As a genre, metalcore dominated much of the 00s.
Everyone is welcome to their opinion on the best album from that era, but if there’s a diplomatic bracket marked ‘essentials’ then Waking The Fallen simply has to be in there. Old-school metal values upheld with a new-school attitude, welcome forays into skate punk and hardcore and all set to a goth-tinged backdrop, 11 years on from its release, Waking The Fallen deservedly has the reputation for being one of the greatest metal releases of the 21st century. If, like many, you already own the original, the 30-minute documentary included in this package on the making of the record and its impact on the band’s career is a superb addition – even if it does highlight the cringeworthy clobber we were all rocking a decade ago. Hell, even the inclusion of demo tracks and live versions of tracks from Waking… they rarely play these days (Eternal Rest!) is enough to make one swoon with nostalgia. This is a comprehensive, enjoyable package for anyone who holds this part of Avenged Sevenfold’s career dear to their hearts.
Via Hopeless
