WotUNeed
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Deacon Blues
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Post by WotUNeed on Jul 27, 2010 20:42:02 GMT -5
looks like Eminem's run at the top of the Billboard 200 could be over. I thought Rick Ross edged Eminem out by a razor-thin margin this week? Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus Yes on HDD. Billboard has not released the chart for the week yet.
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Post by singingsparrow on Jul 27, 2010 20:45:54 GMT -5
He'll probably slide 60-65% in the second week of release, due to the lack of a considerable hit single. That said, Avenged Sevenfold have no chance at surmounting Eminem for the #1 spot. Eminem only slid an astonishing 3% from last week in sales, and with "Love The Way You Lie" as enormous as it is on the airwaves, I expect his numbers to stabilize through the summer. Add to that the fact that Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled predecessor fell short of a six-digit sales debut week (93,000). If anything, they'll probably only sell roughly a third of what Eminem sells this week. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus I think Nightmare should sell around 200K This means they'll have to more than double on their previous album's debut week sales. Unless you actually meant you predict "Nightmare" will sell about 200,000 copies in its entire chart run. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus
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rockmaniac
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Post by rockmaniac on Jul 27, 2010 20:47:16 GMT -5
I think Nightmare should sell around 200K This means they'll have to more than double on their previous album's debut week sales. Unless you actually meant you predict "Nightmare" will sell about 200,000 copies in its entire chart run. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus in the first week
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Post by singingsparrow on Jul 27, 2010 20:49:28 GMT -5
I thought Rick Ross edged Eminem out by a razor-thin margin this week? Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus Yes on HDD. Billboard has not released the chart for the week yet. And if the Slipknot/The Game controversy from before is of any indication, Eminem could very well close that 848 album deficit and just barely claim the top spot for a fifth consecutive week when Billboard announces its numbers. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus
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Post by singingsparrow on Jul 27, 2010 20:50:40 GMT -5
This means they'll have to more than double on their previous album's debut week sales. Unless you actually meant you predict "Nightmare" will sell about 200,000 copies in its entire chart run. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus in the first week I just don't see that happening, or even come close to happening. To their credit, they are strong digital sellers, but when their previous album couldn't break six figures, I expect "Nightmare" won't. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus
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rockmaniac
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Post by rockmaniac on Jul 27, 2010 20:51:12 GMT -5
Yes on HDD. Billboard has not released the chart for the week yet. And if the Slipknot/The Game controversy from before is of any indication, Eminem could very well close that 848 album deficit and just barely claim the top spot for a fifth consecutive week when Billboard announces its numbers. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus we don't want to see that.
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Post by singingsparrow on Jul 27, 2010 20:54:28 GMT -5
And if the Slipknot/The Game controversy from before is of any indication, Eminem could very well close that 848 album deficit and just barely claim the top spot for a fifth consecutive week when Billboard announces its numbers. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus we don't want to see that. I prefer seeing Rick Ross notch a week at #1, but I like both artist's records and so won't mind seeing either at top. Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus
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Nicholas2.0
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Post by Nicholas2.0 on Jul 28, 2010 16:11:19 GMT -5
it's the #1 album on iTunes. One word to describe it: unprecedented I can't agree with that, but I will say it's definitely a positive step up from the mediocre self-titled release, in that they sound like they've reclaimed some of their hunger and focus they lost during the previous era, which I feel was marred by inconsistent quality and overproduction. It's definitely a step in the right direction, but hardly original and certainly not unprecedented in my view. I've only listened to it once so far, but I'm nowhere near considering its placement among their other albums already. I thought their self-titled album was tremendous with an outstanding quality that never dropped off. I didn't think it was overproduced at all, but if I did, then I'd say Nightmare was just as guilty. You say "overproduced" and "unfocused," but I'd say the self-titled branched out their sound and demonstrated what else they could do and were influenced by, which was very welcome. My initial knee-jerk criticism of the new album is that it has too many power-ballads. I love their past three albums so much (seriously, there isn't one song on any of them I would concede as filler) that they're all among my Top 10 of all-time. For a guy pushing 30 who's been listening to music voraciously for the past 18 years, that's unprecedented. we don't want to see that. I prefer seeing Rick Ross notch a week at #1, but I like both artist's records and so won't mind seeing either at top. I don't care either way. Recovery, much like his beloved Marshall Mathers LP, seriously falls off hard on the second half. I don't know why critics like to deceive themselves about this. And though I enjoy the occasional epic Rick Ross single at face value for the production and his charisma (see Young Jeezy), Officer Ricky Ross is such an unbelievable phony that I can't take him seriously. Though, for some reason, the entire hip hop community continues to do so. As I read John Gotti's grandson (who's misguidedly suing Ross, but that's another story) say the other day, "Only in America can you go from being a corrections officer to calling yourself Teflon Don." But I laughed my ass off the other day when I read that the real Rick Ross is suing him, too.
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Post by singingsparrow on Jul 28, 2010 17:54:59 GMT -5
I've only listened to it once so far, but I'm nowhere near considering its placement among their other albums already. I thought their self-titled album was tremendous with an outstanding quality that never dropped off. I didn't think it was overproduced at all, but if I did, then I'd say Nightmare was just as guilty. You say "overproduced" and "unfocused," but I'd say the self-titled branched out their sound and demonstrated what else they could do and were influenced by, which was very welcome. My initial knee-jerk criticism of the new album is that it has too many power-ballads. I love their past three albums so much (seriously, there isn't one song on any of them I would concede as filler) that they're all among my Top 10 of all-time. For a guy pushing 30 who's been listening to music voraciously for the past 18 years, that's unprecedented. I see what you're saying, and I happen to prefer their earliest material myself, when they were more visceral and explosive with their sound and focused more on their bare-bones performance thunder than on knobs and switches since their commercial breakthrough. I feel "City of Evil" is their most accomplished work to date, with "Waking the Fallen" close behind, and what I appreciate about both records is how notably stylistically different they are from each other but still maintain that unmistakable hunger and edge. Only the former, of course, was a true commercial success, but both epitomize what makes this band particularly appealing I feel. They lost some of that with their self-titled release, in my opinion. I applaud them for taking risks that era, but I think they simply came across as inconsistent that era. It doesn't feel like an album even, but just a heap of various styles put to scores. I'm certainly not suggesting it doesn't have its appeal, but it's hands-down their most inconsistent album to date. With "Nightmare", I feel Avenged Sevenfold has reclaimed that focus through the tragic passing of the Rev much like the loss of LeRoi Moore re-energized the Dave Matthews Band. This album not only feels much more focused, but also has an emotional pull to it not quite like their other records that also doesn't veer too far into either schmaltziness or self-angst. It's not quite up there with those two albums I mentioned, but it's definitely a step up from the self-titled era. I prefer seeing Rick Ross notch a week at #1, but I like both artist's records and so won't mind seeing either at top. We'll just have to agree to disagree to some extent here. Critics aren't even enamored over "Recovery". If anything, there's a notable divide between regular radio listeners who aren't even necessarily fans of Eminem and the professional reviewers. "Recovery" isn't quite up there with "The Marshall Mathers LP" or "The Eminem Show", particularly on the lyrical front in relying too heavily topically on reflecting on his recent demons and vowing he won't let his fans down again, but his delivery is as sharp and poignant as ever and I feel the production even rivals his best material (especially DJ Khalil's contributions). It's a strong effort. Not his best surely, but a strong one. As far as Rick Ross is concerned, I choose to juxtapose personality from music when reviewing music whenever possible (believe me, I've done that with John Mayer as much as I've found his recent comments mind-boggling). Rick Ross enunciates better than most rap performers I know and also has a keen ear for figurative language. Even when he sings about cocaine too much, he still covers such cliches better than most of his ilk all because he injects wit and reflection in them that makes them stand out enough to the point they're listenable, regardless of how disingenuous he may be with his personality (I have similar criticisms toward M.I.A.: talented artist, troubled personality) Namaste, Lisping Hibiscus
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Post by Shadows in the Dark on Jul 29, 2010 9:36:22 GMT -5
I think these guys have a very good chance at dethroning Eminem next week, thanks to projected sales of 160-175k.
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lockebox
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Post by lockebox on Jul 29, 2010 10:56:21 GMT -5
This has a good shot at #1 on Active too.
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Nicholas2.0
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Post by Nicholas2.0 on Jul 30, 2010 15:24:12 GMT -5
I see what you're saying, and I happen to prefer their earliest material myself, when they were more visceral and explosive with their sound and focused more on their bare-bones performance thunder than on knobs and switches since their commercial breakthrough. I feel "City of Evil" is their most accomplished work to date, with "Waking the Fallen" close behind, and what I appreciate about both records is how notably stylistically different they are from each other but still maintain that unmistakable hunger and edge. Only the former, of course, was a true commercial success, but both epitomize what makes this band particularly appealing I feel. Avenged and Waking the Fallen gave me everything I didn't even realize I was missing from a modern-day metal band. Everything I wasn't even aware I was waiting for. I was all but sold on the album just from seeing the WtF promo picture on the last page of a 2003 issue of Rolling Stone. "Desecrate Through Reverence" was streaming on the band website at the time and I didn't even have to wait for the song to finish before I was ready to beat down the door of the Best Buy I bought it from. I was streaming "Beast and the Harlot" for months from their site before City of Evil came out. Admittedly, it took a few listens to fully catch on. Ultimately, it rivaled AFI's Sing the Sorrow for my favorite album of the decade, finally overthrowing it last year. The self-titled also took a few listens to catch on. (While "Afterlife" was love at first listen, "Critical Acclaim," "Almost Easy," and "Scream" are nowhere near my favorite songs on it.) I know how eclectic the guys' taste in music is, and I feel this album did a great job of showcasing that. At the time, M. Shadows said something to the effect of, "We'd rather be ultimately compared to Mr. Bungle than Metallica...Well, that's not true. I love Metallica." The fan-boy backpedaling there says that they'll always be a hard rock/metal band at heart, but they definitely have broader musical ambitions. CoE, WtF, and s/t are #'s 1, 3, & 4 of my Top 5 albums of the past decade. (AFI's Sing the Sorrow and The Art of Drowning are #'s 2 & 5, respectively.) With "Nightmare", I feel Avenged Sevenfold has reclaimed that focus through the tragic passing of the Rev much like the loss of LeRoi Moore re-energized the Dave Matthews Band. This album not only feels much more focused, but also has an emotional pull to it not quite like their other records that also doesn't veer too far into either schmaltziness or self-angst. Again, I need way more time to fully digest the album (I'm up to two full listens now), and with the death of the Rev, it's that much harder to speculate what was going on in their heads from a creative standpoint. But to me, it feels like they pulled back the reins on musical experimentation and chose (whether for musical identity purposes or emotional vulnerability purposes) to play it a little safer this time out. The album feels a little too long (especially with the 11-minute "Save Me" closing things), and with so many power ballads (or power ballad parts), that feeling is only amplified. Even if they weren't on the sticker on the cellophane (and tellingly leaked to KROQ), "Welcome to the Family" and "So Far Away" notably stick out as future singles. I appreciate how in the Pantera-like "God Hates Us," Shadows might as well be saying, "I can still scream, thank you for asking. I just choose not to use it as a crutch anymore." Critics aren't even enamored over "Recovery". If anything, there's a notable divide between regular radio listeners who aren't even necessarily fans of Eminem and the professional reviewers. "Recovery" isn't quite up there with "The Marshall Mathers LP" or "The Eminem Show", particularly on the lyrical front in relying too heavily topically on reflecting on his recent demons and vowing he won't let his fans down again, but his delivery is as sharp and poignant as ever and I feel the production even rivals his best material (especially DJ Khalil's contributions). It's a strong effort. Not his best surely, but a strong one. I didn't mean to imply critics were saying Recovery is as good as The Marshall Mathers LP (though I've consciously avoided any reviews because I don't want them influencing my own opinion). I suspected that divide you're talking about, considering the commercial success of the first two singles. I was just trying to say, from my own perspective, that Recovery has a lot of filler on the back end, the way the MMlp did. And I'd have to listen to Encore again, but for all his dismissal of Relapse (some justified), and for as welcome as it is to hear him with a slew of different producers for once, from a production standpoint, Dre's overall production on Relapse mops the floor with the overall production on Recovery. Like even on obvious filler songs on Relapse, it didn't really matter because the beats were so tremendous. Even though it was a little tiresome to hear Eminem return from hiatus with an abundance of psychotic, shock-value lyrics, it was refreshing to have an album's worth of that (as close as I'll get to another everything-to-prove, nothing-to-lose Slim Shady LP), where the obvious radio singles were weak and pretty much sore thumbs, rather than have another commercialized album like Encore and The Eminem Show. (And aren't guest spots from Pink and Rihanna a little too shameless?) While there's definitely some good stuff on Recovery, I feel like he throws his last two albums under the bus too often, especially when the new album isn't necessarily any better than either of them, depending on the argument criteria. My other problem with the lyrics on the new album is that he uses "dick," "f**k" and the verb "sh*t" as the basis for way too many similes, metaphors and plays on words. It's like, "OK, that's kinda clever, but at what cost to my intelligence?" As far as Rick Ross is concerned, I choose to juxtapose personality from music when reviewing music whenever possible (believe me, I've done that with John Mayer as much as I've found his recent comments mind-boggling). Rick Ross enunciates better than most rap performers I know and also has a keen ear for figurative language. Even when he sings about cocaine too much, he still covers such cliches better than most of his ilk all because he injects wit and reflection in them that makes them stand out enough to the point they're listenable, regardless of how disingenuous he may be with his personality (I have similar criticisms toward M.I.A.: talented artist, troubled personality) I'm pretty successful when it comes to separating artists' lifestyles and behavior from influencing my opinion of the music, which, in Rick Ross's case, is why I love his epic songs like "Hustlin'," "Push It," and "The Boss," for instance. And to his credit, though he bogs himself down with extremely exaggerated (if not altogether bogus) drug talk, elite materialism, and phony crime boss mystique, it really seems like he's been trying recently to consciously gravitate toward more musically lush production, deeper and richer than the standard hip hop fare.
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rockmaniac
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Post by rockmaniac on Jul 30, 2010 20:25:13 GMT -5
this is a HDD weekend chart preview
*Avenged Sevenfold (Warner Bros.) 160-170k Eminem (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope) 150-155k
HELL YEAH!
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Post by American Idiot on Aug 1, 2010 11:21:49 GMT -5
I'm about 3/4 through with the new album now and I still haven't found anything that really attracts me too much to it. Really, around the halfway point, I felt myself getting bored of it. I think this may have to grow on me after a few listens. I've really enjoyed the last two albums, so I could see why this would be a drop-off at first for me, but I'll see what happens.
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pen
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Post by pen on Aug 1, 2010 12:30:16 GMT -5
At first I wasn't too into this album but as I've spun it more and more, it's really grown on me. I'm having a hard time imagining many songs as radio singles. Probably "Welcome To The Family" and "So Far Away", maybe "Victim" on the outside. But overall it's a really well constructed album of theatrical goodness.
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rockmaniac
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Post by rockmaniac on Aug 3, 2010 16:39:40 GMT -5
Final numbers from HDD
-- 1 AVENGED SEVENFOLD WARNER BROS. 157,452 -- NIGHTMARE 2 2 EMINEM SHADY/AFTERMATH/INT 156,677 -17% RECOVERY
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jvandyck87
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Post by jvandyck87 on Aug 3, 2010 16:41:37 GMT -5
Wow, talk about barely edging Eminem out.
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rockmaniac
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Post by rockmaniac on Aug 3, 2010 18:15:19 GMT -5
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Ron57
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Post by Ron57 on Aug 3, 2010 20:40:32 GMT -5
I like So Far Away, Welcome to the Family, and Nightmare. But I can't help but say it. WTF? They're extremely light now. I mean, people complained the last album was softer than their other material. Half the songs on this album are almost ballad-like. I mean, what happened? (Other than the Rev dying)
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Pipa
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Post by Pipa on Aug 3, 2010 22:35:59 GMT -5
Avenged and Waking the Fallen gave me everything I didn't even realize I was missing from a modern-day metal band. Everything I wasn't even aware I was waiting for. That was my first reaction to them not when I first heard of them (thanks to you) but after City of Evil. A7X is like a donut. Inside it's baked with all the things that I love about classic metal, and sprinkled on top is what I love about the contemporaries. So all in all it's pretty sweet. But sometimes they get the recipe wrong and it doesn't taste right.
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Post by American Idiot on Aug 5, 2010 12:26:54 GMT -5
I've listened to the album twice more over the last few days and it's grown a bit on me. The first five tracks along with "God Hates Us" remind me of their "City of Evil" material as well as old Metallica a tremendous amount. I also think "Save Me" is an awesome closer. I could probably live without "Victim," "Tonight The World Dies," or "Fiction" though. Nothing really screams out single material to me, but probably most of the tracks on the album could be used, just maybe shortened.
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pen
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Post by pen on Aug 5, 2010 21:58:18 GMT -5
"Fiction" I think is an incredible song but that may just be because of the story behind it, and "Victim" I actually think should be the third single, but not before "Welcome To The Family".
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Pipa
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Post by Pipa on Aug 8, 2010 10:09:02 GMT -5
After hearing "Natural Born Killer" on the radio(!) I think the heavier offerings off this album are covered.
That being said, I think it's worth mentioning the metal show my rock station does every Saturday night. It's some of the most bold, daring, ballsy hours of radio I've ever heard. I wish they announced what each song was, or posted it online, or something. Among other things, it consisted of what sounded like Static-X, a song with the chorus "damn it all to hell" that sounded like Slipknot, Alexisonfire, the A7X song in question, Three Inches of Blood :o, "Kill 'Em All" era Metallica, Black Label Society's "Stillborn", Heaven and Hell's "Bible Black", ska-metal (seriously, the beat of the verses was like Sublime and the chorus was screaming metal), and what sounded like an evil My Chemical Romance.
So all in all pretty chaotic, but they definitely don't take the easy way out.
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Nicholas2.0
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Post by Nicholas2.0 on Aug 13, 2010 1:20:27 GMT -5
I play the album in the car (mostly 30 minute round-trip drives at best) just about every day. I give it my undivided attention again at home tonight (playing the songs in reverse order to freshen things up a bit) and "Fiction" aside, suddenly it's very hard to pick a least favorite song. (Not that I don't like "Fiction," it's just the sore thumb, obviously primarily written by Jimmy.) Really happy with the album, finally.
And though I immediately heard a couple of elements recycled from previous songs when I first played the album (which is nothing new: See the verses of "Chapter Four" and the half-time climax of "M.I.A."), I caught and eventually pinpointed a lot more of them tonight. Plus a lot of perceived influences, as well. I'm not sure how I feel about all this, but let me at least lay out what I heard.
Welcome to the Family Compare its pre-chorus to the pre-chorus of "Almost Easy." (Noticed this right off the bat.) The bridge vocals are similar, melodically and rhythmically, to the intro and outro of "M.I.A."
Danger Line Lyrically, the "M.I.A." or "Gunslinger" of the album. The kitchen sink aspect of the musical ideas found in the song reminds me of a Guns N' Roses epic (though this song's only half as long). The pulsing piano chords late in the song remind me of "Estranged" and the military playing of the snare drum remind me of "Civil War."
Buried Alive The severe shift in moods halfway to two-thirds through the song reminds me of "November Rain," from a conceptual standpoint, though the songs otherwise sound nothing alike.
Natural Born Killer The double-bass, double-cymbal blasting fills are shamelessly ripped off from "Almost Easy," the other immediately obvious reference point the first trip through this album.
So Far Away The song develops very similarly to "I Won't See You Tonight."
God Hates Us The meat of this song is total Pantera.
Victim Contains my favorite guitar solo on the whole album. I just wish it was twice as long. It reminds me both of Slash and of David Gilmour's solo in Pink Floyd's "Time." Which is interesting because I thought of that touchstone last week, but only tonight realized that the wordless female vocals at the end (and beginning) are reminiscent of "The Great Gig in the Sky," the very next track on Dark Side of the Moon. I blew my own mind with that one.
Tonight the World Dies If "Danger Line" is thematically the "Gunslinger" on the album, this is the album's equivalent musically, what with the use of acoustic guitars and slide guitar. Not only that, but Shadows emphatically singing "I don't mind" and "Mother cries" in the chorus could easily replace the two times in "Gunslinger" when the full band kicks in and Shadows sings "Yeah-e-yeah."
Fiction The Jimmy-penned oddball on the album, this is the equivalent of "A Little Piece of Heaven," though the songs sound absolutely nothing alike.
Save Me Easily the longest song Avenged have written thus far, clocking in a few whiskers under 11 minutes.
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Nicholas2.0
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Post by Nicholas2.0 on Aug 15, 2010 3:18:42 GMT -5
P.S. The verses in "Buried Alive" remind me of "Seize the Day" and the second half of the song reminds me of Metallica.
Plus, it's been extremely difficult training myself to hear the piano line in "Fiction" start on the upbeat of one, instead of the downbeat, where my brain naturally wants it to be. (I've always had a similar problem hearing Slipknot's "Surfacing." I always want the second squealed guitar note to be the first beat instead of the second one.)
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Post by Shadows in the Dark on Aug 27, 2010 12:30:50 GMT -5
#1 on Active:
3 1 Up this week AVENGED SEVENFOLD Nightmare 2036 1994 42 5.572
Looks like Five Finger Death Punch couldn't hold down.
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jvandyck87
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Post by jvandyck87 on Aug 27, 2010 12:35:19 GMT -5
Even though I don't like "Bad Company" or any FFDP for that matter, I would say that both of these songs deserve to spend at least one official week at #1 as a reflection of how popular they are with the active rock crowd. But given that "Nightmare" is an A-range song for me and "Bad Company" is a C-ranger, I'm much more pulling for A7X to get their first official #1 than FFDP to get theirs.
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rockmaniac
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Post by rockmaniac on Aug 27, 2010 16:15:06 GMT -5
a great accomplishment from the Huntington Beach boys.
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Post by Jorge_Str [Som3on3] on Aug 27, 2010 17:16:01 GMT -5
a great accomplishment from the Huntington Beach boys. definitely! well deserved
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rockmaniac
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Post by rockmaniac on Aug 29, 2010 16:36:51 GMT -5
it's official: Nightmare is A7X's first #1 Active Rock hit. well-deserved
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