Avenged Sevenfold

Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed Images Used In Kentucky Political Ad

28 Oct 2010 18:54:57 EDT

Flier attempts to portray bands, also including Stone Sour, as criminals.
By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by James Montgomery

If you've watched even five minutes of TV in the past week, you've likely seen at least one nasty political ad for a local contest. With just five days to go before Election Day, things are getting ugly in a slew of major races for the state legislatures and governor's mansions across the country.

But it's the little-watched battle for Campbell County attorney in Kentucky that has drawn the ire of not just one disgruntled politician, but a number of major rock bands who have unwittingly been pulled into an off-the-radar turf battle.

Like thousands of others vying for office this year, local lawyers Steve Franzen and Jim Daley have been trading barbs back and forth in the lead-up to November 2. But when Daley released a flier this week that took some vicious swipes at Franzen, nobody could quite figure out how the bands Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour and Disturbed got drawn into the fight.

On one side of the flier, Daley states: "It's a fact: Steve Franzen has made a living defending criminals charged with: child pornography, unlawful transactions with minors, custodial interference, assaults on police officers, drug trafficking, and the list goes on ... Now he wants you to trust him to be your County Attorney? He's gotta be kidding."

The other side features images of members of all three bands taken from their publicity stills with the warning "On November 2 tell Steve Franzen you don't trust someone who makes a living defending criminals to serve as your County Attorney."

According to local station WLWT, Franzen hit the streets Wednesday night to convince voters that the claims on the flier were untrue.

"I think the whole thing is despicable, frankly," Franzen told the station. "Supposedly they're my clients, but I haven't seen any of these people. I don't know anything about them, other than I'm told they're professional rock musicians."

He said he assumes that Daley had gotten permission to use the bands' likenesses in the ad, but a source close to Disturbed confirmed to MTV News that the band was not approached by Daley's camp or asked permission to use their photos on the flier and added that the band has sent a cease-and-desist order demanding Daley "immediately stop distributing the flier and destroy any remaining copies in his possession."

Reps for Avenged Sevenfold and Stone Sour did not respond to MTV News' request for comment on the story. MTV News could also not reach Daley or Franzen for comment.

What do you think of the bands' images being used for a political ad? Let us know in the comments!

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Eminem Back On Top Of Billboard Chart With Recovery

18 Aug 2010 12:50:24 EDT

Last week's surprise #1, Arcade Fire, drop down to #2.
By Gil Kaufman

Eminem might lend you the crown for a week, but this summer's chart king is not ready to abdicate his throne just yet. A week after falling back to #2, Slim Shady's Recovery will be back on top of the Billboard 200 albums charts next week thanks to sales of 133,000, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan.

That means that not only did Em cross the 2.1 million mark in just eight weeks, but he pushes back last week's #1, Arcade Fire's The Suburbs, to #2, as the Canadian indie rockers saw a steep (66 percent) decline on sales of 52,000. Among the newcomers in the top 10 are the Camp Rock 2 soundtrack (#3, 41,000) and the latest from Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, Order of the Black (#4, 33,000); country singer Blake Shelton with All About Tonight (#6, 33,000); and college crooner Mike Posner, whose major label debut, 31 Minutes to Takeoff, lands at #8 on sales of 29,000.

The rest of the top 10: Justin Bieber, My World 2.0 (#5, 33,000); Rick Ross, Teflon Don (#7, 30,000); Kidz Bop 18 (#9, 27,000); and Avenged Sevenfold, Nightmare (#10, 27,000).

Though he fell out of the top 10 to #11, Drake's Thank Me Later racked up another 24,000 in sales, pushing the rapper to the cusp of platinum status. Lady Gaga's The Fame continues to move units (#13, 21,000) nearly two years after its release, but her The Remix album had a swift fall from the top 10, dropping from a #6 debut to #16 in week two as sales fell 58 percent to 17,000.

Houston legend Bun B's Trill O.G. album suffered a similar fate, shedding 60 percent of sales in its second week to drop 13 spots to #17 (16,000). As the movie disappointed at the box office, the Beck-fueled soundtrack to "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World" also had a soft landing, coming in at #24 (13,000).

With a four-pack of VMA nominations and a performance slot in hand, Florence and the Machine's Lungs saw a huge bump on the charts, leaping from #105 to #61 on sales of 6,000.

Over on the iTunes charts, Em continued his stranglehold on the top, lording over the albums tally yet again, with Arcade Fire just behind (iTunes does not release sales data), followed by Posner, Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More, Camp Rock 2, Shelton, the "Pilgrim" soundtrack, the Step Up 3D soundtrack, Black Label Society, and Zac Brown Band's You Get What You Give.

On the iTunes singles chart, Em and Rihanna also kept their spot at #1 with "Love the Way You Lie," followed by the usual suspects: Taio Cruz ("Dynamite"), Katy Perry ("Teenage Dream"), Enrique Iglesias ("I Like It"), Taylor Swift ("Mine"), Usher ("DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love"), B.o.B ("Magic"), Posner ("Cooler Than Me"), Perry again ("California Gurls") and Jason DeRulo ("Ridin' Solo").

Eminem seems safe for another week, as the only major competition in the cycle is from Iron Maiden, John Mellencamp, David Gray, and Ray LaMontagne, with a possible dark horse #1 in country singer Trace Adkins.

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Avenged Sevenfold's Johnny Christ On Band's #1 Debut, Nightmare

04 Aug 2010 16:24:25 EDT

'It's a testament to the fans about how much they care about what we do,' bassist Johnny Christ says about topping the Billboard albums chart.
By Kyle Anderson

It looked as though Eminem's Recovery would be spending most of the summer at the top of the Billboard albums chart, at least until Katy Perry got around to dropping Teenage Dream later this month. But as we learned this week, you should never count out the savage power of California punk-metallers Avenged Sevenfold, who stormed the top of the charts with their fifth album, Nightmare.

It's the first trip to the top of the chart for the band, and they celebrated appropriately. "I got the call from my manager last night," bassist Johnny Christ told MTV News. "Unfortunately, Matt [Sanders, better known as M. Shadows] and Zack [a.k.a. Zacky Vengeance] were doing press in L.A., but me and Brian [a.k.a. Synyster Gates] went out to celebrate and had some dinner together. It was pretty fun. It was more about the drinks. We were just drinking, having a good time. We should have been being good boys and not drinking last night, but it's the first time we're on the top of the Billboard, and that only happens once. We had to do something."

Of course, the chart victory is bittersweet for the men of A7X, as the celebration had to happen without drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, who passed away in December 2009 of an accidental drug overdose. Christ (born Jonathan Seward) thinks of it as the latest in a long line of tributes to Sullivan. "The only thing we were worried about was getting it done and doing the best job we can for our brother," he said. "We wanted to make this record as big and strong as possible. We wanted to make this a really huge record and get it out there to as many people as possible to extend Jimmy's legacy."

In addition to the need to carry on Sullivan's legacy, the men of Avenged Sevenfold were also fueled by their ever-growing fanbase, which has made them incrementally larger with each release. "We have the greatest fans in the world, and our growth has been so organic. It's online, it's out at the shows. It's a big family, and they know we're going to do our best, and we know they're going to give it their best.

"It's a testament to the fans about how much they care about what we do," he continued. "It's not as much about the numbers as much as it is that our fans made a mark on this world for us."

Avenged Sevenfold are about to begin rehearsing for the Uproar Tour, which kicks off August 17 in Minneapolis and also features Disturbed, Stone Sour, Hellyeah and Halestorm.

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Avenged Sevenfold Bump Eminem From Billboard #1

04 Aug 2010 13:11:31 EDT

A7X's Nightmare ends Recovery's five week reign.
By Gil Kaufman

Last week, we wondered how long Eminem's Recovery could hold on to the pole position on the Billboard 200, predicting that it might run the board until Katy Perry's Teenage Dream drops on August 24. Someone forgot to tell Avenged Sevenfold.

The SoCal hard rockers have managed to end Slim Shady's five-week run at #1 with the best debut of their career. Their fifth album, Nightmare, debuts at the top on next week's chart on sales of 163,000, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan. That was just enough to edge out Em, who drops to #2 (159,000 units shifted),as Recovery edged toward the 2 million mark and he celebrated his nine VMA nominations.

There are no other debuts this week, and the rest of the top 10 just features a shuffling of the cards. Last week's #2, Rick Ross' Teflon Don, only falls one slot to #3, but with a 64 percent sales drop-off, the Bawse sold considerably less product (63,000) in his second week on the charts. Justin Bieber's My World 2.0 moves up a few to #4 (38,000), Drake's Thank Me Later drops one (#5, 34,000), Kidz Bop 18 is down one to #6 (29,000), Lady Antebellum's still-strong Need You Now is up two (#7, 27,000), Sheryl Crow's 100 Miles From Memphis drops 5 to #8 (24,000), VMA queen Lady Gaga's The Fame is up to #9 (24,000) and NOW 34 is down two spots to #10 (22,000).

Veteran rapper Tech N9ne's collabos album The Gates Mixed Plate — featuring Big Scoob, Glasses Malone, Devin the Dude and Brotha Lynch Hung — debuts at #13 (17,000). Fat Joe's The Darkside Vol. 1 has a soft landing at #27 (12,000). Further down the line, R&B vocal group Dru Hill celebrate Indrupendence Day with a #30 bow on sales of 11,000, and new indie buzz act Best Coast sail into the #36 spot with Crazy for You (10,000).

The iTunes charts tell a similar story, as Eminem holds on to the #1 slot on the singles tally with the smash Rihanna collabo, "Love the Way You Lie," while A7X takes over the top spot on the album list. Nightmare is followed by Em's Recovery, Ross' Teflon Don, Drake's Thank Me Later, Gaga's Fame, an iTunes session from former 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant at #6, the Black Keys' Brothers, Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More, the Hans Zimmer score to "Inception" and B.o.B's B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray.

While iTunes does not provide detailed sales data, it's clear Em's hold on the top of the singles heap is safe, as the rest of the top 10 is essentially the same as it was last week with just one new title, Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" at #6. Otherwise, it is: Taio Cruz's "Dynamite" (#2), Enrique Iglesias' "I Like It" (#3), Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" (#4), Perry's "California Gurls" (#5), B.o.B's "Airplanes" (#7), Mike Posner's "Cooler Than Me" (#8), Jason Derulo's "Ridin' Solo" (#9) and Eminem's "Not Afraid."

It's not likely that Eminem will retake the top spot next week, as the Arcade Fire's buzzed-about The Suburbs is due to debut, along with new albums from Bun B, Buckcherry and a Lady Gaga remix album.

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Avenged Sevenfold Drummer Jimmy Sullivan Died Of Accidental Overdose

10 Jun 2010 08:35:50 EDT

The Rev died from combined effects of painkillers, anti-anxiety medication and alcohol.
By Gil Kaufman

Six months after the shocking death of Avenged Sevenfold drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, a coroner's report has revealed that the 28-year-old died as a result of an accidental overdose of strong prescription painkillers and alcohol.

According to Rolling Stone, Orange County Deputy Coroner Mitchell Sigal determined from toxicology tests that Sullivan's December 28 death was a result of "acute polydrug intoxication due to combined effects of oxycodone, oxymorphone, diazepam/nordiazepam and ethanol."

Those drugs include a pair of painkillers that work, respectively, like codeine and morphine, an anti-anxiety medication and the active intoxicant in alcohol. Sigal also noted that Sullivan also had an enlarged heart, which was noted in the coroner's report as a "significant condition" that may have contributed to his death.

"To all of us who loved Jimmy, the only thing relevant about December 28 is that is the night we lost, too soon, a son, brother, friend and one of the most talented artists in the world," Avenged Sevenfold manager Larry Jacobson told the magazine. "Every day, his parents and sisters, and his brothers in Avenged Sevenfold smile at the many memories they have of Jimmy, and his fans around the world revel in the musical legacy he left them."

Sullivan died in his Huntington Beach, California, home and was buried in a private ceremony on January 6. He played on four of the metalcore band's albums and was co-writing tunes on the upcoming disc, Nightmare (due out July 27), at the time of his death. The group hired one of Sullivan's favorite drummers, Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy, to finish up Nightmare and to join them for their upcoming dates on the Rockstar Energy Uproar tour.

Share your memories of the Rev in the comments below.

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Avenged Sevenfold Manager Recalls James 'The Rev' Sullivan's Final Days

30 Dec 2009 10:54:00 EST

'He was somebody who just had a warmth,' Larry Jacobson says of the late drummer.
By Gil Kaufman

According to his manager, in the week before his sudden death, Avenged Sevenfold drummer James "The Rev" Sullivan appeared to be in good health and spirits. The 28-year-old rocker, who was found unresponsive in his Huntington Beach, California, home on Monday, attended a friend's wedding reception a few days before his death and seemed to be healthy and happy, said the band's manager, Larry Jacobson.

At the wedding, Jacobson told the Orange County Register, Sullivan talked about the Lasik eye surgery he'd recently undergone and the new car he just bought. "He was somebody who just had a warmth and an easy smile and a laugh, and he was as smart as they come," said Jacobson, who added that Sullivan referred to him as a second father. "You could sit and talk to him about anything."

Friends and family gathered Monday night to share their memories of the tattooed hard rocker with a gentle soul. Sullivan said the mood at the event ranged from "deep and somber to smiles and laughs as they began to reminisce about the experiences everybody had with him. ... He was a loving son and a loving brother — like no one you'd ever seen, and talented beyond people's perception."

Known for his walloping, machine-gun drums on songs like "Burn It Down" and his taste for tongue-in-cheek gothic songwriting on songs like the mass-murder epic "A Little Piece of Heaven," Sullivan was a kind soul not afraid to express his emotions, according to Jacobson.

"He was expressive. He'd tell you how he felt about you — you didn't wonder, because he'd put his arm around you," he said. "He knew how to tell his friends he loved them."

An autopsy performed Tuesday was inconclusive, prompting the Orange County Coroner's Office to order further tests to determine the cause of death.

Prior to forming in Huntington Beach a decade ago, Avenged Sevenfold's members were close friends growing up, and Jacobson said that close bond has made Sullivan's death even harder to take. "Never in my life have I seen a relationship like that," he said. "And I think the relationship the four have right now will help them get through this traumatic time."

The group has been working on its fifth album, and it was unknown at press time how it would proceed with the sessions in light of Sullivan's passing.

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Avenged Sevenfold Drummer James 'The Rev' Sullivan Autopsy 'Inconclusive'

30 Dec 2009 09:47:00 EST

Authorities have ordered additional tests, which are expected to take several weeks.
By Gil Kaufman

Authorities have ordered additional tests after an initial autopsy on Avenged Sevenfold drummer James "The Rev" Sullivan was inconclusive. According to The Associated Press, the autopsy seeking a cause of death for the 28-year-old rock drummer, who was found unresponsive in his Huntington Beach, California, home Monday, did not turn up definitive evidence of what caused his sudden demise.

Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino told the AP on Tuesday that the county coroner's office has ordered toxicology, microscopic and laboratory tests to help determine what caused Sullivan's death. The tests are expected to take several weeks.

Police said Monday that Sullivan appeared to have died of natural causes.

"It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we tell you of the passing today of Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan," the band announced on its Web site. "Jimmy was not only one of the world's best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jimmy's family and we hope that you will respect their privacy during this difficult time. Jimmy you are forever in our hearts. We love you."

Sullivan was one of the co-founders of the group, which came together in Huntington Beach, California, in 1999 and won the Best New Artist award at MTV's VMAs in 2006, thanks to their hard-driving metal sound, which mixes in elements of emo and punk.

Sullivan, known for his propulsive drumming, backing vocals and creative songwriting, was honored by a number of his metal kin, who praised his abilities and nature.

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Avenged Sevenfold Drummer James 'The Rev' Sullivan Dies

29 Dec 2009 10:05:00 EST

Sullivan, 28, appears to have died of natural causes.
By Gil Kaufman

James "The Rev" Sullivan, drummer for hard rockers Avenged Sevenfold, died at his Southern California home on Monday at the age of 28. According to Reuters, police said Sullivan appeared to have died of natural causes, but the Orange County Police Department is investigating the incident. He was reportedly found unresponsive at his Huntington Beach home on Monday morning, and at press time, an autopsy was pending.

Sullivan was one of the co-founders of the group, which formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1999, as well as the lead vocalist for an avant-metal side project called Pinkly Smooth. A7X (as the band is commonly referred to by fans) won the Best New Artist award at MTV's VMAs in 2006 thanks to their hard-driving metal sound, which mixes in elements of emo and punk. The group was working on its fifth album at the time of Sullivan's death.

It was unknown at press time how Avenged Sevenfold would proceed with the sessions for their third major-label album in light of Sullivan's death. The drummer and backing vocalist is survived by his wife, Leana MacFadden.

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Eagles Land Billboard #1 Over Britney Spears; Avenged Sevenfold, Backstreet Boys Also Crack Top 10

07 Nov 2007 13:21:00 EST

SoundScan rule change allows Eagles' first studio LP in 28 years, sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, to be included on albums chart.
By Chris Harris

Ouch. She couldn't do it again.

Despite early projections — which, based on first-day sales figures, had beleaguered pop star Britney Spears' first studio LP in four years opening at #1 on next week's Billboard albums chart — it simply wasn't meant to be. That's thanks to an 11th-hour reversal of Billboard's policy to not include albums sold exclusively through one retailer in the top 200 (see "Britney Spears' Blackout Denied #1 Debut On Billboard Chart After Last-Minute Rule Change").

Instead, the Eagles' first studio LP in 28 years, Long Road Out of Eden, will take the chart's peak position, with sales of nearly 711,000 copies, despite only being sold in Wal-Mart. That more than doubles the 290,000 scans generated by Spears' Blackout, which fell more than 40,000 short of experts' earliest sales estimates. Eden is the Eagles' first release — apart from a few compilations — to debut at #1 since the mostly live Hell Freezes Over, which also entered on top back in 1994, with 266,700 copies sold. Eden is the band's sixth release to bow at #1, and one of 2007's best debuts, joining Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride, which racked up 527,000 in its first week; Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight (with 623,000 scans); 50 Cent's Curtis (691,000); and Kanye West's Graduation (957,000).

So rather than score the fifth #1 debut of her career, Spears finds herself in a position she's never been in before: second place. Before Blackout's release, all four of Brit's previous outings debuted at #1: 1999's ... Baby One More Time (with 120,600 sold), 2000's Oops! ... I Did It Again (with 1.3 million), 2001's Britney (with 745,700) and 2003's In the Zone (609,400).

But Brit and the Eagles weren't the only newcomers to next week's chart. In fact, four other new albums will enter the top 10, and in all, 22 LPs will enter this latest chart, during what was a rather strong week for record sales, according to the latest SoundScan totals.

Following Britney at #4, with 93,800 copies snatched up during week one, is the latest eponymous offering from California rockers Avenged Sevenfold. The band's previous outing, 2005's City of Evil, opened at #30 with 33,000 sold. Coming in at #5 with 83,600 scans is Josh Turner's Everything Is Fine, and bowing at #7, thanks to sales of 81,100, is the sixth studio LP from the Backstreet Boys, Unbreakable. The band's previous offerings fared better, for the most part. While 1997's Backstreet Boys debuted at #29 with 40,000 scanned, 1999's Millennium took the #1 spot with 1.2 million sold, and 2000's Black and Blue also opened at #1, selling 1.6 million. The band's 2005 LP, Never Gone, entered at #3 with 291,000 sold.

Underwood's Carnival Ride is wedged between Brit and Avenged Sevenfold at #3, with sales of 170,100, and at #6, it's Raising Sand, a collaborative offering from Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant and bluegrass revivalist Alison Krauss, selling another 81,200 units in its second week. Josh Groban's Noël drops three spots to #8, with 76,100 sold. Meanwhile, Italian singer Andrea Bocelli takes the chart's #9 position, having scanned 67,500 copies of his retrospective The Best of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere release. Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good rounds things out at #10, with 53,200 copies flying off store shelves.

Elsewhere on the chart, V Is for Vagina, the long-awaited debut album from Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan's side project, Puscifer, debuts at #25, with sales reported at more than 26,500. Rappers Playaz Circle follow at #27, having sold 26,100 copies of their new one, Supply and Demand, while Baby Bash's Cyclone enters at #30, with 25,800 scans. R&B stalwart Will Downing's After Tonight fills the #37 slot, with 21,500 in week-one sales, and rapper Project Pat's Walkin' Bank Roll checks in at #47, with 17,200 copies grabbed up.

After months of delays, Otep's The Ascension finally makes its debut on the top 200, entering at #81 after selling more than 10,200 copies. Armor for Sleep's Smile for Them follows at #93 with 9,400 scans, while the various-artists soundtrack to the Bob Dylan biopic "I'm Not There" opens at #95, with 9,200 copies sold. Levon Helm's Dirt Farmer takes over the #102 position, with more than 8,600 copies scanned, and Thursday's Kill the House Lights enters the chart at #113, with 7,700 in sales.

Saves the Day return to the chart at #119, with their latest, Under the Boards, selling 6,700 copies, while the Insane Clown Posse's Jugganauts: The Best of ICP takes the #124 spot with 6,300 scans. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra's EP — which, like the Eagles' new release, is being sold exclusively at Wal-Mart — follows at #132 with 5,800 copies sold, while Taking Back Sunday's Notes From the Past enters at #141 with 5,600 scans. Lastly, opening at #153 with nearly 5,100 copies sold, is Graham Colton's Here Right Now.

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Britney Spears And Backstreet Boys Battle Like It's 1999; Plus Avenged Sevenfold, Playaz Circle And More, In New Releases

30 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT

Also due Tuesday: new albums by Puscifer, Pack, Project Pat, Eagles; Smashing Pumpkins, Jonas Brothers, Joy Division reissues.
By Kurt Orzeck

Halloween must have scared away Mario. The singer — who is in the limelight with his touching new MTV documentary, "I Won't Love You to Death: The Story of Mario and His Mom," — seemed to have settled on Tuesday (October 30) as the release date for his forever-delayed album, Go, which was originally due in November 2006. But after at least five previous postponements — and despite what the album's Web site says — it's been put on hold once again. It's now "due" December 11. So instead, you'll have to do your trick-or-treating to the sounds of another artist you may have heard of, one whose recent single "Gimme More" has a perfect chorus when it comes to candy ...

Britney's Back!: Spears has been the tabloids' #1 obsession in recent months, but her new album, Blackout, is probably going to have to hit that spot on the Billboard albums chart if she wants to keep her career out of the grave for good. As it turns out, she's actually been going in the opposite direction Mario has — her album was originally pegged for November 13, but her label shifted it to October 30, allegedly due to online leaks. Lucky for Brit, Blackout has been drawing red-hot reviews, with The Associated Press going so far as to call it "her best work ever." But if you don't trust the press, maybe producer Danjahandz, who worked on the album, will convince you: "If you're a fan of Britney, you're going to love it," he recently promised to MTV News.

Backstreet Boys ... Are Back as Well!: Britney's most successful album ever was actually her debut, ... Baby One More Time, which went platinum 14 times after being released by Jive on January 12, 1999. A few months later, the same label put out one of the last hugely popular albums by another bubblegum-pop act: the Backstreet Boys' Millennium, which went platinum 13 times. That number definitely overshadows the weak single-platinum status of the group's most recent release, 2005's Never Gone, which didn't even peak at #1 on the Billboard albums chart. The group's fifth album, Unbreakable, is also its first without Kevin Richardson — although the rest of the gang hasn't replaced him yet — and also falls on the act's 10th anniversary. The Boys beefed up the effort for a deluxe edition, which has a pair of extra songs — "Downpour" and "In Pieces" — a poster and more. Fans should also be on the lookout for "There's Us," which only comes with copies being sold at Wal-Mart stores, and "Nowhere to Go," available on the Japanese edition.

(M.) Shadows' Fall: While Brit and Backstreet are among the biggest "TRL" stars of all time, Avenged Sevenfold made for an unlikely fave when they topped the countdown last year. The guys shunned the teen love at the time, but they're still lapping up the mainstream, apparently: In a recent press release, frontman M. Shadows divulged that the band found inspiration in T.I. — and even more jaw-dropping, Toby Keith — for its new self-titled, self-produced album. Still, one would suspect they're still poppin' with Guns N' Roses too ... anyone else see the resemblance between their "It's So Easy" and Avenged's "Almost Easy"? At any rate, the heavily tatted hard-rockers have made sure their new effort is distinct by adding a bunch of incentives: Fans who preordered were treated to a limited-edition 7-inch picture disc featuring their cover of Pantera's "Walk." Beyond that, though, the group went batty for the Music Video Interactive version of the album — it has pre-encoded MP3s for all the songs, make-your-own ringtones, a studio tour, an animated short and other features that amount to two hours of bonus material.

Rap Trio: Does Lil Wayne have a monthly guest-appearance quota or what? The ubiquitous Weezy is surfacing yet again on an album that doesn't belong: Playaz Circle's Supply & Demand. His spot on the group's "Duffle Bag Boy" has upped the anticipation for the release — which is actually the first one by the duo, even though they've been around for 10 years. Making their second stab are the Pack, a three-member squad out of Berkeley, California, who were a You Hear It First act way back when. Their new set, Based Boys — yet another Jive release happening this week — features an assist from Too Short, who discovered them two years ago, on the onomatopoeically titled "Booty Bounce Bopper." Project Pat has twice as many releases as those the two aforementioned groups combined, but he is making a debut of sorts: His sixth album, Walkin' Bank Roll, is also his first for Koch. Three 6 Mafia crop up on "Don't Call Me No Mo," while UGK's Pimp C spots him on "Talkin' Smart."

Reissue Parade: It's no wonder artists' new releases are debuting so poorly these days — fans probably aren't throwing down because of the inevitable deluxe editions that have been routinely cropping up a few months after the initial release. This time around, it's the Smashing Pumpkins and the Jonas Brothers who are guilty as charged. Billy Corgan and company unleashed their Zeitgeist in mid-July, but now comes a revised edition that has a full-length DVD documentary, titled "Inside the Zeitgeist," and three bonus cuts: "Ma Belle," "Stellar" and "Death From Above." The Jonas Brothers, on the other hand, just put out their second album in early August but are already chasing the self-titled effort with a deluxe edition that features two new songs — including "We Come to Party," an exclusive duet with Miley Cyrus — plus a DVD containing a full concert, four videos and photos.

Being more appropriately resurrected are a batch of Joy Division albums that are getting the expanded-reissue treatment this week to coincide with the recent release of "Control," the new documentary about ill-fated frontman Ian Curtis. The only two studio albums the band recorded, 1979's Unknown Pleasures and the following year's Closer, are getting bolstered with a second disc of unreleased live performances, as is the seminal post-punk band's 1981 rarities collection, Still.

Soundtrack Stew: Speaking of "Control," the soundtrack for the film is also happening this week, and it's got a few notable tracks. The Killers toss in a cover of Joy Divison's "Shadowplay," while portions of New Order's score for the movie is also included, as is a song performed by the movie's actors, who learned to play instruments so they could properly portray the band. Tracks by artists from that era, including Iggy Pop, the Velvet Underground and David Bowie, flesh out the disc. Also on the soundtrack front is the "30 Days of Night" musical accompaniment, which was crafted by ex-Air and Redd Kross drummer Brian Reitzell; and the "Bee Movie" soundtrack, which boasts Sheryl Crow's "Here Comes the Sun." But the soundtrack that really takes the cake this week is the one for the Bob Dylan biopic "I'm Not There." The two-disc set is more like a massive tribute album — it features 34 songs, including Eddie Vedder's take on "All Along the Watchtower," a collaboration between Willie Nelson and Calexico for "Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)," plus performances by Ya La Tengo, Cat Power, Sonic Youth and loads more.

A Soaring Cost: As mentioned above, the Backstreet Boys are coaxing their fans to Wal-Mart by putting an extra track on the version of Unbreakable that the retail giant is selling. Taking that trend a leap forward are the Eagles, who, shocking, are making Long Road Out of Eden, their first studio album in almost three decades, available only through Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores terrestrially. The double-disc set, which comes in environmentally friendly packaging, features 20 songs but retails for just $11.88. The fact that the MP3 download version on WalMart.com costs a buck less than that could explain the partnership.

Song Titles of the Week:

The track list to the Gunshy's There's No Love in This War:

· 1. May 14, 1943: The Khaki-Whacky Girls
· 2. August 13, 1943: Eddie Was a Good Friend of Mine
· 3. August 27, 1943: A Fortunate Man
· 4. October 28, 1943: Jule, I'm Not Ready to Die
· 5. December 18, 1943
· 6. December 26, 1943: Humphrey Bogart & His Lady
· 7. June 1, 1944: Instruments of Modern Man
· 8. June 11, 1944: Pretty in the Red & White Dress
· 9. June 22, 1944: Standing Outside the Royal Opera House
· 10. July 3, 1944: I Shot a Man
· 11. September 5, 1944: The Armchair Advisors
· 12. November 14, 1944
· 13. March 7, 1945: There's No Love in This War
· 14. September 5, 1945: Let Them Dance