recorded three-song demo

Avenged Sevenfold’s first creative output was a three-song- demo recorded in October 1999 at the A-Room Studios in Orange County, California. The band played their first show at the Walnut, California City Hall on February 11, 2000. Around this time, they were asked by Sadistic Records to contribute to two compilations, so the band recorded two new songs and released them along with the previously recorded songs on a second demo. They sent this demo to the Belgian label Good Life Recordings and were subsequently signed. Afterwards, the band participated in another two compilation albums, their label’s GoodLife 4 and Novocaine Records’ Scrape III compilations. Around this time, Matt Wendt left for college and Justin Meacham, the previous bassist of Suburban Legends , joined Avenged Sevenfold. In late 2000, the foursome took on their initial stage names – M. Shadows, Zacky Vengeance, Justin Sane and The Rev – and recorded their debut album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet . In early 2001, lead guitarist and old friend Synyster Gates joined the band and they re-recorded the introductory track “To End the Rapture” for the album’s lead-single/EP, Warmness on the Soul , released in April 2001. Although their debut album’s release was initially planned for the same month, it was pushed back multiple times and eventually released on July 24, 2001, on Good Life Recordings.