Avenged Sevenfold Surprise Release Gamble Paid Off For Them

(Metal Hammer) M Shadows says Avenged Sevenfold are satisfied with their latest album having sold fewer first-week copies than their previous two titles due to the way that they released it.

The Stage was sneak-released on October 28 and notched up 76,000 sales during its first seven days - while 2013's Hail To The King sold 159,000 units and 2010's Nightmare shifted 163,000. Their newest title is the slowest-selling since 2005's City Of Evil.

The band have moved to Capitol Records after their relationship with Warner Brothers broke down and led to legal action. Shadows tells Inc.com: "What artists like Kanye, Radiohead and Beyonce had done intrigued us - their albums came out of the blue and there were no preconceived notions or reviews affecting the opinion of the record buyer before they got a chance to listen.

"This way, everyone listened to our album on the same day. It was a fresh experience that wasn't affected by reviews, speculation and noise."

He continues: "When I was growing up, you maybe saw one review - but now there are 150 reviews before an album even comes out. There are so many opinions out there, but the only one that really matters is your own." Read more here.

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