Avenged Sevenfold: Hail to the King

Avenged Sevenfold's latest begins with the creepy sound of church bells and rain falling reminiscent of Black Sabbath, and an orchestral section that sounds like the soundtrack to a medieval army marching off to war. Shepherds of Fire sets the tempo for a bold, accomplished record from a band bent on global domination. With the exception of the big ballads (Crimson Fire, Acid Rain), this is shoe to the floor power metal from start to finish. The musicianship is as accomplished as ever and the band's gift for hook-filled songs has not deserted them. Avenged Sevenfold have never worn their influences lightly. Doing Time sounds like an outtake from Appetite for Destruction, and the band should write a royalties cheque in advance to Metallica for This Mean Wars, which sounds uncannily like Sad But True. Else, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich might do a Napster on them.