Last year's Hail To The King, their first with drummer Arin Ilejay, propelled the band to number one in the UK and US, and was certified gold in the States two weeks ago.

But they're not planning to rest on their laurels when they complete their current touring schedule next month. Vengeance tells Billboard: "Once we get home the ideas are going to start brewing.

"Synyster Gates has been writing a ton, purely for fun, trying different styles, keeping himself busy. I've been thinking of all sorts of ideas, listening to different music to get inspiration, as have all of us.

"Being on tour I'm so inspired, seeing bands like Body Count - they're so old-school and riff-based, over the top and slightly offensive. It's f***ing awesome. So there's tons of inspiration I knew we'll be drawing from."