Hail to the King

Released in 2013, Hail to the King represents a pivotal moment for Avenged Sevenfold. It is their first album to feature drummer Arin Ilejay and the first written entirely without the input of the late Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan. Produced by Mike Elizondo, the album was a conscious effort to move away from the progressive and metalcore-adjacent complexity of 'City of Evil' and 'Nightmare' toward a more traditional, groove-oriented heavy metal sound. Critics often noted the overt influences of Metallica's 'Black Album' and Guns N' Roses' 'Use Your Illusion,' particularly in the simplified drum patterns and mid-tempo arrangements. While some fans missed the band's earlier frantic energy, the album was a massive commercial success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and cementing their status as festival headliners. The record concludes with 'St. James,' a hidden tribute to Sullivan that serves as a poignant bookend to this era of the band's history.