July 24, 2023 – Canadian Tire Center, Ottawa
Avenged Sevenfold Turn Ottawa into A Little Piece of Heaven
Life is but a dream… come true! Ever since Avenged Sevenfold cancelled their appearance at Heavy MTL in 2018, I’ve been waiting patiently and hoping they’d take the stage once again. When this tour was announced months ago, I was elated and knew that I would be going no matter what. It was a bucket list show for me, and their performance exceeded my expectations.
Typically I like to be in the pit for my favorite bands, but prices were pretty high so I opted for close seats with a good view instead. I was a little disheartened that prices dropped so dramatically as the date approached, with prices the day of the show at less than half of what many of us originally paid. I was then worried that the Canadian Tire Centre would be empty, not only because of prices, but it was also a Monday night in a less than ideal location (the stadium location gets a lot of complaints by locals). It definitely affects a band’s performance when they look out and see an empty venue, but thankfully things filled out more later on in the evening (though not as much as a rock or metal show in Montreal).
See Also: RBC Bluesfest comes to an end with a performance from The Smile
The merch lines were massive as everyone tried to get new shirts or hoodies to change into before Avenged Sevenfold. And like most things these days, prices were pretty outrageous, but not enough to stop us from getting new shirts. The art style surrounding their new album, Life Is But A Dream…, is what motivated me to pay up—I absolutely love the design by the renowned artist Wes Lang. I highly recommend checking out Inside the Mind of M. Shadows [Avenged Sevenfold Interview] and listening to what M. Shadows has to say about the album.
Kim Dracula, popularized by their original songs and metal covers on TikTok, took the stage first as people trickled in from long merch and beer lines. Their short 35-minute set was over before I could become fully immersed in their sound, but the variety in the overall performance kept me on my toes. From the dark opening and haunted castle atmosphere to upbeat jazz infusions and a wide range of scream styles, it was a gothic musical medley that I quite enjoyed. Kim Dracula’s deep purple hair and tall stance dominated the stage amongst their masked ghoulish bandmates, and at one point they even picked up a chainsaw to add some drama to the show.
This was my introduction to Kim Dracula, and I think that they’re a talented vocalist and I’m excited to see more of them. They reminded me of a mix of Gerard Way, Dani Filth, and even Alice Cooper. And it was very interesting to hear them switch between really dark guttural screams to low growls and even power metal vocals. With that range and passion they can do so much—no wonder they’re popular across social media.
I think that their music was a bit lost on the crowd and they weren’t the ideal opener for Alexisonfire and Avenged Sevenfold. It’s great that they’re getting visibility on such a high profile tour, but I went to a Trinity of Terror show last year with Motionless in White, Ice Nine Kills, and Black Veil Brides and I think Kim Dracula would have been the perfect opener for them. They all have similar vibes with their styles, screaming, and horror theatrics. And to be honest, Atreyu would have been a better opener for this show. All fantastic bands, but they set the mood very differently for the headliner and audience. Regardless, I’m glad I got to experience their music live for the first time.
Alexisonfire followed with a short break in between and a 50-minute set. The crowd started to fill in a lot more for the award-winning Ontario band and the pit was ready for action. George Pettit screamed “What’s up Ottawa?” as he walked on stage and set the mood for their entire show—energy was high from start to finish and they had a vibrant light show to match.
I’ve been listening to the band for years and have seen them perform at outdoor festivals a few times, so I knew it was going to be a great show. And they did not disappoint! It was great to experience them in an arena, although the Canadian Tire Centre didn’t seem to have the best sound compared to other venues. I typically go to shows in Quebec, and their venues and audience turn out for these kinds of shows seems much better. With short breaks in between bands and no soundchecks (at least none that I heard), I was a little disappointed in the sound quality the whole evening. Vocals were hard to hear and everything was a bit muddy, some songs worse than others. I had a hard time hearing Dallas Green sing at times, which is a shame because he has such an angelic voice.
Other than some sound issues blocking the vocals, the heart-punching bass and engaged crowd made it a very fun experience. The crowd surfers were out, moshing was on and off, and even people in the stands were getting in on the fun. Just because you have a seat doesn’t mean you can’t jump around and dance! Chris Steele, the bassist, was one of my favorite parts of the show because he was bouncing all over the place. I’m always amazed that musicians can play and jump around, I can’t fathom that type of coordination.
Although Ottawa can be pretty mild, the heat was turned up by the end of their show to get ready for Avenged Sevenfold. As they ended their set, the majority of people stood and cheered. I’m glad they got to perform for nearly an hour.
The arena filled in a lot more as 9 p.m. approached but there were still a lot of empty seats and the pit was never full. The crew placed a lawn chair at the front of the stage and I wondered if it was for Synyster Gates who had injured his calf at the show on July 19 in Mansfield, Massachusetts. But the chair was for M. Shadows who had a delightfully spooky entrance as he sat in the near-dark with a full face black mask and red flannel shirt. I love horror and metal, so it’s a no brainer that I love what they do.
“This feels like a Monday night and we’re going to change that right now,” said M. Shadows after they started with a few songs off the new album. As they moved into Afterlife, an old favorite, the pit really started moving and the majority of people in seats were standing too. I for one couldn’t sit still the entire show—it was banger after banger and a busy Tuesday meant nothing to me at that moment.
From songs off the new album to older hits, everything flowed seamlessly with the dark arena, strobe lights, and surrounding stage graphics. And to my surprise and delight, they played A Little Piece of Heaven towards the end of their set. I wish I had a picture of my face at that moment, I bet I looked like a baby tasting ice cream for the first time. I didn’t think they would do it live because it’s long, but I’m so glad they did. And by the sound of the crowd, everyone else was into their setlist as well.
Gates looked to be back to business as usual as he moved back and forth on stage and delivered excellent riffs and solos. One of my messy scribbled notes from the show was “heaven is a room with Syn endlessly playing guitar”. I was clearly feeling one of his solos—that man can shred. Hopefully his calf injury is fully healed and he’ll be good to go for the rest of the tour.
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I tend to focus on vocals when I listen to music, and M. Shadows has always had one of my favorite voices. Because of the sound issues I was a little sad that I couldn’t hear him perfectly, but live music will never be as good as using a high quality pair of headphones so I can put that aside and just enjoy the experience. That said, I still loved his performance and his laughter in Nightmare was perfection. I also love how engaged he was with the crowd and how he stopped to reach out to people in the pit and talk about the band in between songs. They took a nearly 6-year break because they wanted to live and be happy and make sure that they wanted to come back. And here they are! It was a great reminder to reflect on where you are because the destination may never come so you better enjoy the journey, which is why I didn’t pass up seeing them on this tour, you never know when a band will decide to move on to something new. Don’t wait, act!
Don’t want to miss out on a show like this? Check out the Avenged Sevenfold website for tour details.
