The Stage is the third Avenged Sevenfold album since the passing of Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan with each album since featuring a different drummer. The latest Brooks Wakerman (ex. Bad Religion) replaced Arin Ilejay (Islander) who played on the last album Hail To The King. I thought that Ilejay did a most solid job on that last album, and really it wasn't like the material required the most technical of drumming but the band has moved on and Brooks Wakerman certainly doesn't hold back on his debut Avenged Sevenfold album. Wakerman's drumming is such an added attraction he really mixes it up on tracks like "Creating God" almost stealing the show at times he doesn't sound like the new guy at all, Wakerman has left his mark on this album big time, and should prove to be an exciting addition going forward.
After announcing a different album title and a release date of early December, in what can't of been an easy feat Avenged Sevenfold surprised fans with the unexpected earlier October release of their seventh album. Whilst there's no mistaking who the band is as the vocals of M. Shadows are quite distinctive The Stage is a somewhat different recording to its much more straightforward predecessor, and one that is sure to surprise many as the band pushes their creativity. There's progressive, thrash, melodic metal/rock and more on the The Stage which is a concept album about artificial intelligence with such subjects as the potential uses of nanobots on the tempo shifting song "Paradigm". The groups most complex album to date and as with so many albums takes time to process and appreciate the groups efforts. The Stage is also quite a long album that closes with an excellent and diverse fifteen minute plus epic titled "Exist" that is cleverly put together with extended instrumental passages, atmospheric inclusions and a spoken section by Neil deGrasse Tyson, the American astrophysicist. The title track/opener "The Stage" in more inline with the kind of song that one may be expecting to hear but it's not all that way, and being a concept album The Stage is not geared towards multiple standalone tracks but to be listened to as a whole as that's when it works best.
Track Listing
1. The Stage
2. Paradigm
3. Sunny Disposition
4. God Damn
5. Creating God
6. Angels
7. Simulation
8. Higher
9. Roman Sky
10. Fermi Paradox
11. Exist
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