Over the course of their eight-year career, Avenged Sevenfold—M. Shadows (vocals), Synyster Gates (lead guitar), Zacky Vengeance (guitar), Johnny Christ (bass) and the Rev (drums)—have transformed themselves from a group of childhood friends from Southern California to one of the most adventurous, bold and risk-taking bands in the world. With their first DVD release, the band wants to treat their fans to something more than just a collection of videos or live performances (although both of those are present here). With the July 17 release of All Excess, the band offer a rare glimpse into A7X's roots, what it's like to live on the road for thirteen months and documents how the band have been able to forge such a strong relationship with their army of fans.
"This DVD has been eight years in the making," says singer M. Shadows. "We didn't want to cheat the fans by putting out a standard live DVD. Instead we wanted to focus on giving back to our fans by showing them what makes five best friends from Huntington Beach eat, sleep and breathe the Avenged Sevenfold lifestyle. All Excess shows everything from life backstage, on the bus, and some of the first shows in our hometown. We didn't leave anything off that fans have been asking about for years. Unlike cookie-cutter concert DVDs, this is a documentary you can watch again and again for years to come." The fact that the band wanted to do something special with All Excess shouldn't come as a surprise when you consider that despite the band's success, A7X have never remade the same album twice; instead, they tirelessly continue to reinvent themselves and push their creative limits.
Starting with Avenged Sevenfold's humble beginnings in Huntington Beach, California, All Excess documents how this group of five social outcasts met in elementary school and quickly became not only bandmates but also best friends. From touring in a cramped van and playing underground shows to headlining arenas and touring with their musical heroes Metallica (which was documented when M. Shadows made an appearance on the cover of Revolver magazine with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich), this DVD is the ultimate treat for fans of the band - many of whom have the band's iconic Death Bat logo tattooed on their bodies. Watching the DVD, it's easy to see that although the band gain legions of fans with every new tour and album, they continue to maintain a unique relationship with those who have supported them from the start.
In addition to the in-depth hour-plus All Excess documentary, the DVD also includes a ton of extras, including music videos for "Unholy Confessions," "Bat Country," "Beast and the Harlot" and "Seize the Day"; a special on the making of "Seize The Day"; and nearly an hour of live songs and concert footage compiled from two sold-out shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City in 2006. If all that weren't enough, All Excess includes hilarious band commentaries and a myriad of special outtakes including a virtual tattoo tour, footage of the band practicing in their garage and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of their million selling disc City of Evil.
To date, Avenged Sevenfold have done what few bands before have accomplished-to capture the imagination of an eclectic array of fans as reflected in headlining both the Vans Warped Tour and Ozzfest; won an MTV video award for Best New Artist In A Video for the song "Bat Country"; reached #1 on MTV's TRL video countdown and sold over a million copies worldwide of their critically acclaimed 2005 disc, City of Evil. The band's success is in large part to their fanatical fan base. All Excess is a thank you of sorts, showing the band's followers not only what they sound like onstage, but also what it's like to live a day in the life as a member of A7X. More than anything, All Excess shows how seriously the band take their music and illustrates the unique bond they have with their fans.
"This DVD has been eight years in the making," says singer M. Shadows. "We didn't want to cheat the fans by putting out a standard live DVD. Instead we wanted to focus on giving back to our fans by showing them what makes five best friends from Huntington Beach eat, sleep and breathe the Avenged Sevenfold lifestyle. All Excess shows everything from life backstage, on the bus, and some of the first shows in our hometown. We didn't leave anything off that fans have been asking about for years. Unlike cookie-cutter concert DVDs, this is a documentary you can watch again and again for years to come." The fact that the band wanted to do something special with All Excess shouldn't come as a surprise when you consider that despite the band's success, A7X have never remade the same album twice; instead, they tirelessly continue to reinvent themselves and push their creative limits.
Starting with Avenged Sevenfold's humble beginnings in Huntington Beach, California, All Excess documents how this group of five social outcasts met in elementary school and quickly became not only bandmates but also best friends. From touring in a cramped van and playing underground shows to headlining arenas and touring with their musical heroes Metallica (which was documented when M. Shadows made an appearance on the cover of Revolver magazine with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich), this DVD is the ultimate treat for fans of the band - many of whom have the band's iconic Death Bat logo tattooed on their bodies. Watching the DVD, it's easy to see that although the band gain legions of fans with every new tour and album, they continue to maintain a unique relationship with those who have supported them from the start.
In addition to the in-depth hour-plus All Excess documentary, the DVD also includes a ton of extras, including music videos for "Unholy Confessions," "Bat Country," "Beast and the Harlot" and "Seize the Day"; a special on the making of "Seize The Day"; and nearly an hour of live songs and concert footage compiled from two sold-out shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City in 2006. If all that weren't enough, All Excess includes hilarious band commentaries and a myriad of special outtakes including a virtual tattoo tour, footage of the band practicing in their garage and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of their million selling disc City of Evil.
To date, Avenged Sevenfold have done what few bands before have accomplished-to capture the imagination of an eclectic array of fans as reflected in headlining both the Vans Warped Tour and Ozzfest; won an MTV video award for Best New Artist In A Video for the song "Bat Country"; reached #1 on MTV's TRL video countdown and sold over a million copies worldwide of their critically acclaimed 2005 disc, City of Evil. The band's success is in large part to their fanatical fan base. All Excess is a thank you of sorts, showing the band's followers not only what they sound like onstage, but also what it's like to live a day in the life as a member of A7X. More than anything, All Excess shows how seriously the band take their music and illustrates the unique bond they have with their fans.
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