It’s always exciting when a band makes their way back to Australia after a long time between tours, tonight for the first time since Soundwave in 2014 Avenged Sevenfold are back and the first show of the tour lands here in Sydney!
I made it in midway through Thornhill’s first song and it’s such an early start that people are slowly starting to stream in. I’m so glad I’m here as these guys are truly impressive. They’ve most definitely got the floor going as seeing the mosh from where I am is a treat to see. I’ve never been overly familiar with Thornhill but after tonight I need to be. That was an impressive way to be warmed up tonight.
Alright. One of my favourite live bands are up next and that is Coheed and Cambria. Starting off slowly before the band explodes and just the musicianship of this band is second to none. Into the brilliantly technical ‘In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3’ they have just set that stage. Damn they’re good. Claudio is shredding this one out and it’s a pleasure to see and hear. The hooky ‘Searching for Tomorrow’ Is next and it’s tearing things up. Another guitar change and the heavier ‘Key Entity Extraction II: Holly Wood the Cracked’ and this is so good to hear live. It’s just so much more in a live environment. Just watching this band is a pleasure, they are all such amazing musicians that you can’t not love it. They keep things rolling with ‘Key Entity Extraction III: Vic The Butcher’ but then into the outstanding ‘Shoulders’ which is easily one of my favourites of the bands catalogue and it’s the first time hearing it live for me and I’m stoked. From the melodic to the insanity of ‘Blind Side Sonny’ followed by an even heavier one in ‘Play The Poet’. Travis addresses the crowd as they get ready for the next one being ‘Key Entity Extraction V: Sentry the Defiant’ and with some more Claudio stage workouts and this band just keeps delivering. Josh addressed the crowd quickly before ‘Favor House Atlantic’ and we are definitely in. What a song. I think we might only have a couple to go and let’s see. Here’s the brilliant ‘The Liars Club’ and I’m glad this made it into the set, these almost pop metal songs are just perfection. So hooky and technical at the same time. Ok the double neck comes out and you know what time it is, it’s time for ‘Welcome Home’ and man that is just something you need to see live. The guitar work is brilliant, the trading solos, Claudio with the moves, it’s just brilliant. Of course that was the closer and the only way to go out. What a band and what a pleasure to see them back in Australia. Come back soon fellas.
Ok now the place has filled up nicely. The sea of A7X shirts is awesome and after 12 years between visits everyone here is ready to go.
Lights go down and the phones are lighting up as we all scanned a qr code so as they flash as the intro is playing and the cheers are getting louder in anticipation.
The first notes play and the roar was huge. The band take the stage and as M Shadows says “it’s been a long fucking time Sydney I want to hear you” and they sure did hear us. Straight into ‘Nightmare’ and they are on fire. This is going to be real good. What a start to the show. Wait. I see drums moving… Brooks who was behind the screen now sits atop the stage and that man is a beast. ‘Game Over’ is fast, and frantic and creepily amazing. Up next is one of my faves and it’s ‘Afterlife’ let’s go!!!! That was awesome, that groove the verses hits is next level and hearing the crowd sing it loud was something. A song this big this early is a treat that’s for sure. The bells ring while we wait… then as the guitar rings in the very heavy ‘Shepherd of Fire’ and that’s a hell of a catchy riff. Some amazing harmony guitar work from Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates in this one took this one next level. This is spectacular so far. This stage is insane and the screens just convey this show so well. Guitars introduce ‘Buried Alive’ and this slower one is a nice breather from that insane opening but man that got very heavy and the stage setting for this one is nuts. After a quick chat we get a song for The Rev and it’s ‘So Far Away’ and this big beautiful ballad fits in nicely. We miss you, Rev. ‘The Stage’ starts with Synyster Gates on stage leading us in and the band joins in and it hits that very heavy groove and sweeping guitar underlying. It’s so well done. A headbanging task for ‘Nobody’ and it gets nice and weird mid song before jumping back in to end with a big sweeping solo. Side note I really wish the “shoey” chant would stop ha ha.
‘Gunslinger’ gets a whole lotta country metal to start but that changes very quickly and while everyone loves this one it’s the next one that sent them over the edge. ‘Hail to the King’ is perfect. That opening riff is all you need to be in and they have ramped it up big time now. Side note one of my favourite parts of the night is when the spotlight was trying to find M Shadows. It happened few times and was gold.
“Everything until now was a warm up” we’re told and the cheer before ‘Bat Country’ was warranted. Huge song and just testament to how good this band is. Damn ‘Unholy Confessions’ is heavy and another melodic ripper from the band. A circle pit has emerged on the floor and rightfully so. Man this is by far the heaviest of the night. This is fucking awesome. To top it off we get a drum solo from Brooks. With one to go ‘A Little Piece of Heaven’ keeps it damn heavy and has many singing along. What a great way to finish the set… or is it in fact finished? The band leave the stage but they’ll be back. And look at that, they are. M and Synyster take front of stage to start ‘Cosmic’ as they’re joined by the rest of the band and this slower one beautifully sets the song up before the tempo ramps up. They play this one out into a big epic and with that they are done.
Avenged Sevenfold are a band that make great music but seeing it performed live takes this band to a completely different level, they are an absolutely astounding live, and a band you need to see. I’m sure we’ll see them back a lot sooner than twelve years. I’ll be there when they return.
Essential Information
Venue: Afterpay Arena, Sydney
Date: October 16, 2026
Special Guests: Coheed and Cambria, and Thornhill
Presented By: Live Nation Australia
Website: https://www.avengedsevenfold.com
Set list
Nightmare
Game Over
Afterlife
Shepherd of Fire
Buried Alive
So Far Away
The Stage
Nobody
Gunslinger
Hail to the King
Bat Country
Unholy Confessions
A Little Piece of Heaven
Cosmic
