged Sevenfold album without musical contributions from Ilejay's late predecessor, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan; the bonus track, "St. James", was written in his memory.
That's the Spirit is the fifth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. The album was released on 11 September 2015, and marks a departure from the group's metalcore roots, in favour of a less aggressive alternative rock and metal style.
"The Stage" is a song by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. It was released on 13 October 2016, as the first single from their studio album of the same name.
The Stage is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. It was released on October 28, 2016, through Capitol Records, their only release through the label. It is the first Avenged Sevenfold album to feature drummer Brooks Wackerman, who joined the band in late 2014 but was not revealed as Arin Ilejay's official replacement until Ilejay's departure in 2015, because the band wanted to "make sure that it was a correct fit".
Black Reign is the second EP by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on September 21, 2018, through Warner Bros. Records. It is a compilation of all their original songs created for the Call of Duty: Black Ops series from 2011 to 2018.
We Are Not Your Kind is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Recorded at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, California with co-producer Greg Fidelman, it was released on August 9, 2019, by Roadrunner Records. The title is taken from a lyric in the song "All Out Life", which was released as a standalone single in 2018 and features as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album. We Are Not Your Kind is the only Slipknot album to be recorded as an eight-member band, as their former percussionist Chris Fehn was fired from the band in March 2019 after suing the group for alleged unpaid royalties.
Will of the People is the ninth studio album by English rock band Muse, released through Warner Records and Helium-3 on 26 August 2022. Self-produced by the band, it is a genre-hopping album that Matthew Bellamy described as "a greatest hits album – of new songs." "Won't Stand Down", "Compliance", "Will of the People", and "Kill or Be Killed" were released as singles before the album was released, and "You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween" was released as a single the same day the album came out.
"Nobody" is a song by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. It was released on March 14, 2023, as the lead single from their eighth studio album, Life Is But a Dream.... It is the band's first new song since the release of "Mad Hatter" in 2018. The song was debuted live on May 12, 2023, at a surprise show in Las Vegas.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)