AVENGED SEVENFOLD's Music For Upcoming Album Is 'Pretty Much Completely Aggro'

AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Zacky Vengeance spoke to U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine about the direction of the material for the band's next album, which is tentatively due in 2016. He said: "It's pretty much completely aggro. It goes in all sorts of aggressive directions and melodic directions. It has a lot of metal elements that we grew up loving. And tons of melody. It's hard to say. At this point, the only word that would describe it is 'aggro.'"

Drummer Brooks Wackerman, who joined AVENGED SEVENFOLD earlier this year following the departure of Arin Ilejay, added: "It's going to be a completely different record once again. I just know that, even though it will still sound like AVENGED, it's going to be different to [2013's] 'Hail To The King'. I think there will be a little more classic AVENGED in there, intertwined with some new flavors."

According to AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Synyster Gates, all five members of the band are contributing to the songwriting process. He said: "We want everybody to be in their own headspace to add a different element to the pot, because we really enjoy being an eclectic band and approaching music in a different way."

He added: "I'm really trying to write music that excites me. But it's always going to come through the AVENGED SEVENFOLD filter; it's always going to be on the heavy side."

Wackerman announced his departure from BAD RELIGION on October 28, explaining in a statement that "it was time" for him "to pursue another path."

Wackerman joined BAD RELIGION in 2001 and made his studio debut with the band on 2002's "The Process Of Belief" album.

In addition to playing with BAD RELIGION, Wackerman has in the past played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and INFECTIOUS GROOVES, while also doing session work for KORN, Avril Lavigne, TENACIOUS D and others.