Let’s face it: There’s nothing complex in Avenged Sevenfold. It’s just commercial radio-aimed rock’n’roll. Subtle bits of Metallica, fat chunks of Guns N’ Roses’ guitar work, slices of Maiden’s galloping rhythm and touches of Bad Religion maybe, and here you are - Avenged Sevenfold. Not that simple, of course… With the contemporary scene completely missing the vibe of the time when today’s rock giants were boisterous youngsters, Avenged Sevenfold are to fill some huge sized gaps in people’s tastes. That’s obvious. From eye-lined metalcore they evolved to arena rock stars. And here’s an interesting fact. Arenas they might not be playing soon, at least not in Europe, but arena stars they already are. They behave like that, talk like that and most impressively, write songs like that. And that’s fucking amazing, you know. So, this fresh self-titled Avenged Sevenfold album is not only a step further, it’s a jaw-dropping experience in both music and production terms. Epics like “Critical Acclaim” and “Almost Easy” are just the beginning of surprisingly great album, at least for people who look like a crossover between rednecks and Motley Crue followers. “Afterlife” is the track that can kill prejudices from point blank. Overall, this record can make you either happy or desperate to death, but for me it’s not only one of the greatest CDs this year, this is the catchiest material I’ve heard for years.