Update: Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows has taken to Twitter to say that the band was hacked, the festival appearances have not been cancelled, and the podcast from the band with Shadows reading off the cancelations is "not him." So it's probably safe to assume that something is up with Avenged Sevenfold at the moment. Maybe this is the start of a new album cycle?
I mean, getting hacked and having fake cancelations surface is one thing… but to have someone get into your podcast and generate Shadows' voice reading an entire statement feels pretty farfetched. Stay tuned.
Original story: Avenged Sevenfold has dropped off both Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple due to delays with their long-awaited new album. Weirdly, Avenged Sevenfold decided only to comment on the cancellations on their Trax podcast, and not offer a transcribed version on their social media.
Avenged Sevenfold was slated to play both Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple this May. Neither festival has commented on the cancellations just yet. This is also an interesting development given Avenged Sevenfold mentioned their new album was completely recorded in September and started teasing it a little in November. It's worth mentioning that Avenged Sevenfold pulled some real red herring-style marketing tactics around the release of The Stage (remember Voltaic Oceans?), so maybe this is all a ruse?
A transcription of the band's comments from their Trax podcast are as follows:
"Hey, Trax listeners, we're so sorry to bring bad news to you all, but I wanted you to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. We've had some unexpected delays on the new album and have decided to cancel our appearances at Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple to focus on finishing it up. It breaks our heart to do this, but some things have to be done.
"I understand this is disappointing news for everyone, and I want to let you know that we are truly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. Creating new music is a passion we have dedicated our lives to, and we believe our fans deserve nothing but the best from us. We put our hearts and souls into this new project to make it the best it can be.
"We've been working tirelessly on this new music and are committed to bringing it to you as soon as possible. We know that cancelling more shows is a major disappointment, and I want to assure you that this is a decision we did not make lightly. Many of you will be let down and frustrated. And for that we are deeply sorry.
"We want to thank you for your understanding and support during this time. Your dedication to our music and your unwavering enthusiasm for our shows inspire us every day. We promise to make it up to you, and we will see you soon. Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and we thank you for your patience and understanding."
