LIVE: Avenged Sevenfold @ Manchester MEN 16.01.17

Rating:

Avenged Sevenfold rolled into Manchester as part of their European tour which has brought them to our shores for the first time since their jaw dropping performance at Download in 2014.

2016 saw the band sign to Capitol Records and unexpectedly drop their  self-funded seventh album ‘The Stage’. This saw the band enter unchartered territory with the release of a concept album. Moving away from a tried and tested winning formular and safety blanket the band raised eyebrows when they unveiled an album about artificial intelligence and launched it with a ground breaking live 360 Virtual Reality gig on the roof of Capitol Records in LA.

To promote the album the band have stepped up their live show too and embarked on a new all-guns-blazing production with a set featuring a giant cube hovering over the band, a futuristic apocalypse, and walkway into the crowed amongst other things. It really does have to be seen to be believed. No expense spared, although as extravagant it might be, it certainly doesn’t take anything away from the music.

Following on from Chicago’s brilliant-as-always Disturbed and their pyrotechnic master class, Avenged Sevenfold’s unshakable reputation for breath-taking live performances was once again cemented. Opening up with title track ‘The Stage’ the band performed at a relentless pace throughout their two hour set.

The five piece rattled though a 19 song set which with much material from ‘The Stage’ whilst fan favourites ‘Bat Country’ and ‘Hail to the King’ had the crowd in raptures (the latter of which was dedicated to Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea, who was in attendance at the show). Other stand out highlights included the awesome renditions of ‘Buried Alive’ and ‘God Damn’.

This is a band a the top of the game, the riff heavy melodies of guitarists Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates are a sight to behold as . The songs sound huge, filling the sold out venue to the brim with front man Matt Shadows holding the crowd in the palm of his hands.

Despite this being a rainy Monday night in Manchester the crowd spirit is certainly not dampened as fists are pumped, air guitars are rocked and mosh pits sporadically formed throughout the set. This day of the year is no described as “Blue Monday”, aka: the most depressing day of the year. 20,000 people here would disagree.

Set List:

The Stage

Afterlife

Hail To The King

Paradigm

To End The Rapture

Chapter Four

Buried Alive

Angels

Nightmare

God Damn

Almost Easy

Sunny Disposition

Warmness On The Soul

Planets

Acid Rain

Bat Country

A Little Piece Of Heaven

Unholy Confessions