Black Reign is the second EP by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on September 21, 2018, through Warner Bros. Records. It is a compilation of all their original songs created for the Call of Duty: Black Ops series from 2011 to 2018.
| Black Reign | ||||
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | September 21, 2018 | |||
| Recorded |
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| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 21:14 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer |
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| Avenged Sevenfold chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Black Reign | ||||
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Background
editIn September 2018 it was announced the band would release all previous non-album collaborations with the Call of Duty: Black Ops video game series in one collected EP, including a brand new single made specifically for Black Ops 4 as well as "Jade Helm", which was previously only available in-game on Black Ops III.[1][2][3]
On September 23, 2018, M. Shadows took to Avenged Sevenfold's Reddit to address the criticism regarding the mixing of "Mad Hatter". He subsequently published a second version to download for free and explained that the song would be replaced on all radio stations and streaming websites.[4]
After the release of this EP, M. Shadows was featured as a playable character in Black Ops 4's "Blackout" gamemode.[5]
Musical style
editM. Shadows spoke to Kerrang! about the EP saying "We felt that we should go for something bigger, darker and more cerebral" referring to the brand new song "Mad Hatter". He continued "We have a very deep relationship with the team at Treyarch. We're proud to be part of the family and extremely excited for people to enjoy this next chapter and our contribution to it."[1]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Avenged Sevenfold
| No. | Title | Created for | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mad Hatter" | Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018) | 5:03 |
| 2. | "Carry On" | Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012) | 4:15 |
| 3. | "Not Ready to Die" (from Call of the Dead) | Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010) | 7:05 |
| 4. | "Jade Helm" (instrumental) | Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015) | 4:51 |
| Total length: | 21:14 | ||
Personnel
editAll credits adapted from Tidal.[6]
Avenged Sevenfold
- M. Shadows – lead vocals
- Synyster Gates – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Zacky Vengeance – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Johnny Christ – bass, gang vocals
- Brooks Wackerman – drums on "Mad Hatter" and "Jade Helm"
- Arin Ilejay – drums on "Carry On" and "Not Ready to Die"
Production
- Joe Barresi - Production and recording engineer (track 1)
- Yosimar Gomez - assistant engineer (track 1)
- Andy Wallace - Mixing engineer (track 1)
- Brian Montgomery - Pro Tools (track 1)
- Mike Elizondo — Production (track 3)
- Adam Hawkins — Mixing engineer (track 3)
- Ted Jensen — Mastering engineer (track 3)
- Nick Fainburg - Mixing and mastering engineer (track 4)
Charts
edit| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Top Current Album Sales (Billboard)[7] | 65 |
References
edit- ^ a b "Avenged Sevenfold Announce New EP, Black Reign — Kerrang!". Kerrang!. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ "Avenged Sevenfold to release Black Reign EP on Friday". Metal Hammer Magazine. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ "Avenged Sevenfold announce Black Reign EP, release new song, "Mad Hatter": Stream". Consequence of Sound. September 17, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ "AVENGED SEVENFOLD Releases New Version Of 'Mad Hatter' In Response To Fan Complaints". blabbermouth.net. September 23, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
- ^ Childers, Chad (July 9, 2019). "Avenged Sevenfold's M. Shadows Will Be a Playable Character in 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 4'". Noise Creep. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ "Black Reign / Credits". Tidal. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ "TOP CURRENT ALBUM SALES". Billboard. October 6, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2023.