What Makes This Song Great? "Shepherd of Fire" Avenged Sevenfold

In this episode of "What Makes this Song Great?" we explore the music of AVENGED SEVENFOLD featuring Synyster Gates.
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[@gregg8921]

These guys don't get enough credit...they really know how to play their instruments well and they always have a different twist of style on each album...A7X are a very creative group of dudes and Gates is a nasty guitar player, his solos are great!

[@jlane1473]

i think their songwriting is some of the best storytelling out there

[@arctictropic1147]

These guys are one of the few groups where I love every single song and album released. Usually there are albums or songs where I'm not too interested in, but that's not the case with these guys. They do a lot of care with each and every song they do

[@costafinkel]

They are the most successful metal band of the last decade or so. How is that “not much credit” ?

[@RafitoOoO]

I think their music matured really well. I don't like the first albums except for a few songs, but since Nightmare I'm a huge fan.

[@holyhexor_w]

@@RafitoOoO @Rafa Allegretti i think 'city of evil' was a sick album....truly their breakthrough to the metal genre utilizing hard rock influences.... Tho i also didnt like half of the songs from 'waking the fallen' n 'sounding the seventh trumphets'

[@davep8221]

For a guy named "Synyster" he sure is polite and gracious. Rick: "Something great you do." Synyster: "Thanks." Graciousness is an endangered species these days.

[@mrbobjrsrv]

It's his stage name haha. He's the son of Papa Gates. Very humble guy for sure

[@captainedscythe]

I met him last summer. Truly one of the nicest and most humble guys you can meet, in or out of the "business." VERY grounded, very real, very gracious.

[@MrZpeppers]

They used to be pretty rough back in the day.

[@moosemilk_]

Watch Corey Taylor in the making of video for 'From Can to Can't'

[@5at5una]

also @15:24 this dude shredding the guitar like crazy and think this particular part is cute or something.. like bro xD

[@jasonbone5121]

Why do people get offended by Rick's song choices? He's not claiming other songs aren't great, he's pointing out what makes 'THIS' song great. Listen and learn kids, WTF... Anyway, thanks Rick, always enjoy your insight on these videos.

[@suavetrainwreck7300]

I was just thinking how I never liked this type of music but now I am listening and learning something new. Thats what is cool about listening to different styles and Rick helps me see it differently.

[@SuperJBrowne]

There's only 20 dislikes it ain't that serious.

[@derekfletcher8934]

@Jason Bone the reason is simple. People request on video after video to hear a breakdown of their favorite band, and if/when that band is chosen, Rick often (if not exclusively) covers that band's radio hit. The fan is disappointed because they wanted a deeper cut, something that shows how great a song from the lesser known catalogue is rather than the hit single that is obviously already recognized as being great. Essentially, it's the whole "you're a poser if all you know is the radio hit" mentality. I can understand why Rick chooses the radio songs. Firstly, I think it's for views. Not every fan is a die hard fan and may ONLY know the radio songs, so he does it for familiarity (a smart choice considering these videos are not free to make) . This annoys some fans because they'd rather him do something unique and not what's a "safe bet". Secondly I think he does it to point out little idiosyncratic moments in these popular hits that a seasoned fan may not have ever noticed in a song they've been hearing for decades. I enjoy this aspect personally, it's very fun to hear new aspects to songs I've otherwise been burned out on. And thirdly, sometimes the song choice can be limited due to copyright issues and/or availability of the multitracks. Ultimately it's Rick's channel, Rick's choice, and Rick's expertise. I think he does a phenomenal job with this series. Would I like to see him pull some lesser known gems out of the basket? Sure! Am I going to moan and complain when he picks a hit over my personal favorite from the artist/album? No. It's all a great learning experience in my opinion. So I hope that clears up why some folks get upset with his song choices. And once again, (Rick if you see this!) I'm just grateful the series is available to us at all! P.S. Grateful Dead- Mississippi Halfstep, Estimated Prophet, or Lost Sailor please!!!

[@jeffruebens8355]

@@derekfletcher8934well written.

[@mrbunghole]

He's claiming this song is great and it's not.

[@ThatOtherRaccoon]

I LOVE how humble Syn is but I REALLY admire the respect and admiration he has for Rick.

[@Mattskito529]

i live for Rick Beato air drumming!

[@titmusspaultpaul5]

Lol

[@pereztube2]

he's such a dad

[@HiVoltish]

YES!!!

[@aphexlane]

Best in the mf biz

[@MaddogJones]

Very caveman...

[@falloutfan2502]

"That's a really great lick." ... "Thank you" - class act.

[@cbeserra]

That guitarist is very good, clever, humble, and he knows his stuff!

[@giltyakhtar]

Syn is god

[@TheWhitetiger011]

You should check him out playing, I think it was gypsy jazz, he's pretty expiremental and I love the way he finds these flowy and moving licks that make you wanna headbang instinctively.

[@stonehillproductions129]

i fucking love that man lmao he's my god

[@JohnBarrow1961]

He's one of the best out there.

[@BroadwayJoe99]

TFW you realize that a band you dismiss as lightweights reveal themselves to be far more serious and studious musicians than you first thought them to be.

[@finianholland7654]

Should do sidewinder too. That song would easily make a 2 hour episode.

[@Margar02]

My favorite song from City of Evil!

[@ayambrodizzle247]

I was really hoping it’d be this tune! Those outro acoustic solos blow my mind

[@Downbythebay22]

Totally agreed. A landscape of sound in every way

[@m0mg3y]

A little piece of heaven

[@HeyThisIsRo]

Blinded in chains would be cool too

[@ryanwithacapitalB]

hahaha its funny how Rick is also educating him somewhat on his own songs. This is a very good exchange where Gates has utmost respect for another talented musician. He could have simply acted like a douche rockstar but A7X dudes are all so down to earth peeps.

[@rammerchandy1712]

Facts

[@st.boanerges]

Facts

[@guyincognito320]

Why are the comments on all rock star interviews always so full of these subverted expectations of the star being a douche bag and not at all down to earth? It's like Syn really wanted to be a pompous, eccentric rock star but he toned it down for Rick, so he could get his song out? Almost every rock star I ever see is a regular guy who's somewhat likable, yet the masses are always shocked

[@jinzo457]

"You have been demonetized for copyright infringement." Meanwhile Syn, who actually wrote part of the song is the one playing.

[@al-sama788]

That is the beauty of KZbin monetization system

[@vermilion6667]

@@al-sama788 Record Label: *THE F#&@ YOU ARE?!!*

[@gtsteele6219]

Always liked Avenged Sevenfold and my respect for the band just went up about 10 points.

[@imCurveee]

I know it's been said so many times, especially on Rick's channel, but this is the irony of blocking these kinds of videos. They make us WANT to listen to the band even more and consume more of their music. I don't get it.

[@Xaminn]

I like your name

[@Britton_Thompson]

"I love flat fives. Love 'em. I love taking the good music the band has written and ruining it with my flat fives." -Synyster Gates; 2019 (Never change, Syn. Never change....)

[@14AspenDrive]

Can you explain what he means?

[@Newbyrock23]

@@14AspenDrive the "blues note" is the Flat 5th. It is the note within the pentatonic scale that defines the "blues feel". That's really laymen's terms, but I encourage you to research the "blues scale", because I have a very limited character count here in chat.

[@airconditioningunit9777]

@@Newbyrock23 cant forget its also the tritone

[@Newbyrock23]

@@airconditioningunit9777 +1 winner winner!

[@Trevorwilliamjohnsonthefirst]

Legendary

[@JamoboBorg]

Gates' fingers during the solo are so precise they almost look sped-up

[@audio_odyssey]

I thought the same thing, almost like a machine!

[@12uullaass12]

it's because his fingers move too fast for the framerate of the camera

[@Fuffuloo]

it's the lack of motion blur that makes it look that way. Probably a pretty fast shutter speed on the camera.

[@Syny_syn_syn]

11:53

[@GuyNamedSean]

I'm not entirely convinced that Syn hasn't replaced his hands with robot prosthetics.

[@patrickcuddy4065]

Some of the cleanest drum tones I’ve ever heard on a record.

[@hakanarnklint1070]

Agree. Look up Opeth's "Eternal rains will come" for more beautiful drums....

[@shadowproductions969]

one of A7x's staples. The drums kick you in the face with so much punch and clarity.

[@laststraw9363]

Worst drums album from them though in my opinion. The Stage though? Ouhhhhhh mama mia. Brooks is the proper Rev replacement. That's what I call being a good drummer while still not hogging all the musical space. HTTK was primary school drumming but I blame the album for it more than the musician. This was a cover album at best.

[@chadbaker2224]

@@laststraw9363 i actually love hail to the kings album drums. Theyre low tuned sounding, clear and have a really good pop to them. The stage's drum tone is a very close second

[@laststraw9363]

Chad Baker I respect that. I don’t enjoy them at all but I get it. Just not my style. If I’d rank my top 3, I’d struggle between The Stage, City of Evil and Nightmare. Songs like The Stage for the intro hand/feet pattern, Paradigm for its ghost note fills, Sidewinder, Save Me. Important honorable mention to Critical Acclaim for it’s first chorus’ snare/kick, ride bell pattern which Rev did live while singing! 🤘🏻🤘🏻 I understand the concept of simplicity and am all for it but I just can’t appreciate HTTK. I listen to a lot of simpler drummers and enjoy the craft but Avenged is one of those bands that can be a musical powerhouse. To me, it didn’t sound like Avenged was doing Avenged. It sounded like Avenged does Metallica, Guns, Maiden, etc and that was a problem for me. I wouldn’t see complicated bits in songs like Seize The Day but I did feel like HTTK was drums Groundhog Day.

[@TheZotman5]

Watch KZbin demonetize this video because some guy with a funny name was in it playing an Avenged Sevenfold song note per note.

[@Sound-GuyJC]

Zotman5 Rick Beato interviews Sinister Gates, I'm sure they have permission. Plus he has the stems of the racks.

[@TLMuse]

@Jody, I think @Zotman5 was half-joking. But only half. Having the stems means nothing; engineers share stems privately, but that does not mean the recipients can share them publicly. The fact that Synyster (watch the spelling!) is in this video needn't mean anything, either, in terms of permissions. Depending on his publication contract, he may not control the rights for his songs. For example, for decades none of the Beatles had control over the rights to their songs; Sir Paul only got some control back in 2017 after tough negotiations with Sony. In many of the WMTSG videos, Rick is careful to play only short segments of full mixes, to make sure they aren't long enough to trigger Google's auto-detectors. I'm not saying this to criticize you, just to point out the complicated hurdles KZbinrs face when trying to post content like this. Rick walks a tightrope practically every time he does one of these.

[@CornerBoothGames]

Jett Rainbow I see what you there 😂

[@joelcoool]

@@jettrainbow is that a steve zaragoza quote

[@andreasvarousiadis9464]

@WORST CHANNEL EVER nazi

[@highestsettings]

Big respect to this guy, I've never listened to Avenged Sevenfold (not really my scene tbh), but I definitely have a new found respect for them after this. Also it's so good that he said "don't think of this stuff when you're writing". Because you don't. I watch a lot of theory videos, and sometimes I start to doubt myself, because these composers do these cool theory things and I'm like "why don't I do that?". As if they've written these songs to work theoretically. No, the theory applies because they sound good, they don't sound good because they applied theory. Just write stuff that you think sounds cool, it's great to hear that from a professional.

[@turnleftaticeland]

awesome way of putting it

[@James-J-J-J]

You can use theory as a jumping off point sometimes though, if you’re after a certain sound/mode etc. it’s a complimentary tool to the writing process.

[@fredrikvrang532]

This is such an obvious slap in the face to those moron artists who block instructional videos. Time to grow up! Also, sevenfold thanx to Rick for all the great content.

[@RSPDiver]

The Gray Thrasher This, for sure.

[@TheSnaveeelPlaysGames]

One of the reasons why I’m only ever going to self represent and the idea of someone telling me when, who and where I play MY music makes me feel sick.

[@RCAvhstape]

@@AD1978leo No, some of the artists are also big time blockers and copyright hawks. I have heard Roger Hodgson of Supertramp is one, and I think the Eagles are too. Never forget Lars Ulrich and Metallica's great Napster episode. If you asked them specifically about Rick's instructional videos, most of those guys would probably be cool with it. But youtube is known as a place where uploaders blatantly violate copyrights, and there are way too many uploads each minute for a human to judge which ones are legit, so they just have dumb algorithms to indiscriminately block whole swaths of videos based on sound clips, legal or not.

[@Ryan-kc5pl]

@@AD1978leo plus things like this are way different than someone just being able to download the song to their phone or ipod for free. This actually promotes them more and they dont lose money.

[@highestsettings]

I feel like most artists would be honoured to be in a video like this. Not just because this guy really knows what he's talking about, but because we all learned music by listening to songs we liked. The idea of my music being used to teach others sounds amazing to me at least, and I hope one day there are little dudes and dudettes playing my riffs on guitar. So I imagine that's what most other artists feel like. I could be wrong though, I mean Led Zeppelin block tabs on Ultimate Guitar (or at least they used to).

[@RhiShadows]

I met Syn in person once (by accident, actually). The interaction was only for a few brief seconds, but by *god* he was super nice. I love this dude. Also, great song choice! Shepherd of Fire is one of my faves.

[@KaineHero]

The way that you said sinister was perfect. You were proud of that one. 2:55

[@frmcf]

He got 'gated' in there as well :)

[@deadstar44]

His face was a perfect "See what I did there" moment.

[@Tbone6string1]

My wife and I were driving back from Virginia Beach around 2013, and she was searching for something decent to listen to on the radio. Shepard of Fire was just starting, and we grew more amazed as the song went on. That was our intro to AX7.

[@ThatBlakeCampbell]

Treat yourself to City of Evil and their self-titled album if you haven’t already.

[@aceitedepegaazulejo3394]

I got intro on A7X because of Call of Duty Games themes, i know i can be called a big rat but i was a great guitarrist before i become a gamer, and one of them was Shepherd and Nightmare, and now they’re my fav songs, Hail to the king and The Stage are the ones i want to practice on guitar Syn... ur solos are so hard 😂

[@LouisWritingSomethingCrazy]

I just think it's cool to watch these two geeking out over music, and all kinds of music. I have a whole new respect for Sinister Gates.

[@gavinjones2977]

John Doe *Synyster

[@LouisWritingSomethingCrazy]

@@gavinjones2977 Thanks. I suck at names

[@Synysterjmz]

When you watch videos like this, you realise how awesome of a guitarist Synyster Gates is. The guy just oozes talent!

[@Teppa00]

7:56 Rick: Let's take a listen to the verse vocal solo. Shadows: LET'S TAKE A MOMENT AND BREAK THE ICE.

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

LOVE THIS!!!

[@davidbooth46ify]

Gross

[@adamquinn3230]

@@davidbooth46ify no one asked you.

[@TheRealHaloLover]

Gates is an amazing guitarist. How do I know? I can remember every solo he's played each with it's own sound

[@ThallanarRabidtooth]

When I'm doing the dishes I like to hum or sing guitar solos by Synyster Gates. There's enough that I've memorized and they're generally long enough for me to get through the more mundane parts of life.

[@solarwinds5114]

Hail to the King is a very underrated album, many people don't recognize all the interesting touches they put into the album

[@rhysgross2955]

Yeah they put a lot of work into it but it’s definitely their worst album. That doesn’t mean it’s bad but it’s the definitely at the bottom of their albums. Hell, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet is better than it

[@mikeshryock7427]

Brendan Keller nah chief. Sure it has interesting touches but it’s a heavily influenced album and to me it sounds like generic rock and not Avenged Sevenfold

[@Thund3rcrash]

@@rhysgross2955 respectfully disagree. I loved that album coz of all the different styles they grabbed. I hate the first album. Its the only one I dont own

[@charleshendrix3137]

It’s probably my favorite album of theirs.

[@tmmsplace]

Brendan Keller not underrated enough, apparently. It made Beato’s channel.

[@asicerik]

I don't typically comment on these, since I figure it will get lost in the noise, but I wanted to say thank you for this. The depth you go into here is just great. As a "muscian" and fan, it is wonderful to hear all of the insights. Thanks for the great videos Rick.

[@koalemos1679]

Can we pause a moment and thank whoever gave permission to use all this music thereby making this one of the best produced episodes in this series.

[@eliastandel]

Very cool too see you breaking down the song with the artist. Would love more of these types of WMTSG!

[@joeydeluca6771]

Synyster looks so relaxed while playing, like it's not even cause for any thought.

[@S00PAMARIO]

Hey Rick, great video! I bet if you contact Matt Heafy from Trivium, he would do a video like this with you. They have some pretty interesting songs to choose from, especially on the Sin and the Sentence and Shogun albums

[@flavy1000]

I vote for that!

[@melancholicartisan7138]

He'd just pick the most mainstream song anyway.

[@karterestill]

Oh hell yes!

[@toro514]

Yes that would also be cool!!

[@carltonhanks6679]

I'm 100% sure he'd love to do this, also I'm a Heafy fanboy so I need it

[@patrickfouhy9102]

Been an A7X fan for a loooong time, I've always thought that Syn is a bit under appreciated. Great interview Rick!!!

[@benjaminwatt2436]

They are a fantastic Metal band, unfortunately the type of metal they play will never be mainstream, so under appreciated will happen with these bands.

[@thomasmcgill6918]

Im sorry I dont have anything else to say except your interviews and presentation of these amazing talents are the best. Because of you all of these bands have a new fan... Thanks again for your hard work putting these videos together.

[@dudsguitarist]

I’ve been waiting for an Avenged episode, but having Syn on the episode, too, made it even better!

[@aaronthomas7976]

I hope that he does another episode on avenged sevenfold with a song from an earlier album, such as city of evil.

[@Vig21]

M.I.A syn is gotta hate it

[@jerrysparks8781]

Gates is spectacular to watch live. The best I’ve seen. By far.

[@Qman39]

I totally agree...I have seen a ton of shows with some great guitarists but not at this level!

[@rickt9569]

I can agree....and he makes it look effortless

[@mathewriffel503]

His dad Brian Gates is pretty Awesome too

[@rickt9569]

@@mathewriffel503 as his father says "ive taught him everything he knows but i havent taught him everything I know "

[@williamlewis6615]

These guys are the real deal live I've seen them several times and very impressed with your performance and their level of musicianship

[@patrickolivier1]

Ya man. Im not really a fan but my wife is, so we went to see them 3-4 times. And every time I’m impressed lol. They’re all great but Synyster is so in control of his instrument live, he makes it look so easy.

[@jenhansell3137]

I’ve only seen them once. I’m watching for when they come around again and have no intentions of missing them. But man, the one show was right after they came back from Jimmy’s death. They went on before disturbed but their show was so emotionally charged that it was like “oh right, they aren’t the headliner” and it took me out of it when it came to disturbed. Best band I’ve ever seen live, never felt like that at any show before or since.

[@kiretomaiden4717]

Syn.G. he is a great guitar player very precise, accurate and fast, creative, knowledgeable. A great guitarist and musician . He's a real giant. Syn. is N:1

[@kipris1993]

Through their most recent release, I got back into Avenged Sevenfold, after I lost touch with them over the Hail to the King era. They were my favorite band back in the late 10s, and I still consider City of Evil as one of the more fun albums to listen to and try to play along to. Also, Rick air-drumming and air guitaring over the song is showing how passionate he is with what he is doing. Favourite music channel on youtube!

[@atlys258]

I lost interest at the same time because although Hail to the King felt entirely uninspired, like they just decided to rip off the 80's. I may be in the wrong, but even after all this time for me it honestly still feels that way.

[@ShrubPlays]

@@atlys258 I can understand that. However, I see it as showing their appreciation and offering tribute to their favorites. Not only that, but as Syn stated in the video, they had a lot more classical influence in the album, and it definitely shows. Although it may have been lackluster and uninspired to many, I think it's because they were used to fast-tempos, and more complex song-writing. This record, was more of a straight-forward modern Metal album with 80's Metal and classical being big influences.

[@atlys258]

@@ShrubPlays Personally, the biggest draw for me to them was their creativity and originality and how for the most part they didn't sound like anyone other than themselves. I'm sure I'm over-projecting the feeling that with Hail, it finally sank in that Rev was gone like "Fuck, we still have to be a band and figure out how to right all over again.." I'll never ignore their talent and skill as musicians, but that particular outing _felt_ generic.

[@ShrubPlays]

@@atlys258 And that's fair, I definitely understand that view. I, however, take it for what it is. A modern Heavy Metal album. It's not very complex, influences shine through, but it still says Avenged Sevenfold to me. They have their own way of writing, and how they write is why they stand out. Though their style is always changing, you know its Avenged. Chugging riffs, harmonized riffs, anthemic choruses, and melodic but shreddy solos.

[@atlys258]

@@ShrubPlays True, those qualities are there. Just hasn't done anything for me yet, which is fine because I still love them and 6 of their 7 albums. Sometimes I just miss it, until years later when it finally lands. So far the only albums that have been hard misses are Hail and Underoath's Disambiguation.. Which is still an album I just haven't been able to wrap my head around.

[@CascadianExotics]

Avenged Sevenfold really grew on me. Initially, I was a bit reticent to accept them, but still appreciated their work. After working in a retail shop that played a lot of their music, I ended up really liking it. They just created a mashup of every trope that we all love about rock and metal in their work...and came to the conclusion that it's impossible to hate it!

[@joshuasill1141]

I have the same sentiment. My first introduction to A7X was Bat Country. I really, really, really hated that song. I felt the tempo and styling were all over the place and not a traditional hard rock/metal song. I grew listening to Metallica, Guns & Roses, Van Halen, Skid Row, and was into Nu Metal bands like Korn, Limp Biscuit, Lincoln Park etc. I really didn't appreciate A7X until I heard Almost Easy followed by Scream. Since then I have changed my tune. I saw the genius in Bat Country and count it as one of my favorite songs and it is in my regular rotation of songs to listen to.

[@gustavofring4363]

@@joshuasill1141 my story was completely opposite of yours lol, I listened to a few songs by them like shepherd of fire, nightmare etc and had respect for the band, didn't listen to them much tho, then I heard bat country and I fell in love with that band

[@Boudica234]

Man that solo is just killer. I remember when I 1st heard it totally blew me away. My fav solo of the 2000's.

[@moosemilk_]

I'd really love to hear a breakdown for 'Coming Home' from this same album. I absolutely love the solo and I feel like the song goes unrecognized.

[@heter0flexual623]

got to be one of the most underrated songs of all time. it is so fucking good yet no one talks about it

[@tegarbp7645]

yea, we need to hear Coming Home breakdown asap, broken solo 🔥

[@quickscopeoneeighty9158]

Wonderful episode! It's amazing that you had the chance to sit with Synister Gates and talk about the fundamentals of the song and album. Also really neat that he played and broke down what you pointed out. Every member of the band earns their keep by being fantastic musicians, including the newest member, former Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wakerman, who is an absolute machine on their latest record, The Stage.

[@Anonymiad]

He's beast af on that album

[@joshuasill1141]

I would like to see them redo Shepard of Fire with Brooks on the drums. Heck, imagine that record with Jimmy behind the skins.

[@o0Desimere0o]

One of my favorite Syn solos is in "strength of the world" you see his bluesy education come out in that solo and its nothing like a lot of metal "get through as many notes as you can as fast as you can" solos.

[@o0Desimere0o]

I said "solo" enough in that comment to make Harrison Ford look over his shoulder

[@DrSuess360]

@@o0Desimere0o Yeah. Looking over his shoulder and screaming at you that he's "played other characters"... 💀

[@kevinretro5725]

Another interesting fact on this album is that it ranks one of the highest dynamic range values of rock and metal for its year. And I believe A7Xs highest DR to date.

[@Unwanted.A7X]

would love them if they released earlier albums with better dynamic range...

[@nicholasfriesen5031]

Synster’s songwriting process “I’m gonna be in a rock and roll band and have a part where I flail wildly on the strings for 30 seconds to be a real dick to people playing guitar hero”

[@milesmayes]

😂

[@Sleeper519]

Rick's musical IQ is at super-Mensa levels, could watch him for hours (and often do!).

[@benjaminwatt2436]

all respect to Rick, he's awesome, btw "mensa' in Spanish means idiot. I love telling my ELLs that there is a genius test called mensa in English, they never believe me.

[@CHR-me]

12:23 Omg his action is so low, must be feelin like butter playin' on this. Great video as always rick

[@protunno87]

Solo at 11:51 makes the song great

[@sheel2]

Great interview. I really like how humble Syn is and like how he seems to really enjoy sharing the fine details and insight into their recording process. Much respect.

[@joelmacdonald6994]

My god, I love how far these guys have come musically over their career. They were never a bad band, and I do like their early stuff, but omg have they ever come a long way!

[@chrisc765]

every guitarist should come explain every lick like this on rick beato. aweseome!

[@ChristopherVanDerWesthuizen]

Synyster Gates is such a class act. So professional.

[@TheRedOctoberProject]

Looking at these clips of SG playing it really strikes me how soft his touch on his instrument is for playing such heavy music. I daresay it's almost delicate.

[@eclecticmuso]

Makes sense to me with his Dad being a session player, they tend to have a lighter touch.

[@Clean-tr8pz]

he took lessons to be a session player and was more of a classical guitarist. He is EXTREMELY talented

[@benjamincolvin8267]

This is just pure gold love this episode especially when syn talks about the solo and the theory behind it I love it..

[@jerrybiv1441]

It’s SO AWESOME to see Syn explaining how he was able to write the solos & the way he played it, PIECE by PIECE as Rick would play piece of the song, & ask him questions about his process, just beautiful to see…& even more eye opening to see the Legend of Synister Gates explains how so much was able to written through various different iterations of sound & the gear that he & they have used…simply mind boggling, followed by Rick’s questions ROCK ON’ to BOTH of you guys 🤘🏼😆🤘🏼🤘🏼😆🤘🏼🤘🏼😆🤘🏼🤘🏼😆🤘🏼🤘🏼😆🤘🏼🤘🏼😆🤘🏼🤘🏼😆🤘🏼

[@kuzniarito1542]

I'm waiting for promised Mr. Bungle episode, that'll be awesome

[@Thunderdog73]

Kuzniarito The singer looks like that singer from Faith No More.

[@krisdaschwab912]

@@Thunderdog73 Bruh, same guy.

[@saturnus2112]

" "

[@americanmetalhead7318]

krisdaschwab912 that’s the joke...

[@TheDogggrecords]

Yes!!

[@michaelhiltz7846]

Man this is probably my favourite episode. I love it when you bring in the artists to talk about their music. Avenged Sevenfold is one of my favourite bands, I would love it if you could do an episode of either Fiction, or I won't see you tonight part 1.

[@dosgos]

Fantastic and riveting interview. Props to guest for his talent, modesty and taking the time to share so much knowledge. Rick has perfected the format to interview our superstars. Hopefully they are lining up for interviews.

[@Fullmetalirish7]

I love that you really breakdown every aspect of the song in this series, and of course having access to one of the artists who helped create the song is brilliant, great interview with Syn!

[@SimpleManGuitars1973]

I'm sure most are surprised to hear they listened to classical while making this album because it seems most seem to think they only listened to the Black Album from Metallica. LOL! I think this song is cool though. I'm not a big fan of this band per se but this guy can seriously play and I appreciate that he likes gypsy jazz as well.

[@JohnGatesIII]

I ask my wife who she thought it was, after the vocals came in, and she said without hesitation......Metallica......LOL. Sounds like James' doppelganger. The band itself sounds like a cleaner, more refined, Metallica. Nothing wrong with that....just what IS.

[@bflippsytrance]

Right on, I couldn't help but getting confused thinking I was listening to a Metallica track performed by another band, and I sure have listened to loads of metal in my lifetime to differentiate bands from one another.. It's a good track tho, and there's nothing wrong with sounding quite like Metallica in their younger days.. Also nice to hear they're being inspired by a wide variety of music and musical genres..

[@SimpleManGuitars1973]

@SSMH Every video I've ever seen of songs from this album inevitably have people in the comments saying "this sounds like Enter Sandman" or "this sounds like Sad But True" and some even say they also ripped off Megadeth for some songs. It just seems like they get a lot of hate.

[@cbeserra]

I thought the exact same thing. Sounds exactly like the Black album to me.

[@nhiexelvisualz5950]

Yep when the guitar came in I immediately thought of Enter Sandman. Even the drums. It's like a modified riff. Well it's good to hear since I'm a fan of Metallica and I like some A7X songs.

[@infuriatedsloth3335]

11:34 its known as the Portnoy fill to a lot of us drummers

[@CannibalCommunist]

This is the best WMTSG you've put out Rick. I wish that all artists would give your channel the access it deserves. This is a particularly good episode because it delves deep into the song writing process, which is content that's been historically hard to come by. You gotta see if you can negotiate for some more access lol.

[@raezzordaze8021]

Not gonna lie, I never heard this song before or even much A7F before. Really enjoyed this. Thanks Rick!

[@wanhazman868]

Its A7X

[@sandstorm1136]

@@wanhazman868 It's*

[@spencwl]

@@sandstorm1136 sandstorm*

[@slavesforging5361]

Okay... This is my favorite video i think i've ever watched on youtube! i'm giddy as a school boy (to put it in Indiana Jones terms). Two of my absolute favorite living musicians chumming it up, asking good questions, giving great insights and one of the best modern guitar solo's laid out by the man himself. listening to you two geek out on music theory on this song was awesome. thank you so much for telling what kind of amps they used! i'd never even heard of those two companies! This made my quarter! I couldn't wait to record some music after waking up to this video. it really felt like i was there in the room with you two, every thing was so casual and natural. i cannot thank everyone involved in this enough! I'm fanboying out over here. excellent song choice. i always enjoy when you take what everyone thinks is a simple song, and show how dynamic, composed, and deliberate it is. (like your Them Bones video).

[@russk1971]

Great interview 👍 this young guitar player is humble and knowledgeable. I just started getting into shred guitar music. I've always admired those who can play fast. This guy explains his jazz and classical appreciation. When I hear this song I think of old Hammer horror movies. They always used the music to enhance the feeling of dread and terror.

[@zambe1915]

this song brings back memories of watching the origins trailer

[@thomasjurgensen9235]

Finally a comment about Origins! THANK YOU!

[@borz666]

Would love to see “Ghost - Cirice” on this series.

[@galacticjuicedaddy1305]

Amazing band. Can't believe he hasn't done an ep on them yet. Would love to see an ep on secular haze.

[@dappunk1]

hashbrown 411 I hope it’s literally anything other than Secular Haze

[@fajaradi1223]

@Duke of Haphazard Kinda agree with you. But when I see billboard 100 chart. Damn ... We need to hype Ghost and other rock/metal band even more.

[@RB-zh1eq]

Thanks for keeping rock n roll alive. Love your channel, Rick.

[@michaelfusciardi550]

“It gives this really synyster vibe” he could help but crack a smile I love that.

[@safenders]

When I watch Rick's videos, I feel as though I'm experiencing something from a better time. You just don't get quality like this these days....

[@soramonium]

What gets me is that Rick at any moment could have messages in his inbox from Synyster Gates, Eric Johnson, Satriani, Vai, Etc.... All at the same time! Man, what a life!

[@yourshadowself]

Hi Rick. Please consider 'Unsung' by Helmet. The drum track alone is worth the marvel. They band has isolated guitar, bass and drums tracks for that song on their KZbin channel. What great song!

[@creedolala6918]

Very tight song, rhythm is so perfect you'd swear they used a machine.

[@felipevieira2158]

Up!

[@yourshadowself]

CreeDo Lala John Stanier is an incredibly accurate and crisp drummer who continues to inspire me. His work on The Mark of Cain’s Ill At Ease album is on par with Meantime

[@creedolala6918]

@@yourshadowself I had to look up that band, I didn't know them. I saw that they went through 15 different drummers and I was like "no way they fired John Stanier." ..but of course he's the one that made them stop searching.

[@yourshadowself]

CreeDo Lala List that under things could never happen. If you’re interested check out Stanier on the Mark of Cain song Interloper. Pick a live video. There’s a decent quality one on their channel TMOCaustralia - I don’t think you’ll be disappointed

[@oneofthenorth]

This is a bloody brilliant video! So cool getting a video interview/lesson with the actual artist, as well as your phenomenal music theory take on things. Really, really awesome stuff. Thankyou.

[@mgrocki]

I love how you dip into the whole spectrum of rock and metal, keep it up my man!

[@finianholland7654]

I remember hearing this as my first avenged sevenfold song when I was like 13. Then my friend introduced me to hat country, carry on, and little piece of heaven. Best fucking band ever (well maybe not better than pinkly smooth)

[@Tsz2g4f]

Hat country is their best song!

[@kensurrency2564]

@@Tsz2g4f lol. Love it.

[@milesmayes]

Only real fans know pinkly smooth, respect man

[@Palikroked87]

This was amazing! Hopefully next time you guys talk about "The Stage"

[@Omega-fb9ji]

You should do a breakdown of The Stage. I would say It's even more interesting musically.

[@fixxxer93]

I'd like to see an episode on The Stage. Would be awesome. I like watching his videos cause you hear more of the song.

[@mitchweiner]

Syn looks like a young Campbell Scott! He’s very articulate. A real joy to hear!

[@jerryarmitage8904]

Synister Gates is so under rated. One of the most incredible solo's I've ever heard was on the song After Life. If you never heard it. Do yourself a favor and check it out. This guy is really good.

[@joshuasill1141]

I love his solo on Hail to the King

[@martinscholes9314]

He's a proper musician. Knows his craft and very generously sharing the secrets. Pure talent

[@AVPIChannel]

I'd love to see a video for "The Stage"

[@diego_fg95]

Wow!! I have no words, amazing video. I loved the close look to the solo performed perfectly by synyster, just perfect. I'm jealous of you for having the oportunity to be with synyster playing and talking about music.

[@glasshouseproject7098]

You have the multitracks😱 siiick

[@dvrkstrvnd]

A7X has the tracks for all their stuff from Self titled onward so they probably gave the tracks to Rick specifically for this video

[@Anonymous-mx9dh]

@@dvrkstrvnd or he may be filming in their studio.

[@dvrkstrvnd]

@@Anonymous-mx9dh Judging from the clips it doesn’t look like their studio where they do their breakdown videos and go through tracks picked by fans (but it is possible) I think they’re in Ricks own place and he probably reached out to the artist/producer to get the stems/tracks. I know that’s what he did when did a “What Makes this song Great” on Periphery. He got the tracks from their bassist/producer Adam Nolly Getgood

[@Anonymous-mx9dh]

@@dvrkstrvnd yea he did say he and Syn were good friends. Probably just gave him the Pro Tools session

[@keithmancinelli3170]

Great video, and I love that you were able to talk with Synyster to get more specifics like you do. Also, I loved the line he said how his father called it 'creating your own weather', that makes a lot of sense.

[@PiDev]

I was hoping for Chapter Four, but I'm sure I will enjoy this too.

[@darkneal]

Not only my fave A7X song, but my fave song from ANYBODY. Its a work of genius. I don't like Hail to the King too much but at least Rick didn't do a song from The Stage, i appreciate a lot of fans like that album, but man, its just not the A7X i like.

[@PiDev]

The guitar solo with the vocals used as part of the rhythm section, the guitar drawing a dancing line through it, sends chills down my spine every time I hear it.

[@shauncarter924]

I dig this format. Getting clues and inside info from the person/people/band that wrote the song really sheds light on the recording process. Good work Rick.

[@wiggy009]

Rick, you know I'm asking for dream theater buddy :)

[@InfraWoW]

Stream of Consciousness!

[@jeCktHeReal]

not just you, a lot of other people :P

[@coda5934]

The dance of eternity

[@alejom1851]

Pull me under

[@wiggy009]

All these songs are great

[@blasstois]

Before watching I am excited to hear what he says about the drum fill at the end.

[@assassineater145]

Awesome Breaksown! Ricks Air drumming cured my depression

[@tonyg_fgc8152]

Most Avenged Sevenfold songs are masterpieces and have a lot to unfold. Do more please!

[@ShaneT5S]

This was definitely my favorite song of the album. The other songs are great, some not as great as others, but this is 100% my favorite. and it was good to hear all this theory as well

[@russellcilibraise6820]

so awesome you can break a song down with the artist like this. Who else does this at this depth? especially with a guy this famous

[@madmike078]

This is so cool! Would be great if you can get more of the original artists on WMTSG episodes, even though I know that will be quit hard to accomplish.

[@justinbowen1183]

This is a fantastic episode of a breakdown. Not only is he doing the guitar player but he's doing everything including the bass player. Very well executed!

[@dicecard921]

Do Gojira sometime

[@psyghtseer]

clone or lizard skin. or art of dying but... might be too much

[@benjaminlandrum4942]

@@psyghtseer while I would love to hear him dive into those songs. I feel like he would probably choose something off the Magma album. Who knows!

[@TheCivildecay]

Gojira would be awesome

[@Caine61]

Would love to see Rick break down Flying Whales

[@LiamNoir]

YESSS!

[@Victor76661]

When he mentions the band enjoys making the dramatic crazy openers, the song "The Stage" just started playing in my head

[@Altroante]

I'm so happy you and Syn are such friends. Having two of my favorite musicians in the same video this often is such a treat!

[@smahiz]

I haven't watched all of this playlist, but this one stands out having one of the artists so involved. Great to see and loved this video!