Hail To The King Shepherd Of Fire Avenged Sevenfold

Hail To The King Album: Hail to the King (2013)
Shepherd Of Fire Album: Hail to the King (2013)
by Avenged Sevenfold

I had a ton of scraps from making the last bit, and I am shopping for a kill dozer...

Hail To The King is the title track and lead single of Avenged Sevenfold's sixth studio album. It marked the first record with new drummer Arin Ilejay. The stickman joined the band as a touring drummer in 2011 following the passing of Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, before becoming an official member in 2013.

The band's previous album, The Nightmare, had a certain emotional heaviness as it found them dealing with the loss of The Rev. However, Hail to The King found Avenged Sevenfold returning to writing metal lyrics. Vocalist M. Shadows told Kerrang! magazine: "It's just cool storytelling. We got back to what we wanted the band to be in the first place, which is more fun. I don't think metal should take itself too seriously."

Avenged Sevenfold played Hail To The King live for the first time on July 17, 2013 during their gig at the Rock USA festival in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Guitarist Synyster Gates told MusicRadar about his contribution to Hail To The King. "I've been playing a lot of gypsy jazz guitar - Django Reinhardt and a few others – so for the intro, I kind of take that technique and apply it to metal. It added a pretty cool new dimension that I haven't really heard in rock music before," he said. "The whole solo is based on minor blues changes. I like it when it transfers to that regal feel, which aligns with the lyrics. A lot of people get confused and think that it's neo-classical, but it's really gypsy jazz."

Vocalist M. Shadows told Kerrang! magazine that the song writing for Hail to The King involved an organized, dedicated approach. He explained: "We tend to come in and talk about the vibe we want for the song, more than coming up with riffs. Then we build around that vibe, writing riffs that work with that. We try not to waste too much time on things that don't work. As soon as something takes us out of the vibe we're creating, we throw it out."

The black and white music video for Hail To The King was helmed by Syndrome, an award-winning design and live-action directing studio. In between close-up shots of the band rocking out we watch the story of a medieval prince preparing to take the keys to the throne. The clip was the first to feature drummer Arin Ilejay, who replaced the late The Rev.
The song tells the tale of a tyrannical king who strikes down any who oppose him. M. Shadows explained to Kerrang! magazine: "'Hail To The King' is a question about how society sees itself. From day one, people have elected kings and leaders, people have followed presidents, and they cry over who the new pope is. Sometimes you've got to step back and say, 'What are we doing here? Why do we need all of these people to tell us how to run our lives?' That goes for God above and Satan below. Who's the king? We have many kings. It was one of those things when we said the statement, sang it in a song and it was like, 'wow, that really strikes a nerve and means something.' We knew that some people would look at it as us saying, 'We're the kings,' but we were willing to undergo that amount of criticism, when really it was something a bit deeper about society."

The Hail To The King album artwork was created by southern Californian artist Cam Rackam. The cover shows a terrifying shot of a skeleton king and is titled 'Deadly Rule.' "I wanted the cover to be serious, tough, and conquer-esque," Rackam told Noisecreep. "[The album] stirs like an anthem for the modern warrior. So when it came to the painting, I was inspired by the final shot in Conan the Barbarian — referenced from the Frazetta painting — where he is sitting at the throne in contemplation of the chaos in his kingdom. I loved that idea of the warrior king."

Rackam continued, "I wanted to keep in sync with the album's themes and lyrics, so I added some heavy satanic elements: pentagrams, inverted crosses and more. I'm thrilled with the final result; the band really let me take the reins on this one."

Hail To The King was one of the official theme songs for WrestleMania 32 and is also a popular choice at sporting events. Speaking on Rock 106.9's The Stansbury Show, M Shadows said:

"It's like a dream come true - you go out to a sporting event or a hockey game, and they're playing it the same way they'd play 'Crazy Train' or those other pump-up songs. That's been very cool, because we are rock guys, but we're also sports guys. We love our local teams; we love going to events; and when that starts getting played places, it gives you a little smirk inside and makes you very happy."

M. Shadows considers "Hail To The King" the best Avenged Sevenfold song to introduce the band to first-time listeners. "Usually, to get people in the door that are not deep in the scene, I just show them 'Hail to the King.' It's like, they get it," he told Revolver. "The next time I see them, usually it's in their playlist. It's just one of those things that's easy."

Shadows added that he doesn't consider "Hail to the King" his favorite song, and there are other Sevenfold tracks that he is prouder of. If he wanted to show someone a song that he is particularly pleased with, he would start with "The Stage," "Buried Alive" or "Exist." But if he wished to introduce his band to "a guy on the golf course or, like, the guy at Ralphs [a grocery store]," he would play "Hail to the King" because it usually gets the job done.

The opening song, Shepherd Of Fire was intentionally written as an intro track. Guitarist Synyster Gates told MusicRadar.com: "The idea was that the arrangement would evoke a sense of imagery with the tribal yet primordial drums. It seemed to resonate from Hell almost. It's something of an apocalyptic call to arms."

"I love the arrangement," he added. "We wanted to set up the album and foreshadow what was to come, being that it's a groove-based, riff-oriented record. We haven't really done Zeppelin-style or Sabbath-like riffs before, so this is our version of an album that's along those lines."

Lead vocalist M. Shadows told Kerrang! magazine: "If you just listen to the music, it feels like you've been taken down to Hell. From the riffs, to the bells ringing, to the horns, to the drumbeat, it feels like you're being dragged down."

He added: "It's very like 'Sympathy For The Devil,' in that there's a silver-tongued Devil speaking to you. He's not all about fire and brimstone; he's luring you down and telling you he can make your life better than the guy up above. There's a temptation vibe to it, with pure chaos going on behind it."

Avenged Sevenfold continued their partnership with the Call of Duty video game franchise by lending Shepherd Of Fire to the game's fourth and final downloadable content pack, Call of Duty: Black Ops II: Apocalypse. It plays in the intro cinematic video for the Zombies map "Origins." The band previously contributed "Not Ready to Die" and "Carry On" to the Activision first-person shooter video game.

Watch your tongue or have it cut from your head
Save your life by keeping whispers unsaid
Children roam the streets now orphans of war
Bodies hangin' in the streets to adore
Royal flames will carve a path in chaos
Bringing daylight to the night (night)
Death is riding into town with armor
They've come to take all your rights

Hail to the King
Hail to the one
Kneel to the crown
Stand in the sun
Hail to the King
(Hail, hail, hail)
(The King)

Blood is spilt while holding keys to the throne
Born again but it's too late to atone
No mercy from the edge of the blade
Dare escape and learn the price to be paid
Let the water flow with shades of red now
Arrows black out all the light (light)
Death is riding into town with armor
They've come to grant you your rights

Hail to the King
Hail to the one
Kneel to the crown
Stand in the sun
Hail to the King
(Hail, hail, hail)
(The King)

There's a taste of fear (hail, hail, hail)
When the henchmen call (hail, hail, hail)
Iron fist to tame them (hail, hail, hail)
Iron fist to claim it all

Hail to the King
Hail to the one
Kneel to the crown
Stand in the sun
Hail to the King
Hail to the one
Kneel to the crown
Stand in the sun
Hail to the King
(Hail, hail, hail)

~

Lets take a moment and break the ice
So my intentions are known
See I pity in watching you suffer
I know the feeling of being damned alone
I got a storybook of my own

Don't you see I am your pride
Agent of wealth
Bearer of needs
And you know it's right
I am your war
Arming the strong
Aiding the weak
Know me by name
Shepherd of fire

Well I can promise you paradise
No need to serve on your knees
And when you're lost in the darkest of hours
Take a moment and tell me who you see
Won't tell ya who not to be

Now you know I am your pride
Agent of wealth
Bearer of needs
And you know it's right
I am your war
Arming the strong
Aiding the weak
Know me by name
Shepherd of fire

Disciple of the cross and champion in suffering
Immerse yourself into the kingdom of redemption
Pardon your mind through the chains of the divine
Make way, the shepherd of fire

Through the ages of time
I've been known for my hate
But I'm a dealer of simple choices
For me it's never too late

I am your pride
Agent of wealth
Bearer of needs
And you know it's right
'Cause I am your war
Arming the strong
Aiding the weak

I am your wrath
I am your guilt
I am your lust
And you know it's right
I am your love
I am your stall
I am your trust

Know me by name
Shepherd of fire