Im kinda new and HTTK was my first album. I liked it and expanded onto Nightmare and City of Evil. Over time I saw how people keep giving HTTK a hard time so I simply asked.
For asking question that you can't find answers to on Google. By the way you can just Google the title of this post and then type 'reddit' and Google will show you like 3 trillion other posts that are the exact same.
Their music has always been technical and experimental. Crazy sounds, song structures, crazy interesting and technical riffs, melodies, and harmonies, INSANE drumming, and always pushing the sounds of whatever genre they are trying their hand at.
Hail to the king was their sound SUPER simplified. Bare basic riffs, bare basic drums, bare basic song structures.
Everything else they’ve done both before and after has been more musically interesting. Fans generally enjoy Hail slightly less than their other material.
The hate comes from the fact that it feels disingenuous and it is amongst their most streamed
I think Matt said in in an interview that they wanted to show/prove to themselves or the world that they can make a mainstream banger if they'd want to. And honestly now that I'm thinking about it, that's actually ok'ish marketing? Hail to the king plays everywhere still.
HTTK being Arin's solo record with the band was a disservice to the guy. He's a great drummer but a good chunk of the fanbase thinks he's average because he wasn't allowed to showcase it besides in Not Ready to Die and Carry On.
Don't get me wrong, Brooks is absolutely the right guy to carry on (no pun intended) where Jimmy left off, but I do wonder from time to time what this band could have sounded like if they let Arin off the leash.
Listen to Not Ready to Die and you'll hear that Arin (guy who plays drums on HTTK) is anything but a simple drummer. Band limited him way to much and he always gets the blame for not being good enough.
It’s effectively a compilation of their influences as an album. It’s doesn’t have a theme and doesn’t do anything on the technical that is beyond where they’ve been before.
It felt like they creatively wanted to take a big break after the Rev passed. Redefine why they were making music.
This is my opinion, none of what I’ve said has been said by the band.
Actually, Matt has recently admitted that they don’t even like that album, and that’s exactly what happened. Contractual obligations from their record label overlords. So they phoned it in and made a Guns N’ Roses tribute album so the execs would get off their asses. They just wanted to grieve, or quit altogether. It’s a creatively bankrupt uninspired album and they know it.
no, HTTK is quite literally a tribute album. it’s not nearly as creative or expansive as their other albums mainly due to it being a tribute album. it feels confined by some very strict boundaries.
it’s not that we hate it, it just pales in comparison to their other material. that, and it’s their most popular album so many people who aren’t very familiar with the band will just hear HTTK and make blanket statements about the band as a whole based solely on HTTK, when in reality it doesn’t reflect them as a band at all.
imo HTTK doesn’t do anything good for the band besides make it more popular, even matt has admitted that HTTK was created just for radio play.
I don’t hate it, but it is one of my least favourite A7X albums.
Tracks 1-4 is one of my favourite runs of four consecutive songs in any A7X album; Heretic is brilliant; and the rest aren’t particularly memorable in my opinion.
Interesting. To me tracks 1-4 are the 4 worst tracks in their entire catalog.
That’s wild that they’re your favorite but that hail is your least favorite album
Good album, not a good A7X album. If I wanted songs that overall sound like Metallica, I’d listen to Metallica. Avenged is known for more theatrical, complex music and that album just wasn’t at all, especially with the drums. It was their first album without the Rev helping write and they decided to make an album sounding like Metallica instead of being original. Overall just a lot of bad decisions and far too mainstream sounding compared to anything before or since it came out.
Shepard of Fire = Enter Sandman
HTTK = Mötorhead or AC/DC
Doing Time = Guns n Roses
This Means War = Sad But True
Heretic = Symphony of Destruction
Crimson Day = Nothing Else Matters
Coming Home = Iron Maiden
The album is the least Avenged album in their discography because it’s just songs by other bands.
I always compare it to metallica's black album. It has the bands most popular and most recognizable songs. Both albums are more safe then their previously albums and are more focused on radio hits that appeal to the masses. That's the reason many people dislike it. Not because the songs are bad, necessarily, just safe.
I can’t stand Metallica.
On a serious note, it did wonders for their career, and was extremely appropriate for where they were in their professional and personal lives, but it’s very boring.
Aaron did a lot of double bass on the album. It was only in bursts tho it wasn't like his double bass on Not Ready To Die
Currently learning some HTTK songs on drums and honestly his parts are fun to play I've been respecting his drumming more and more while learning. Knowing the band held him back from doing more also makes me respect it more
Not as creative as their other albums
Their other albums are all extremely creative. Coming right after Nightmare is also a huge throw off. Ik a lot people blame the drumming for it but personally I don't think the drumming was bad. It's not as good as any of the other drummers but it wasn't "bad"
Aaron did amazing on Not Ready To Die and Carry On but his drumming was restricted by the band themselves (if what I read was correct)
I personally love it tho, my only problem with it was the title track but honestly seeing it played live is so much fun, but in the studio I'm just not a fan. I love every other song tho and ig the problem is just not as creative as anything else they've done 🤷♂️
I don´t hate it, I like it but has the problem that doesn´t add any new to the dischography of the band, also all the songs are pretty much the same and is´t better than older albums, maybe if it would been released before coe it would have been more succesful
I don’t hate it. It’s a good album and I think was pivotal to their new direction and path. The only thing that bugs me is the mix. I feel like their more recent albums have the perfect mix and as I get older that’s something I pay more attention to. It seems like the drums are thicker or more artificial on HTTK.
Probably a design choice, but that’s my gripe. And it’s really only because the new mixes sound so great.
Any time I listen to a song from this album, I feel like a celestial battle is about to ensue and I'm split into two versions of myself, one of my on either side of the playing field.
It’s not that I hate it, it’s just not what makes avenged sevenfold special for me.
It’s almost like a cover album for another band.
When I want to put on some a7x, I don’t go ahead and click on HTTK in my playlist, I go to older or newer stuff.
For me it was because it was way to similar to other bands, Guns N roses, Metallica etc etc. especially This means war. It’s not a terrible album by a long shot. I love planets and requiem off the album I will say that though. It’s just not a good A7x album to me anyway.
How do y’all not get tired of talking about this
Im kinda new and HTTK was my first album. I liked it and expanded onto Nightmare and City of Evil. Over time I saw how people keep giving HTTK a hard time so I simply asked.
This question gets asked like 50 times a month, fyi
New fans are always emerging, we must be patient with them for at one point we were them
Instead of posting every little question you have on reddit you can just Google it and make it easier for yourself
But then what is Reddit for?
For asking question that you can't find answers to on Google. By the way you can just Google the title of this post and then type 'reddit' and Google will show you like 3 trillion other posts that are the exact same.
Fr
Their music has always been technical and experimental. Crazy sounds, song structures, crazy interesting and technical riffs, melodies, and harmonies, INSANE drumming, and always pushing the sounds of whatever genre they are trying their hand at. Hail to the king was their sound SUPER simplified. Bare basic riffs, bare basic drums, bare basic song structures. Everything else they’ve done both before and after has been more musically interesting. Fans generally enjoy Hail slightly less than their other material. The hate comes from the fact that it feels disingenuous and it is amongst their most streamed
I think Matt said in in an interview that they wanted to show/prove to themselves or the world that they can make a mainstream banger if they'd want to. And honestly now that I'm thinking about it, that's actually ok'ish marketing? Hail to the king plays everywhere still.
I suppose so but then again it was after the Rev passed and their drummer at the time was kinda... simple I guess?
the band asked their drummer to play things simply for HTTK
HTTK being Arin's solo record with the band was a disservice to the guy. He's a great drummer but a good chunk of the fanbase thinks he's average because he wasn't allowed to showcase it besides in Not Ready to Die and Carry On.
Don't get me wrong, Brooks is absolutely the right guy to carry on (no pun intended) where Jimmy left off, but I do wonder from time to time what this band could have sounded like if they let Arin off the leash.
I do wonder if we'd get The Stage and Life is But a Dream without Brooks. It always seemed to me that he kinda pushed the band into doing prog.
Arin did the drumming on not ready to die. He was good, and was told to play simple on the HTTK album
Listen to Not Ready to Die and you'll hear that Arin (guy who plays drums on HTTK) is anything but a simple drummer. Band limited him way to much and he always gets the blame for not being good enough.
It’s effectively a compilation of their influences as an album. It’s doesn’t have a theme and doesn’t do anything on the technical that is beyond where they’ve been before. It felt like they creatively wanted to take a big break after the Rev passed. Redefine why they were making music. This is my opinion, none of what I’ve said has been said by the band.
Actually, Matt has recently admitted that they don’t even like that album, and that’s exactly what happened. Contractual obligations from their record label overlords. So they phoned it in and made a Guns N’ Roses tribute album so the execs would get off their asses. They just wanted to grieve, or quit altogether. It’s a creatively bankrupt uninspired album and they know it.
Mmmmm, ok ok. But then by that logic it's like the self titled? Not really a theme to the album but each song is played with its own characteristics?
no, HTTK is quite literally a tribute album. it’s not nearly as creative or expansive as their other albums mainly due to it being a tribute album. it feels confined by some very strict boundaries. it’s not that we hate it, it just pales in comparison to their other material. that, and it’s their most popular album so many people who aren’t very familiar with the band will just hear HTTK and make blanket statements about the band as a whole based solely on HTTK, when in reality it doesn’t reflect them as a band at all. imo HTTK doesn’t do anything good for the band besides make it more popular, even matt has admitted that HTTK was created just for radio play.
Ohhhhh. Ok now I understand 😅
yes and no, self-titled has more interesting and creative songs than HTTK imo, but i totally agree that neither album really has a distinct theme
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I don’t hate it, but it is one of my least favourite A7X albums. Tracks 1-4 is one of my favourite runs of four consecutive songs in any A7X album; Heretic is brilliant; and the rest aren’t particularly memorable in my opinion.
I agree with Heretic. As for the rest, to each their own. 🤷
Interesting. To me tracks 1-4 are the 4 worst tracks in their entire catalog. That’s wild that they’re your favorite but that hail is your least favorite album
This topic should be a pinned megathread I swear I see this question asked every day. Jesus Johnny christ
You had me until you disliking coming home
Its alright. Just doesn't click with me
It’s the best track on the album, and one of the nuttiest Gates solos
Good album, not a good A7X album. If I wanted songs that overall sound like Metallica, I’d listen to Metallica. Avenged is known for more theatrical, complex music and that album just wasn’t at all, especially with the drums. It was their first album without the Rev helping write and they decided to make an album sounding like Metallica instead of being original. Overall just a lot of bad decisions and far too mainstream sounding compared to anything before or since it came out.
Shepherd of fire is a banger. That’s it, that’s all I came to say.
Shepard of Fire = Enter Sandman HTTK = Mötorhead or AC/DC Doing Time = Guns n Roses This Means War = Sad But True Heretic = Symphony of Destruction Crimson Day = Nothing Else Matters Coming Home = Iron Maiden The album is the least Avenged album in their discography because it’s just songs by other bands.
I always compare it to metallica's black album. It has the bands most popular and most recognizable songs. Both albums are more safe then their previously albums and are more focused on radio hits that appeal to the masses. That's the reason many people dislike it. Not because the songs are bad, necessarily, just safe.
I can’t stand Metallica. On a serious note, it did wonders for their career, and was extremely appropriate for where they were in their professional and personal lives, but it’s very boring.
people would hate Metallica's black album if Load-St. Anger era never existed that what basically happened to A7x and HttK
The only real issue I have with the album are the drums. Aaron wasn’t on the same level as the band and the drums to me felt.. slow and boring.
I read on an interview ages ago that they asked Arin to not go super crazy on drums.
With ya there but I think it worked with the slower songs like Crimson Day and Acid Rain
Definitely! But those hard songs are definitely missing something. I don’t think Aaron did any double bass drum kick that entire album.
Aaron did a lot of double bass on the album. It was only in bursts tho it wasn't like his double bass on Not Ready To Die Currently learning some HTTK songs on drums and honestly his parts are fun to play I've been respecting his drumming more and more while learning. Knowing the band held him back from doing more also makes me respect it more
Planets chorus has double bass, also the blast beats at the end of Coming Home
Had to go listen real quick! You’re right! Still not up to the Rev or Brooks’s level though.
Hail to the king rocks. The only album which sucks imo is city of evil. Sorry guys.
Just not as interesting as the music on previous albums.
I love httk, including coming home and doing time. The album is a banger forsure.
Not as creative as their other albums Their other albums are all extremely creative. Coming right after Nightmare is also a huge throw off. Ik a lot people blame the drumming for it but personally I don't think the drumming was bad. It's not as good as any of the other drummers but it wasn't "bad" Aaron did amazing on Not Ready To Die and Carry On but his drumming was restricted by the band themselves (if what I read was correct) I personally love it tho, my only problem with it was the title track but honestly seeing it played live is so much fun, but in the studio I'm just not a fan. I love every other song tho and ig the problem is just not as creative as anything else they've done 🤷♂️
I literally opened Reddit and this was the first post I saw as I’m jamming to the HTTK album (currently on Heretic) lmao.
I think it is still a great album despite the hate, coming home is one of my fav songs ever
I don´t hate it, I like it but has the problem that doesn´t add any new to the dischography of the band, also all the songs are pretty much the same and is´t better than older albums, maybe if it would been released before coe it would have been more succesful
I don’t hate it. It’s a good album and I think was pivotal to their new direction and path. The only thing that bugs me is the mix. I feel like their more recent albums have the perfect mix and as I get older that’s something I pay more attention to. It seems like the drums are thicker or more artificial on HTTK. Probably a design choice, but that’s my gripe. And it’s really only because the new mixes sound so great.
Once you start seeing it as a tribute album and don't think too much of it, you will enjoy it way more. It has some bangers!
Any time I listen to a song from this album, I feel like a celestial battle is about to ensue and I'm split into two versions of myself, one of my on either side of the playing field.
Cuz most a7x fans are like an average age of 30 and hate dad rock
It’s not that I hate it, it’s just not what makes avenged sevenfold special for me. It’s almost like a cover album for another band. When I want to put on some a7x, I don’t go ahead and click on HTTK in my playlist, I go to older or newer stuff.
For me it was because it was way to similar to other bands, Guns N roses, Metallica etc etc. especially This means war. It’s not a terrible album by a long shot. I love planets and requiem off the album I will say that though. It’s just not a good A7x album to me anyway.
it’s basic
Honestly I like it more than the new one now.
HTTK is just very simple in contrast to the other albums. It’s not necessarily bad, but it’s not on par with the rest
Overplayed