Avenged Sevenfold, Buckcherry, Saving Abel and Shinedown rock Eastern Michigan University
by Christina Fuoco-Karasinski | Contributing writer
Wednesday November 19, 2008

Clay Patrick McBride | Courtesy photo
Rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance (from left), bassist Johnny Christ, guitarist Synyster Gates, singer M. Shadows and drummer/pianist The Rev.
Metal mavens Avenged Sevenfold were never ones to perform cover songs, but after twiddling with the guitar riffs of Pantera's 'Walk,' the band saw it differently.

'We always mess around with riffs and stuff and kind of jam out during soundchecks, but we never actually started playing covers live until we started goofing off a little bit more on stage,' said bassist Johnny Christ during an interview from Wyoming.

Playing the song live during the 2006 Ozzfest tour was a form of foreshadowing. That summer, the U.K. metal magazine Kerrang asked Avenged Sevenfold to cut a cover song for its compilation CD.

'Kerrang asked us to do a heavy metal tribute to one of our favorite heavy metal bands,' Christ said.

'We had already been jamming out on 'Walk,' so we're like, 'OK. We'll record it for you guys.''

For those in the United States who didn't know of the cover, the band put 'Walk' on its 2008 B-sides, rarities and live CD/DVD 'Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough.'

'A lot of kids in the States didn't have a chance to grab it unless they found it on iTunes,' Christ said. 'We wanted to get it out there as something extra.'

The live DVD features the band's April 10, 2008, hometown show at Long Beach Arena and the set list contains hits such as 'Seize the Day,' 'Scream' and 'Bat Country.' Meanwhile, besides 'Walk,' the CD contains unreleased B-sides that were recorded during the making of 2007's 'Avenged Sevenfold,' as well as covers. Included on the CD is Iron Maiden's 'Flash of the Blade,' a song that also appears on Kerrang's 2008 'Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden.'

'We were about ready to go out on the road with Maiden, and Kerrang asked us to do an Iron Maiden tribute song. While we were home we recorded that. And that was it,' he said.

As for original material, Avenged Sevenfold -- which also includes vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, drummer/pianist The Rev. and guitarist Synyster Gates -- expects to start writing new material in early summer '09, with an album release in 2010.

'Everyone has different riffs and ideas in their heads right now,' Christ said.

'We're writing individually, but we haven't come together and started writing for the next album just yet. We probably got another nine months of touring, hopefully.
Fuente: www.mlive.com