Avenged Sevenfold formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1999. The founding lineup included vocalist M. Shadows, guitarist Synyster Gates, bassist Johnny Christ, guitarist Zacky Vengeance, and drummer The Rev (Jimmy Sullivan). Their 2001 debut, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet, showed a raw metalcore sound. The 2005 turning point, City of Evil, shed metalcore's screamed vocals in favor of a more melodic hard rock and heavy metal sound, becoming their commercial breakthrough. Their 2007 self-titled album continued this evolution with hit singles like "Almost Easy." Tragedy struck on December 28, 2009, when drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan died of an accidental overdose at age 28. The band completed Nightmare (2010) using material he had written, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. Brooks Wackerman joined permanently in 2015. The band embraced heavier, traditional metal on Hail to the King (2013), pushed into progressive territory with The Stage (2016), a concept album about artificial intelligence, and later Life Is But a Dream... (2023), their most experimental and orchestral release. Today, Avenged Sevenfold stands as one of the most successful and critically respected hard rock/metal bands of their generation, continuing to tour internationally with M. Shadows, Synyster Gates, Zacky Vengeance, Johnny Christ, and Brooks Wackerman.
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