Waking the Fallen

Musical style

The record continues the metalcore sound the band had used on their previous album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet, but features noticeably more clean vocals. Being the first release by the band to feature lead guitarist Synyster Gates, the record also features some guitar solos. The record is notable among fans due to M. Shadows' slightly higher pitch in his voice and high notes he sings on songs like "I Won't See You Tonight" (both parts). The album also leans more towards heavy metal rather than punk rock. This was the band's last album with a mostly underground fanbase before their launch into mainstream success from City of Evil onwards.

Reception

Waking the Fallen was highly acclaimed. Robert L. Doerschuk from Allmusic wrote "And whether attacking a riff in unison or in harmonized parts, the double-threat guitars of Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance do their duty like search-and-destroy commandos -- in and out fast, leaving devastation in their wake. Especially noteworthy -- and note-heavy -- is the guitar solo that blazes through the last moments of "Second Heartbeat" and the head-spinning single-stroke virtuosity of the Reverand throughout the album."

It received a positive profile in Billboard, with the magazine comparing Avenged Sevenfold to bands like NOFX, Iron Maiden, and Metallica. In other profiles, the album also received comparisons to the Misfits and further comparisons to Iron Maiden. "Chapter Four" was featured in video games such as NASCAR Thunder 2004, Madden NFL 04, and NHL 04, which helped the band get recognized and sign a contract with Warner Bros. Records. Overall reviews on Ultimate Guitar were very positive and along with 2016's The Stage has the highest overall rating of any Avenged Sevenfold studio albums on Ultimate Guitar.

Metal Hammer magazine put Waking the Fallen on No. 6 spot of their 100 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century list in 2016.

Videography

A live performance video was shot at Warped Tour 2003 for the first single from Waking the Fallen, "Second Heartbeat". A video was made for the second single "Unholy Confessions" on March 6, 2004, using live footage set to the studio track. It featured the fans before and during an Avenged Sevenfold concert. According to vocalist M. Shadows, it was requested by their new label, Warner Bros. Records, in order to publicize the band before their 2005 album City of Evil.

This video was the second attempt at a video for the track. The previous attempt was a concept video created the previous fall (2003). The band was not happy with the final product, however, and opted to re-shoot the video, this time as a live performance. The new video went into rotation on MTV2's Headbangers Ball.

Anniversary

In March 2014, vocalist M. Shadows revealed in an interview with Loudwire that the band had plans in the works to put something out for the overdue 10th anniversary of Waking the Fallen:

We’re going to put something together for the 10 year anniversary of ‘Waking the Fallen,’ which is about 11 or 12 years now. We’ve been trying to think of something we could put together and we found some old demos that we did with Teppei [Teranishi] from Thrice before we even did that record.... We also found some old footage with [late drummer] Jimmy [Sullivan] playing some old shows at The Henry Fonda Theater in L.A., and the Ventura Theater. We’ll put together a cool DVD and some demo tracks and re-release ‘Waking the Fallen’ for newer fans of the band that haven’t gotten that or don’t know about the history of the band.

Waking the Fallen: Resurrected was released August 25, 2014.

Track Listing

All songs credited to Avenged Sevenfold.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.