Okay, so today I decided to dive deep into finding bands that sound similar to Avenged Sevenfold. It’s a tough one, they have such a unique sound that combines metalcore, hard rock, and even some progressive elements. Here’s how I went about it, step-by-step.
My Hunting Expedition for A7X-ish Sounds
First, I fired up my favorite music streaming service. I knew that just searching “bands like Avenged Sevenfold” probably wouldn’t cut it. The algorithms can be hit or miss. So I needed a more… hands-on approach.
I started by making a playlist of my favorite A7X tracks. You know, the essentials like “Bat Country,” “Nightmare,” “Afterlife,” and “Hail to the King.” This was my “control group,” my sonic baseline.
Then, I spent some time browsing “related artists” sections. This is usually where the streaming service’s algorithm puts bands that share some characteristics, but it’s often pretty broad. I found a few familiar names, like Bullet for My Valentine and Trivium, which are already in my regular rotation. So, not exactly groundbreaking discoveries.
I decided I needed to get more specific. So I picked apart what I really love about Avenged Sevenfold’s sound:
- The dual guitar harmonies: M. Shadows and Synyster Gates have a distinct melodic interplay.
- The blend of heavy and melodic: They can go from brutal riffs to soaring choruses in a heartbeat.
- The epic, sometimes theatrical, songwriting: There’s often a sense of grandeur, even in their heavier stuff.
- *’s distinctive vocals: the vocal characteristics, half clean, half screaming.
With these points in mind, I started digging deeper. I went beyond the “related artists” and started searching for specific terms like “metalcore bands with melodic guitar,” or “hard rock bands with epic songs.”
This is where things got interesting. I stumbled upon some lesser-known bands that had elements of what I was looking for. For example, I found a band that had killer guitar harmonies, but the vocals weren’t quite right. Another band had the epic song structures, but they were more on the progressive metal side, lacking the raw energy of A7X.
Honestly, I spent a good few hours going down this rabbit hole. I listened to countless songs, skipped through a lot of intros, and added a few promising tracks to a “maybe” playlist.
The Conclusion of my Journey.
The big takeaway? It’s really hard to find a band that perfectly captures all the elements of Avenged Sevenfold. They’ve carved out a pretty unique niche for themselves. But, I did discover some cool new bands that scratched at least part of that itch. It’s all about finding bands that capture elements of their sound, rather than trying to find a carbon copy.
