AVENGED SEVENFOLD

Avenged Sevenfold (abbreviated as A7X) is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup includes vocalist M. Shadows, guitarists Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates, bassist Johnny Christ, and drummer Brooks Wackerman. The band initially performed with a metalcore sound on their debut album Sounding the Seventh Trumpet and continued this style on their second album Waking the Fallen. Their third album, City of Evil, marked a shift to a more traditional heavy metal style. The band released a self-titled album that explored new sounds and achieved mainstream success. Their founding drummer, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, died in 2009. Following his death, the band continued with the assistance of Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater and released their fifth album Nightmare in 2010, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. In 2011, drummer Arin Ilejay joined the band for touring and recording activities.