Avenged Sevenfold Kick Off North American Tour in Buffalo, NY

Buffalo, NY was the opening night for the 3rd leg of the Life is but a Dream North American tour featuring Avenged Sevenfold, Poppy and Sullivan King. The KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo was the first real life show after releasing their first VR concert a few weeks earlier. Nearly 10 years since having last played the area, fans of all ages filed into the arena excited to to see their favorite band. They lined up at the merch booths to make sure they took home a memory of the event with them.

Taking the stage just after 9pm, the band began the evening with Game Over from their 2023 release Life is But a Dream. Singer M. Shadows performed the song while wearing the band’s black ski mask with We Love You and Nobody stitch in white. They played 5 songs total off the latest album, some of which had never ben performed live before. Cosmic, a fan favorite, was a live debut along, for example. Shadows and fellow bandmates guitarists Synyster Gates and Zachy Vengance, bassist Johnny Christ and drummer Brooks Wakerman dove deep into the 22 year catalog. The band dusted off the songs Blinded in Chains, which had not been played live since 2006, Save Me, last performed in 2011. The crowd clearly and audibly agreed with the setlist changes and decisions.

Avenged Sevenfold, in my opinion, is the very much the millennial Metallica. They are the soundtrack to the youth for that generation, much the same that Metallica was for Gen X. The biggest clue to any truth in this would be the crowd reaction to the songs Hail To The King and Shepherd of Fire. Both songs off the band’s commercially successful and critically acclaimed 2013 release Hail to the King.

Being the first night of the tour and first show in a few months the band sounded flawless and full of energy. I was pleasantly surprised that all seemed to go smoothly, unlike most opening nights. They utilized large video screens to fill with graphics that did not distract from the performance but rather enhanced. At times various members could be seen on the backdrop overlaid on the animation.

If any complaints were to be made it would have to be with the choice in supporting acts. The crowd seemed to be disinterested and almost bored at times with the performances. Personally I felt it was the only downfall to what could have been an amazing line up.

• Game Over
  • Mattel
  • Afterlife
  • Hail to the King
  • We Love You
  • Shepherd of Fire
  • The Stage
  • Roman Sky
  • Blinded in Chains
  • Bat Country
  • Nobody
  • Nightmare
  • Unholy Confessions
  • Save Me
  • Cosmic