Avenged Sevenfold has resurrected back into the hard rock picture with their newest single “Nobody.” This song is a teaser for their eighth recorded album “Life is But a Dream” coming out June 2nd, 2023. Despite a five-year hiatus, the band is back to making heavy metal music, but with a bit of a changeup.  

The quality of instrumental work in “Nobody” is amazing and on par with the quality heard in their songs. I would rate the guitar solo toward the end of the song in the top ten solos I ever listened to from the band. Lead guitarist, Synyster Gates has struck awe into my eardrums once again after hearing the different arpeggios he hits during the song. The song also provides the sound of trumpets and a violin which add to the depth of the song. The song starts off strong and continues to build suspense until it hits the climax. After the trumpets die down, the soft, but quick strikes of the violin help carry the song to the beautiful guitar solo that ends the piece. While this isn’t the traditional sound of Avenged Sevenfold, this new style was successful in providing an enthralling melody. It almost reminds me of the song “The Stage” which they released in 2016. I say that because at the time, the sound was experimental to see if they could introduce a different sound and style. 

The lyrics of the song at first glance might make you think this dude is insane, but there is a method to his madness. Before we jump into that though, we must discuss the vocals of M. Shadows. This man never fails to amaze me with how powerful his vocals are. His voice has changed a little since the band’s debut, but it has aged like a fine wine. The song begins as a journey through space and outside of a dream. As it goes on, the lyrics apply that the person in this is questioning his existence. The following is an excerpt of song lyrics that perfectly classify the motive of the song: 

I’m a God, I’m awake, I’m the one in everything. 

I’m alive, I’m the dead, I’m a man without a head.

The lyrics beg the question of whether humans are everything or nothing in this world. The theme that is portrayed is existentialism of human existence. I think of the lyrics as an onion because there are many layers that can be interpreted in different ways. As the song goes on, the last of the lyrics say that when we die, everything that is known of us disappears. This leads to the song believing that we are all nothing in the end. While the song lyrics could be seen as dreary, they are thought-provoking and give the listener a new perspective on the value of human life. 

 Overall, this was an experimental song, but it gives them the potential to avenge the rock music scene. “Nobody” isn’t my favorite song by Avenged Sevenfold, it certainly has the sound that all fans have been missing for the last seven years. If the rest of their new album is as good as this song is, we will have the new potential king of rock music for the 2020 decade.  

Gary Jackson is a second-year Communication major at the University of Science and Art of Oklahoma.