The band was formed in 1999 in Huntington Beach, California with original members M. Shadows, Zacky Vengeance, The Rev and Matt Wendt. M Shadows came up with the name as a reference to the story of Cain and Abel from The Bible, which can be found in Genesis 4:24, although they are not a religious band.[2] Upon its formation, each member of the band also took on a pseudonym which were already nicknames of theirs from high school.[3] Before release their debut album, the band recorded two demos in 1999 and 2000. Avenged Sevenfold\\\'s debut album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet, was recorded when the band members were just eighteen years old and in high school. It was originally released on their first label, Good Life Recordings in 2001.[4] After lead guitarist Synyster Gates joined the band, at the end of 1999 when he was 18 at the introductory track \\\"To End the Rapture\\\" was re-recorded featuring a full band element. The album was subsequently re-released on Hopeless Records in 2002.
The band started to receive recognition, performing with bands such as Mushroomhead and Shadows Fall and playing on the Take Action Tour.[5][6] Having settled on their fourth bassist, Johnny Christ, they released Waking the Fallen on Hopeless Records in August 2003. The album featured a more refined and mature sound production in comparison to their previous album. The band received profiles in Billboard and The Boston Globe, and played in the Vans Warped Tour.[7][8] In 2004, Avenged Sevenfold toured again on the Vans Warped Tour and recorded a video for their song \\\"Unholy Confessions\\\" which went into rotation on MTV2\\\'s Headbanger\\\'s Ball.[9] Shortly after the release of Waking the Fallen, Avenged Sevenfold left Hopeless Records and were signed to Warner Bros. Records.Nightmare is the fifth studio album by American rock band Avenged Sevenfold, released on July 27, 2010 through Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Mike Elizondo and mixed in New York City by noted engineer Andy Wallace.[1] Nightmare is the first Avenged Sevenfold record without James \\\"The Rev\\\" Sullivan performing drums due to his death in December 2009; however he wrote some of the songs before his death so this is therefore the last studio album to which he contributed,[2] for this reason The Rev\\\'s vocals are still on the album as a tribute to him.[1] Mike Portnoy, from Dream Theater, who performed as the drummer for the album in his place, will also play with the band for all upcoming tours through to the end of 2010, due to Dream Theater not touring at that time.[3] Avenged Sevenfold, along with Disturbed, will co-headline the first annual Uproar Festival.[4]
Nightmare debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 shipping 163,000 albums according to Nielsen SoundScan, which surpassed its predecessor which debuted at No. 4 selling 94,000 copies in its first week. This major debut ended Eminem\\\'s five week reign and forced Recovery to No. 2. It is the first album by Avenged Sevenfold to top the Billboard 200 chart.[5][6]


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