Last Monday, the 3rd, Avenged Sevenfold bassist Johnny Christ gave an interview to Andy Hall of radio station Lazer 103.3 in Des Moines, Iowa. During the conversation, the artist shared some insights about the creation of the band's latest studio album, Life Is But A Dream…
Written and recorded over a four-year period, the album was produced by Joe Barresi and Avenged Sevenfold in Los Angeles and mixed by Andy Wallace in Poconos, Pennsylvania. For Johnny, the creative process for this album was somewhat different compared to the group's previous releases.
“We wrapped up our tours in 2018 and had to cancel a series of shows we had planned with Prophets of Rage . Also, unfortunately, Matt [ Sanders , also known as M. Shadows , vocalist of A7X] had vocal cord problems due to the grueling cycle we faced with the album The Stage . We were exhausted. So, we took a few months to rest – a time for recovery – and soon started composing in early 2019. Since then, we've been working and recording these songs, which were only released last year. It was four years of work before anyone could hear what we were doing,” he says.
The songwriting process of Avenged Sevenfold
Next, the bassist explained that the band approached this project in a very different way than usual, because they wanted to explore new paths and challenge themselves creatively. However, new challenges arose throughout the process.
“We eliminated the superfluous and maintained the excitement. Yes, when the time came to record, we were ready in the studio, but then the whole world stopped, as everyone knows. This brought us more challenges to complete the album within the expected timeframe. With each delay, however, we looked at the positive side, as it gave us more time to work on the songs and their sounds. When we finally released it, we left it to the listeners to decide whether we did a good job or not,” Johnny emphasized.
Avenged Sevenfold in their forties
The bassist for Avenged Sevenfold also explained that the quest to create an album that makes sense as a whole is something the band has always sought to achieve in their discography. He added that each album reflects the perspective of the moment when it was composed, serving almost as a timeless record of what they felt and believed during that period.
“We’ve all recently become parents, we have families, and we’ve reached our 40s. We’re not the same as when we started at 18. Two decades later, our perspective is different. And it’s interesting to explore that and use these new experiences as inspiration. In doing so, we find something that is true to life and that can connect with the people who listen to the album. We hope to reach those who are in the same phase of life as us, with similar goals of personal growth and fulfillment. I believe that’s why we receive positive feedback from people who identify with these experiences,” concluded the bassist.
Life Is But A Dream… sold 36,000 equivalent album units in the US in its first week of release, reaching number 13 on the Billboard 200 .
Check out the full interview here .
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