Shepherd of Fire

"Shepherd of Fire"
Single by Avenged Sevenfold
from the album Hail to the King
Released	November 7, 2013
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	5:25
Label	Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)	M. Shadows Synyster Gates Zacky Vengeance Johnny Christ
Producer(s)	Mike Elizondo
Avenged Sevenfold singles chronology
"St. James" (2013) "Shepherd of Fire" (2013) "The Stage" (2016)

"Shepherd of Fire" is a song by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. Released on November 7, 2013, it is the second single from the sixth studio album Hail to the King . The single was a No. 1 single on the US Mainstream Rock charts, their third single to do so. ^[1]

"Shepherd of Fire" is the theme song of the Call of Duty: Black Ops II Zombies map "Origins", included in the final downloadable content compilation Apocalypse. ^[2] It is also featured in the mixed martial arts game EA Sports UFC . ^[3]

Personnel

Avenged Sevenfold

• M. Shadows – lead vocals
• Zacky Vengeance – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Synyster Gates – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Johnny Christ – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Arin Ilejay – drums, percussion

Session musicians ^[4]

• Brent Arrowood – sound effects
• David Campbell – orchestral arrangement & conductor
• Suzie Katayama - cello
• Ed Meares - upright bass
• John Fumo, Rick Baptist – trumpet
• Alan Kaplan – trombone
• Steven Holtman, Andrew Martin, Jaime Ochoa - bass trombone
• Douglas Tornquist – tuba
• Joe Meyer, John Reynolds – horn

Production

• Mike Elizondo – production, sound effects
• Allen Wolfe – A&R
• Joanna Terrasi – A&R
• Brent Arrowood – assistant engineer
• Chris Sporleder – assistant engineer
• D.A. Frizell – illustrations, treatment
• Adam Hawkins – engineer
• Paul Suarez – pro-tools
• Cam Rackman – paintings, portraits
• Andy Wallace – mixer
• Bob Ludwig – mastering engineer

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2013–14) Peak position Canada Rock ( Billboard ) [5] 31 Czech Republic Rock (IFPI) [6] 8 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [7] 49 UK Rock & Metal (OCC) [8] 12 US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [9] 28 US Rock Airplay ( Billboard ) [10] 9 Year-end charts Chart (2014) Position US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard) [11] 62 US Rock Airplay (Billboard) [12] 29

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [13]	Platinum	1,000,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Avenged Sevenfold – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
2. "AVENGED SEVENFOLD: Trailer For 'Hail To The King' Animated Series". BlabberMouth.
3. "EA SPORTS UFC SOUNDTRACK". EA Sports. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
4. "Hail to the King - Avenged Sevenfold – Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
5. "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
6. "CZ - Radio - Top 20 Modern Rock" (select "Top 20 Modern Rock" into the search box, then select "201414"). hitparada.ifpicr.cz. Retrieved March 14, 2023.^{[ dead link ‍]}
7. "Avenged Sevenfold: Shepherd Of Fire" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
8. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
9. "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
10. "Avenged Sevengold Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
11. "Hot Rock Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard . Retrieved December 21, 2014.
12. "Rock Airplay Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard . Retrieved December 21, 2014.
13. "American single certifications – Avenged Sevenfold – Shepherd of Fire". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved May 4, 2021.

External links

• "Shepherd of Fire" Official music video on YouTube