When waiting for this album to be released, disaster struck and Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan passed away. I was absolutely gutted. It bothered me for days in fact. I owed a lot of my musical ability to A7X having spent hours learning and playing along to Waking The Fallen and City of Evil. News the Mike Portnoy was going to be filling in for Jimmy filled the gap nicely and so I waited eagerly for this album. Once it arrived I wanted to love it so much but it just didn’t happen for me at all.

I knew this album would be musically tight and sound. Thats just the way it is with A7X. Watch any in studio video and you will see Synyster Gates flip at a seemingly perfect take and try it again. This album just seems too bleak. I understand the circumstances were horrific but at the same time this album was musically finished before he passed on except maybe “So Far Away”. I don’t say this with any intent of disrespect to A7x. Completely the opposite. This was just an album that didn’t do much for me.

Opening track “Nightmare” has to be the best track on the album. I don’t say this as it was the first released or because it is currently most popular. It just carries the aggression that is normally there in A7x tracks. The drums are hard hitting, the dueling guitars are there and a smooth chorus in the middle albeit with a slightly cheesy vocal that I was not too keen on.

As the album rolls on through its program it seems to decline in intensity and mellow down. “Welcome to the Family” has definately been a grower for me. If not coming close to “Nightmare” in the ranks of preference. Most of that may be down to The sweeping guitars woven throughout the track by Synyster Gates. The solos are good but I don’t see anything outdoing his masterpiece on “Afterlife” from their self titled album.

This albums carries too many grunty open note verse patterns for me. When you compare this with arguably their best album to date “City of Evil” (musically anyway) they seem to be heading down the lane of most other southern rock styled bands. Even drum/guitar parts from “Natural Born Killer” carry a very similar air to that of “Almost Easy”. Its all a little confusing for me.

“Fiction” again leaves me a little lost. Even now I don’t know what to say about it. Lyrically it can be seen that it is a personal song and I fully respect that. It just seems strange. Almost a little eerie?

I have a huge respect for this album and for this band. Respect however does not mean I will say I like an album just to fit in. Do i still love a7x? Yes. Will I always be waiting eagerly for each album? Yes.