If you’re one of those people who ponder life’s mysteries such as what came first, the chicken or the egg, or who’d win in a fight between Patrick Swayze in Roadhouse or Sylvester Stallone in Over The Top, we’ve got a new one for you. Why are comedy metallers Avenged Sevenfold still making records? Diamonds In The Rough is an album featuring b-sides and covers from the whiney rockers and proves without a shadow of a doubt that no matter how good a songwriter Steve Harris from Iron Maiden may be, singer M.Shadows will still find a way to make your work sound shite (‘Flash Of The Blade’). To say that Diamonds In The Rough is strictly for the completists is an understatement, as we doubt even their fans will pry themselves away from the latest episode of Barney in order to pick up this half-arsed compilation.
Key Track: ‘Flash Of The Blade’