For those desperately waiting to hear the new Avenged Sevenfold album, it looks like we may still have to wait a little while longer yet, but the band have unveiled a new addition to their world that they claim will heavily play into the roll-out of the next record - and you may not be surprised to find out that it's virtual.
Named after their third studio album, Avenged Sevenfold: City Of Evil is a new virtual world experience created by blockchain gaming platform The Sandbox, promising users the chance to "explore, participate and socialize in an environment filled with iconic imagery, stories and music" from the world of Avenged Sevenfold.
Fans are currently able to access a Beta version of the game for free, with Avenged acknowledging that work on their eighth studio album is still very much underway in a statement accompanying the City Of Evil announcement.
"As many of you know, we are currently finishing up our 8th studio album," Tweeted the band in a statement given by frontman M Shadows. "We expect to be firing on all cylinders once that is ready to be released, & this social hub will play a major role in gathering info & socializing with other fans. For the ones who have been patient, thank you. We also want to thank our team at @nabiya_creative for diving into the A7X culture & really nailing the aesthetic for the fans. We have much more to build… this is just the start.”
"This alpha test is free and for all who want to participate," adds Shadows in a Tweet of his own. "No NFT’s or Crypto required. We hope you check it out."
Despite it being close to six years since Avenged Sevenfold's last studio album, The Stage, the band are in no rush to provide a follow-up, having become leaders in alternative music's divisive dive into the NFT world in recent years. With the new album believed to be finally nearing completion, its release is expected to come some time in the first half of next year.
