FR:      LIBBY HENRY/KRISTINE ASHTON-MAGNUSON/MITCH SCHNEIDER/AMANDA HALE

AVENGED SEVENFOLD

JOIN VANS WARPED TOUR
FOR EAST COAST TREK,
JULY 20-AUGUST 19;

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ‘WAKING THE FALLEN’ ALBUM
(HOPELESS RECORDS) HAS SOLD OVER 90,000 COPIES;

BAND WILL RETURN TO THE U.K. FOR HEADLINING SHOWS
AND READING, LEEDS FESTIVALS

As AVENGED SEVENFOLD prepares to join the Vans Warped Tour July 20, the storm of critical acclaim for the band continues to grow. Sales of the band’s epic album WAKING THE FALLEN–on Los Angeles indie Hopeless Records–are surging as the band’s fanbase grows larger and more rabid as each day passes. As of this week, WAKING THE FALLEN has scanned over 90,000 copies, while AVENGED SEVENFOLD is currently listed as the #2 selling independent label artist in rock music. The band–who fuse powerful metal, punk, hardcore with goth influences–have just announced a fall headlining U.K. tour with stops at the famed Reading and Leeds festivals after the Vans Warped Tour wraps August 19 in Boston. The fall trek follows the band’s successful run of dates in the U.K. this February. In her recent Los Angeles Times live show review, Lina Lecaro praised A7X by noting: “The band seamlessly melds the epic mysticism and melody of vintage metal with startling, full-throttle punk grooves and shrieks, a combination that has helped it gain a rabid, under-the-radar following” (5/26/04).

AVENGED SEVENFOLD’s video for “Unholy Confessions”–the blistering first single off WAKING THE FALLEN–is a fan favorite and is airing on Fuse “Warped Wednesdays” and “Ovenfresh,” as well as MTV2. In other news, frontman M. SHADOWS’s profile has been raised significantly over the past few months with cover photos on two top rock magazines: Alternative Press (May) and Revolver (September).

Catch AVENGED SEVENFOLD–M. SHADOWS (vocals), ZACKY VENGEANCE (guitar), SYNYSTER GATES (guitar), THE REVEREND (drums) and JOHNNY CHRIST (bass)–on the road (see itinerary below).

Check out what the critics are saying about AVENGED SEVENFOLD:

“The band seamlessly melds the epic mysticism and melody of vintage metal with startling, full-throttle punk grooves and shrieks, a combination that has helped it gain a rabid, under-the-radar following…dueling guitars meshed with military-march drum beats, laying the foundation for Avenged’s dramatic and progressive thrash…thanks mainly to the charisma of frontman M. Shadows, whose strapping stance and seething roar brought to mind a young Glenn Danzig, Avenged Sevenfold maintained a fresh and fervent command of its material that never seemed to disappoint its fans, and is likely to snare some new ones when it goes out on the Vans Warped Tour this summer.”
                                —Lina Lecaro, Los Angeles Times, (5/26/04)

“Waking the Fallen…brings this five-piece outfit one step closer to Ozzfest fame with vocalist M. Shadows’ remarkable range and penchant for both guttural, hardcore screeching and eerily melodic crooning.”
                             –A.L.R., Juice, (4/04)

“…A7X are an all-ages phenomenon – selling out the 1,600-capacity Fonda a month in advance…AVENGED SEVENFOLD are greeted by hundreds of ‘devil horn’ salutes. They enter with the amphetamine kick/snare and shameless sex-string wanking of ‘Eternal Rest,’ a punk-metal mongrel that Motorhead would covet…A7X never let the energy dip…”
                                   –Paul Rogers, LA WEEKLY, March 12, 2004

“Like the classic metal gods of the mid-‘80’s, Vengeance plays his guitar like he’s recreating one of the battle scenes from Braveheart, slashing through riffs with the precision of a master swordsman cutting up a barbarian horde. He and fellow ax-man Synyster Gates have no problem braining thick-necked hardcore chugs or pulling out Iron Maiden-style guitar harmonies for some detailed carving. Oftentimes they’ll combine the two, creating the kind of blurring attack that leaves you dumbfounded and bleeding.”
–Jeff Inman, Las Vegas CityLife, March 17, 2004

 “One of the most impressive metal acts to come along in years…With deep glistening production by Mudrock, blistering musicianship and rich concepts ranging from tales of Biblical murder (“Chapter Four,” based on the story of Cain and Abel, from where the band’s name derives) to contemplating suicide, as perceived by both the perpetrator and those left behind (“I Won’t See You Tonight” parts one and two), Waking is a milestone record from a band whose oldest member is still only 23.”
                                 –Brendan Manley, Long Island Press, April 14, 2004

“hard-and-heavy eclecticism…a volatile fusion of punk melody and metal intensity…Combining unpredictable rhythm shifts, melodic hurricanes and abrupt vocal turns, Avenged Sevenfold manages to appeal to metal-heads, hardcore kids, punk rockers and even nu-metal fans.”                                         –Tracey John, CMJ (feature), November 2003

“…completely blurs the line between metal and punk…as comfortable on the Ozzfest stage as it is playing punk-rock dives.”
                                 –Michael Ansaldo, Guitar World (feature), March 2003

“Influenced equally by Guns N’ Roses, Pantera and Bad Religion, Avenged Sevenfold are attempting to bridge the vast musical and cultural chasm between modern hardcore and classic metal.  The band’s new album, Waking The Fallen, is powerful enough to get even the most cynical mall punk headbanging.”
                                 –Josh Sindell, Kerrang!, August 16, 2003

“While Avenged Sevenfold willfully display elements of punk rock, the place special emphasis on the more metallic side of their sound, embracing such influences as Pantera and Iron Maiden as well as European death metal acts.”
                                –Jeff Perlah, Revolver, November 2003

“Warped Tour standouts indulge in operatic bombast, wanky guitar solos, and nine-minute suicide epics. Heavy metal is so back.”
                                             —Rolling Stone, October 2, 2003

“The five-piece band combines the past and future flawlessly on its sophomore full-length, WAKING THE FALLEN (Hopeless). While vocalist M. Shadows can scream with the best of them, his powerful voice is also more than capable of melody. And guitarists Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates’ solos and dual harmonies are equaled by the memorable riffs that they craft.”
                                             –Bram Teitelman, Billboard, January 10, 2004

Check out www.avengedsevenfold.com and www.hopelessrecords.com for more information.

DATE                         CITY                VENUE

Vans Warped Tour 04

Thu      7/22                Indianapolis, IN                    Verizon Wireless Music Center

Fri       7/23                Cleveland, OH                      Tower City Amphitheater

Sat      7/24                Chicago, IL               Tweeter Center

Sun     7/25                Minneapolis, MN                 Metrodome

Mon     7/26                Kansas City, KS                   Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Wed    7/28                Atlanta, GA                HiFi Buys Amphitheater

Thu      7/29                Orlando, FL               Central Florida Fairgrounds

Fri       7/30                Tampa, FL               Vinoy Park

Sat      7/31                Miami, FL                   Pompano Beach Amphitheater

Sun     8/1                  Jacksonville, FL                  Jacksonville Fairgrounds  

Mon     8/2                  Charlotte, NC                        Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Tue      8/3                  Virginia Beach, VA            Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Wed    8/4                  Washington, DC                  Nissan Pavilion @ Stoneridge

Thu      8/5                  Pittsburgh, PA                       Post Gazette Pavilion

Fri       8/6                  Philadelphia, PA                  Tweeter Waterfront

Sat      8/7                  New York, NY                     Randall’s Island

Sun     8/8                  Englishtown, NJ                   Englishtown Raceway

Tue      8/10                Hershey, PA             Hersheypark Pavilion

Thu      8/12                Quebec City, QC                  Colisee Pepsi Arena

Fri       8/13                Montreal, QB             Parc Jean Drapeau

Sat      8/14                Toronto, ON              Molson Park

Sun     8/15                Detroit, MI                  Pontiac Silverdome

Mon     8/16                Cincinnati, OH                      Riverbend Music Center

Tue      8/17                Columbus, OH                      Germain Amphitheater

Wed    8/18                Buffalo, NY                 Darien Lake Perf. Arts Center

Thu      8/19                Boston, MA              Gillette Stadium Parking Lot

U.K. dates

Wed    8/25                London, UK               Garage

Fri       8/27                Manchester, UK                    Academy 3

Sat      8/28                Reading, UK               Reading Festival (Concrete Jungle stage)

Sun     8/29                Leeds, UK          Leeds Festival (Concrete Jungle stage)

Tue      8/31                Birmingham, UK                   Academy 2

Please let us know if you’d like to interview the band, review the CD or need cover art. For more information, log onto: www.avengedsevenfold.com or www.hopelessrecords.com.

Contact MSO:
818-380-0400

Libby Henry            ext 224            lhenry@msopr.com 
Kristine Ashton ext 233            kasthon@msopr.com 
Amanda Hale (tour press) ext 238 ahale@msopr.com

###