More Than A Mere Fan Must Have
Like so many before them, Avenged Sevenfold have now stepped into the murky harsh world of a live DVD release. A difficult step to make, the live DVD can often be a let down, never truly capturing the essence of the live show, meaning it gets dismissed out of hand as a mere fan must have and little else. But A7X aren’t ones to shy away from a challenge, choosing to record their home leg of the Taste Of Chaos tour in Long Beach in April 2008, allowing all to experience the adrenaline pumped chaos and brilliance that is an Avenged show from the safety of their own living room.
Glistening with a polished sheen that’s a little out of keeping with A7X’s gutsy, raw edge, ‘Live In The LBC’ superbly catches the band in their natural territory. From the simplicity of a lone M Shadows on stage playing the opening of ‘Critical Acclaim’ to the power punch onslaught of dual guitars mingling with a booming bass that all swirl around relentless drum beats, A7X appear to have taken notes from Maiden, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses, woven a touch of Motley Crue into the structure before running off and coming back with something all of their own. Exploding with a ferocious rush of energy, ‘Live In The LBC’ thunders along at break neck speed as ‘Afterlife’, ‘Beast And The Harlot’ and ‘Almost Easy’ all get an added dose of adrenaline packed venom in the live arena complete with pyros and scantily clad dancing girls to make Motley Crue proud. Then there is of course the band themselves; from the engagingly commanding frontmanship of M Shadows to the eye aching finger wizardry of Synester Gates, this is a band that are tighter than Scrooge’s wallet on the live stage as they ooze with a confidence that is hard to beat, interacting with the crowd and even managing to get a fan up to sing Pantera’s ‘Walk’ with them, a rendition that seems to genuinely surprise A7X, leaving all smiling in amazement.
Also included in the release, ‘Diamonds In The Rough’ finds A7X taking care of the CD side of business with a collection of rare releases, some live offerings and a couple of covers to whet fans appetites. And whilst it may be brushed into the shade of the DVD, there is still enough here to tantalise; from the thumping snarl charge of a studio cover of Pantera’s ‘Walk’ to the razor sharp guitars of Iron Maiden’s ‘Flash Of The Blade’ complete with M Shadows’ best Bruce Dickenson impression. The rare tracks also add a nice touch, showing glimpses of how songs could have turned out, but there’s a sense that perhaps it would have just been better to replicate the Long Beach concert into an audio collection so at least you then you could relive the show away from the television screen.
More than a mere true fan must have, ‘Live In The LBC And Diamonds In The Rough’ captures a band at the top of their game, expertly offering a polished professional performance that still manages to be spontaneously invigorating even from the front room couch.