This time I will also be blogging from time-to-time, making use of the software that is currently powering this very website. As many that know me will probably tell you, I’m not really the kinda guy to talk alot about myself but if it’s important or something I feel like sharing I will probably post it. Actually I plan to share some of my knowledge too, I will be writing up little tutorials on various different subjects that I feel I have a solid enough grasp on be able to pass on to others, such as CSS techniques and cool Javascript snippets.

Since I was last here I did a bit of travelling, visiting both America (Las Vegas) and Sweden (Bålsta & Söderköping) twice, also I worked on a few projects that you can see in my portfolio, so go check them out and if you know anyone looking for design/development work no matter how big or small the task, point them in my direction.

The Beautiful Artwork for Parkway Drive's 2010 album, Deep Blue.

This 13 song album pulls no punches right from the beginning. It unleashes every bit of heavy riffing and breakdowns straight from the get go, but this time, the band decided to play in Drop-A, instead of Drop-B as on their previous albums. This change in tuning is immediately noticeable by the first breakdown of the album, and keeps a very heavy feel throughout.

The only issue I find with the sound of this album is that it doesn’t sound as crisp to me as Horizons did. It has a very muddy sound throughout most of it, a bad change from the cleanliness of the previous album.

Lyrics and Singing

As I stated before, the lyrics hold to Parkway’s concept of oceans, started on Horizons. On the whole, the lyrics on this album are nothing different than those on their previous releases, or even any metalcore band’s releases. This is not bad thing at all, they are pretty good lyrics, I just wish that there would be more creativity in the writing process.

As for the vocals on the album, they are straight in line with anything you’d expect from Parkway. Winston’s deep, throaty screams compliment the music perfectly, though the track, “Pressures” was a large turn off for me. The intro screaming, while I understand what the band was going for, sounded to me like a really bad demo recorded in someone’s bathroom.

Impression

Deep Blue, all together is a pretty good album, but I expected much more from the band after hearing Horizons. Parkway lives up to their reputation of bringing extremely heavy breakdowns and pretty good riffing to the table, but the guitar sound, to me, could have been much better.

Track List

1. Samsara
2. Unrest
3. Sleepwalker
4. Wreckage
5. Deadweight
6. Alone
7. Pressures
8. Deliver Me
9. Karma
10. Home is for the Heartless
11. Hollow
12. Leviathan I
13. Set to Destroy

Another song that will be a fan pleaser with this album is ‘God Hates Us’. Shadows cites that bands such as Pantera helped inspire this song. Upon listening, any die hard Avenged Sevenfold fan will recognize the sound. The screaming, the heavy riffs; they all point back to Waking the Fallen’s signature sound that has since disappeared.

The sound of this album is beyond measure. Avenged Sevenfold have truly outdone themselves with this heart-felt approach to song writing. One listen shows that without the Rev, the band is more passionate than ever with this album, and the sorrow from losing their brother is evident in every track.

Lyrics and Singing

The lyrics on this album deviate from the past few albums. Mostly due to the Rev’s passing, the lyrics take a dark tone. While he did write roughly 60% of the album, Johnny Christ stated in an interview that the lyrics for the album took a dark turn when the Rev died. ‘God Hates Us’ is a clear cut example of how angry the lyrics can get on this album. Shadows is still at the top of his game vocally, and delivers on every song. From their signature sound on ‘Nightmare’ to the emotional performances on ‘So Far Away’ and ‘Fiction’, Avenged Sevenfold’s lyrics are strong, and invoke many different emotions throughout the album.

One song in particular with extraordinary storytelling is ‘Danger Line’. This song touches on the life of a soldier, how he deals with the perils of war, and how he will miss his family in death. The lyrics are brought to life with Shadows’ melody.

One major song to note on this album is ‘Fiction’. Originally titled ‘Death’, the Rev handed this song to the band 3 days before his death, and submitted it as his final song for the album. The lyrics are a haunting call, wishing everyone the best as the narrator passes on, hoping not to hurt or displace anyone who is affected by his death. The lyrics take on a controversial meaning to some, whether it was a suicide note or merely a narration conceived by Jimmy, but regardless, it is the most original track on the album. Featuring Jimmy’s voice on the chorus, the song is a piano laden track using dissonance and perfect harmonies together to create a unique sound. Listening to the Rev sing his heart out and scream on this track is one of the hardest things for an A7X fan to hear, knowing it’s the last track that they will ever hear his beautiful voice on ever again.

Overall, the lyrics and singing on this album are better than past attempts, and they even will please the old school fans with ‘God Hates Us’. A7X have truly stepped up their game in order to honor their fallen brother.

Impression

Overall, this album is the strongest yet from Avenged Sevenfold. While many fans may notice their are more ballads than previous albums, this is only natural due to their situation. This album was released in order to permanently set the Rev’s legacy, and to allow fans to hear his final work. With Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater stepping in to record Jimmy’s tracks, the album will get every fan’s approval, and will keep the Rev forever in their hearts…

R.I.P. James “The Rev” Sullivan
February 9, 1981 – December 28, 2009

Track Listing:

1. Nightmare
2. Welcome To The Family
3. Danger Line
4. Buried Alive
5. Natural Born Killer
6. So Far Away
7. God Hates Us
8. Victim
9. Tonight The World Dies
10. Fiction
11. Save Me