Going into
Nightmare I felt that Avenged Sevenfold had something to prove. Their last full album was 2007's self-titled release and it was a big let down. It was not completely bereft of decent cuts but it did not live up to the promise of their breakout album
City of Evil.
Avenged Sevenfold felt like a rush job that was trying way too hard to be another
City of Evil. Sure, the band had heavy expectations following the heights reached with
City, I understand that. I also understand that their label was likely pressuring them to put out a similar sounding follow up. With all of that said,
Nightmare is a big step forward for the group and they may just be moving on to the next level of their creative output.
Welcome to Sound Influence. This is a series of columns looking back on the albums that were instrumental in first making me a fan of music and second helped shape my listening tastes over the years. Many of the albums covered will be popular for one reason or another, but more than that they mean something to me. These are albums that have stories attached to them and are albums that are a big part of why I love music and will continue to love music. These are not so much reviews as they are my memories of my first exposure to them.