The stage is set for Avenged Sevenfold to deliver their first album since, well, 2016's The Stage, and ahead of detailing their eighth studio effort, the metalcore heroes have highlighted Kanye West as an influence on their latest material.
In conversation with Metal Hammer, vocalist M. Shadows revealed that this month, the band will complete recording the new album following sessions with an orchestra — a grandiose artistic vision that certainly isn't out of West's realm.
"The record's been recorded for a year, but we haven't been able to put the real strings on it, because we couldn't fly out to Prague," Shadows explained of the timeline. "When an orchestra have to social distance and they aren't sitting next to each other, they can get out of tune, and we have just finally got to a place where we can use this 70-piece orchestra as we intended. We finish the record in February, mix it in March."
Asked by Metal Hammer if he would share "any little pointers of where the sound of the record is taking you," Shadows listed West as a preeminent influence on Avenged Sevenfold's new material.
"There are so many influences… We're very influenced by Kanye West," he shared. "The thing about Kanye is that he is pulling from such great soul music. I didn't grow up with that stuff — my dad listened to Boston and Alice Cooper [and] I didn't get that taste of Black music and old soul. So, diving deep into jazz musicians… We're not trying to do a jazz record, but the chord changes and progressions are so eye-opening to us."
Even with this talk of West's influence and a 70-piece orchestra, don't expect Avenged Sevenfold to return with something like Late Orchestration. In December, Shadows told Kerrang!, "The [new] record sounds nothing like The Stage — it's a completely new direction, and it sounds nothing like anything we've done. That's all I'll say about it: it's over the top, and it's very eclectic and wild."
Shadows also revealed that Avenged Sevenfold's forthcoming eighth studio album will be the final release under their current recording contract. "This next record, I don't know exactly how it comes out, but the record after that, we have no label," he added. "At that point we start implementing all the new ideas of going straight to the base of people that really care more. The new frontier excites us; expect very wacky ideas!"
Read Exclaim!'s review of The Stage. Last year, Shadows and his Avenged Sevenfold bandmates appeared on a NOFX album.
In conversation with Metal Hammer, vocalist M. Shadows revealed that this month, the band will complete recording the new album following sessions with an orchestra — a grandiose artistic vision that certainly isn't out of West's realm.
"The record's been recorded for a year, but we haven't been able to put the real strings on it, because we couldn't fly out to Prague," Shadows explained of the timeline. "When an orchestra have to social distance and they aren't sitting next to each other, they can get out of tune, and we have just finally got to a place where we can use this 70-piece orchestra as we intended. We finish the record in February, mix it in March."
Asked by Metal Hammer if he would share "any little pointers of where the sound of the record is taking you," Shadows listed West as a preeminent influence on Avenged Sevenfold's new material.
"There are so many influences… We're very influenced by Kanye West," he shared. "The thing about Kanye is that he is pulling from such great soul music. I didn't grow up with that stuff — my dad listened to Boston and Alice Cooper [and] I didn't get that taste of Black music and old soul. So, diving deep into jazz musicians… We're not trying to do a jazz record, but the chord changes and progressions are so eye-opening to us."
Even with this talk of West's influence and a 70-piece orchestra, don't expect Avenged Sevenfold to return with something like Late Orchestration. In December, Shadows told Kerrang!, "The [new] record sounds nothing like The Stage — it's a completely new direction, and it sounds nothing like anything we've done. That's all I'll say about it: it's over the top, and it's very eclectic and wild."
Shadows also revealed that Avenged Sevenfold's forthcoming eighth studio album will be the final release under their current recording contract. "This next record, I don't know exactly how it comes out, but the record after that, we have no label," he added. "At that point we start implementing all the new ideas of going straight to the base of people that really care more. The new frontier excites us; expect very wacky ideas!"
Read Exclaim!'s review of The Stage. Last year, Shadows and his Avenged Sevenfold bandmates appeared on a NOFX album.