Black Reign

Black Reign is a 2018 EP by Avenged Sevenfold that serves as a compilation of their original contributions to the Call of Duty: Black Ops video game series. Spanning nearly a decade of the band's evolution, the EP includes 'Not Ready to Die' (2011), 'Carry On' (2012), 'Jade Helm' (2015), and the then-new 'Mad Hatter' (2018). The latter track marked a slight sonic shift for the band, leaning into a darker, more groove-oriented 'stoner metal' sound inspired by the story of the Mercury poisoning of hat makers. 'Not Ready to Die' is particularly notable for its inclusion of the 'Damned' theme from the game's Zombies mode, weaving game-specific motifs into a progressive metal framework. Critically, the EP was viewed as a high-quality curated collection that showcased the band's ability to write thematic, cinematic metal without sacrificing their core technical identity. It stands as a testament to the band's long-standing partnership with Treyarch and their influence on the aesthetic of modern military-themed media.