This Means War (Avenged Sevenfold song)

"This Means War"
Single by Avenged Sevenfold
from the album Hail to the King
Released July 4, 2014
Recorded 2012–2013
Genre Heavy metal
Length 06:09
Label Warner Bros.
Writer(s) M. Shadows
Zacky Vengeance
Synyster Gates
Johnny Christ
Producer(s) Mike Elizondo
Avenged Sevenfold singles chronology
"Shepherd of Fire"
(2013)		 "This Means War"
(2014)		 "Chapter Four"
(2014)

"This Means War" is the third single released from Hail to the King, the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The record was released on July 4, 2014 via Warner Bros. Records.[1][2] This song was also featured in WWE 2K15.

Several sources and reviews of Hail to the King criticize "This Means War" for similarities to Metallica's 1993 single "Sad but True."[3] The song was even singled out by Machine Head's vocalist Robb Flynn as a ripoff.[4][5]

Music video

A music video was released mid-summer of 2014. As of December 2014, the video has over three million views on YouTube. The video consists of live footage taken from a multitude of concerts over the course of two weeks in the spring of 2014 across Latin America. The studio version of the song is overdubbed over the video, with the exception of crowd chants, most notably during the end of the chorus, when the crowd can be heard chanting "This Means War!"[6]

Personnel

Avenged Sevenfold

Charts

Chart (2014) Peak
position
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[7] 24
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[8] 36
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[9] 4

References

  1. ↑ "This Means War by AVENGED SEVENFOLD". metalmusicarchives.com. Retrieved 2014-11-28.
  2. ↑ "AVENGED SEVENFOLD Taps Director ANDREW BAIRD For 'This Means War' Video". blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2014-11-28.
  3. ↑ Rosenberg, Axl (August 21, 2013). "Footnotes: A Handy Catalog of Every Song from Which Avenged Sevenfold’s Hail to the King “Borrows”". Metal Sucks. Retrieved April 7, 2015. Now that they’ve already cribbed the lyrical style of “Sad But True,” A7X crib the actual music from that song on “This Means War.” There’s even a little pause at the beginning before the main riff kicks in, as is the case on “Sad”…
  4. ↑ "AVENGED SEVENFOLD Releases Video For 'Sad But True'-Inspired Song 'This Means War'". Blabbermouth. July 4, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Avenged Sevenfold Singer on Robb Flynn's Rant: 'I Agree on 'Sad But True' Thing'". Ultimate Guitar. September 13, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  6. ↑ http://www.revolvermag.com/news/avenged-sevenfold-premiere-new-music-video-this-means-war.htmlaccessdate=2015-1-8. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ "Avenged Sevenfold Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Rock Airplay for Avenged Sevenfold. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Avenged Sevenfold Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot Rock Songs for Avenged Sevenfold. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "Avenged Sevenfold Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs for Avenged Sevenfold. Retrieved 4 December 2014.

External links