Avenged Sevenfold

[Locals Only] Beneath the Buried Are Shredding at the Steakhouse

We all know that in addition to aged steaks and lobster tail, La Cave serves up a variety of musical genres in its guise as Costa Mesa's favorite burgundy-brown den of decadence. While indie bands and trance DJs have done well on the calendar alongside Phil Shane, '80s & '90s flashback night, an ... More >>

Beneath The Buried's La Cave Residency Brings Metal Back to Our Favorite Steakhouse

We all know that in addition to aged steaks and lobster tail, La Cave serves up a variety of musical genres under the guise of Costa Mesa's favorite burgundy-brown den of decadence. But while indie bands and trance DJs have done well on the calendar alongside Phil Shane, 80s flashback night and lege ... More >>

NAMM Announces Best in Show Winners

The fact that NAMM's Sunday Best in Show event, featuring a panel discussion of the week's  coolest gadgets and companies, happened at the ungodly hour of 8 a.m.and was still packed speaks volumes about the allure of this epic trade show and its ability to inspire musical gear heads and retaile ... More >>

Your Nominees for the 2013 OC Music Awards

Now that we've shaken off the hangover of 2012, we've double checked our watches and realized that the first full week in January is time for one thing and one thing only: a new season of OC Music Awards madness. Today, the nominees for the 2013 Awards ceremony (hosted  at the City National Gro ... More >>

Top 25 Greatest Orange County Bands of All Time: The Complete List

Go ahead, call us a bunch of culture-less, lily-white suburbanites with a partiality to flip-flops and right-wing politics. Those kind of labels never cease to amuse us. Because one thing that instantly dooms most of the tired cliches ascribed to OC is the music--the one-of-a-kind frustration, aggre ... More >>

Top 25 Greatest Orange County Bands of All Time: 14-6

14. Reel Big FishZany, wacky, ska-rooted (though they rock harder now) Reel Big Fish elevate self-deprecation to an art form, thanks to a malcontent lead singer in Aaron Barrett, who beats you to the punch with peppy lyrics like "I'll never be anything, anything at all." He lays down these anti-What ... More >>

Heard Mentality's Top Posts of 2011

​Wow, 2011 sure went by fast. And while our most popular posts had all the elements that make up the Interwebz (cats, Kreayshawn and Lil Wayne all made the list) we found that our biggest hits are made up of solid news coverage. Read on to see our most popular posts of 2011!

OC Music Awards Acquired by PR Agency

[Mental Notes] Juggalos are a real threat, according to the FBI

OC Music Awards Acquired by PR Firm

Christopher Victorio/OC WeeklyJustin Sane of Avenged Sevenfold accepting an award at the 2011 OC Music Awards for Best Album​Today the ACE Agency announced it acquired the OC Music Awards. The Santa Ana PR/events company is taking over from producer Luke Allen (who owns rehearsal studio Gemini Stu ... More >>

Avenged Sevenfold to Headline X1039's Very Merry Xmas Party

Christopher Victorio/OC WeeklyAvenged Sevenfold at Uproar Festival last year​​Avenged Sevenfold will headline X1039's Very Merry Xmas Party on Dec.17 at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario. The Huntington Beach locals will be supported by Hollywood Undead, Asking Alexandria, and Black Ve ... More >>

Local Record Review: 'Move Like Music' by Move Like Music

Beat Blvd. is Heard Mentality's weekly review of local releases. If you're an OC musician or band with something new to offer--vinyl single, full-length album, CD, cassette--we want to hear from you! Send copies, along with any photos and PR material, to Beat Blvd., c/o OC Weekly, 2975 Red Hill A ... More >>

Sheila E., Still Hot

[Mental Notes] Plus, Avenged Sevenfold's the Rev portrayed by a local 13-year-old drummer

The 2011 OC Music Awards

[Mental Notes] Stan Freese, Wildboys, Dahga Bloom, Micah Brown and BLOK all made the OCMA pretty memorable

The OC Music Awards Last Night at the City National Grove of Anaheim

Christopher Victorio/OC WeeklyThe Growlers won Best Surf​10th Annual OC Music Awards The City National Grove of AnaheimMarch 5, 2010As the 10th Annual OC Music Awards sails off into our memories, there are a few highlights to discuss. The final award show, held Saturday night at the City ... More >>

Avenged Sevenfold and A Perfect Circle Headlining Rock on the Range

Avenged Sevenfold​OC-based Avenged Sevenfold and drummer Josh Freese of A Perfect Circle will be headlining the hard-rock music fest Rock on the Range. The 5th annual celebration will be held on May 21 and May 22 at the Columbus Crew Stadium in Ohio. It will commence early Friday evening with ... More >>

Wildboys

Detroit Bar

Grrl Fair Turns 10

[Mental Notes] Also, a new drummer for A7F, a new name for the Grove, and new nominees for the OCMAs

OC Music Awards Nominees Are Out Now!

Dagha Bloom nominated for Best New Album​​Finally, the nomination ballots are in, and the 2011 nominees have been announced. Some artists are past winners, while other nominees are fresh faces to the OC scene. The OC Music Awards added two new categories for this year: Best Youth Artist and ... More >>

Avenged Sevenfold Names Arin Ilejay as New Drummer

Avenged Sevenfold in 2007.​Huntington Beach-based Avenged Sevenfold suffered a loss in December 2009 when drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan passed away at age 28. Now, just a little over a year later, Avenged Sevenfold has named Arin Ilejay (formerly of the now defunct "metalcore" band Confide) as ... More >>

Hide Your Kids, Hide Your Wife

But not your WiFi! In 2010, the Internet was the medium by which we all went what the fuck?

Ten Most WTF Music Stories of 2010

​We twittered, shared and reposted all these stories ad nauseum in 2010--for a good reason. This year, trashy viral videos made more of an impact than the Grammys, and Antoine Dodson was more memorable than Beatles songs finally getting on iTunes. So the line  blurring of talent and fame is m ... More >>

Brian Haner

Brea Improv

Paramore, Steelwells, Local Natives and Others In This Week's Links Roundup

Christopher Victorio / OC WeeklyParamore's Hayley Williams in Anaheim.​This edition in links to OC-related music writing that we didn't write...

Uproar Festival: Disturbed and Avenged Sevenfold at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Over the Weekend

Christopher Victorio/OC WeeklyCheck o​ut our Uproar Festival slideshow featuring Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Stone Sour, Halestorm, Hellyeah, Airbourne, Hail the Villian and New Medicine here!Uproar Festival feat. Avenged Sevenfold and DisturbedSeptember 17, 2010Verizon Wireless AmphitheaterThe ... More >>

What You Missed: OC Mr. Gay, Avenged Sevenfold, Surfing Dogs, Reel Big Fish

Mary Bell/OC Weekly​What'd you miss this weekend? We hit up the first ever Orange County Mr. Gay Competition, where Tustin native Tyron Jackson nabbed top honors. Next, we checked out Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Stone Sour and co. at the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival stop in Irvine. A do ... More >>

Avenged Sevenfold Drummer's Condo Sold

[Mental Notes] Disney parodies viral video to market Rapunzel movie 'Tangled,' Glee's Matthew Morrison hooks up with 'NSync's JC Chasez

Uproar Festival's Headliners Charttoppers: Disturbed's 'Asylum' Hit No. 1 on Billboard Today

​Today we found out that both Rockstar's Uproar Festival headliners' albums debuted at No. 1 this summer. Avenged Sevenfold held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart just a few weeks ago with their new CD Nightmare, and the eponymous single has also been No. 1 on rock radio for the thre ... More >>

Avenged Sevenfold Drummer Jimmy Sullivan's Oceanfront Condo Sold for $500,000

​​Last July, the oceanfront condo in downtown Huntington Beach where the Avenged Sevenfold drummer was found dead was put up for sale. Jimmy Sullivan found dead of an accidental overdose in the condo last December. The 28-year-old, also called "The Rev," had a music studio in the ... More >>

Avenged Sevenfold's 'Nightmare' Goes to No. 1 on Billboard 200

​Billboard reports that Huntington Beach natives Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare debuted at No. 1. It's the band's first No. 1 album, and it bumped down Eminem's Recovery, which spent five weeks at No. 1. It's also Avenged Sevenfold's highest charting record; its 2007 debut peaked at No. 4. 

Avenged Sevenfold Wants to Chat

​So Huntington Beach's Avenged Sevenfold released their fifth studio album, Nightmare, yesterday. Tomorrow at 2 p.m., they'll be holding a live chat with fans who've bought a  copy of their album. You can watch it here. Starting tomorrow, too, fans can buy a copy of Nightmare at the Best ... More >>

Wee Man In Mariachi Divas Video

[Mental Notes] Also, Avenged Sevenfold drummer's cause of death, Rock the Bells has Lauryn Hill

Cause Of Death Revealed: Avenged Sevenfold Drummer Died of Accidental Overdose

​[via Rolling Stone] Orange County Deputy Coroner Mitchell Sigal confirmed today that Avenged Sevenfold drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan died on December 28, 2009 from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs and alcohol. The toxicology report said Sullivan suffered "acute polydrug intoxica ... More >>

Brian Haner

Brea Improv

Brain Haner

Brea Improv

OC Register Thinks Avenged Sevenfold Could Replace 'The Rev' with 4-Year-Old

Orange County Register Pop Music critic Ben Wener writes that Avenged Sevenfold might wanna consider a 4-year-old to replace drummer James "The Rev" Sullivan. That's right. Less than three weeks after the extremely talented musician died in his Huntington Beach home, Wener has suggested a substitute ... More >>

Q&A: Atreyu Drummer Brandon Saller on New Solo Project, His Pal James Sullivan

Brandon Saller has spent the past decade-plus drumming, co-writing and singing backup vocals for Atreyu. The Orange County metalcore band's string of hit singles--"Ex's and Oh's" (2006), "Becoming the Bull" ('07), "Falling Down" ('08) and "Storm To Pass," off Areyu's latest album Congregation of t ... More >>

Today in Music News: Update on Avenged Sevenfold Drummer's Death, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney

Autopsy scheduled for Avenged Sevenfold drummer James Owen Sullivan, found dead Monday in Huntington Beach. Read our blog post from last night for the band's official statement and stay tuned for further updates.Lady Gaga promises to write own music, take different direction on new album. No word ... More >>

TV Interview with Avenged Sevenfold Drummer James Sullivan

Avenged Sevenfold drummer James "The Rev" Sullivan, found dead in Huntington Beach Monday, interviewed with band mate Jonathan "Johnny Christ" Seward for the TV program Asia Uncut. Asked about Orange County being a "bastion of conservatism," Sullivan says that his "generation...was kinda rebeling ... More >>

Avenged Sevenfold Drummer Found Dead in Huntington Beach

​Sadly already time to add another one to the 2009 death list: Avenged Sevenfold drummer James Owen Sullivan was found dead earlier today in his Huntington Beach home. Sullivan, better known to fans as the Rev, was 28.According to the OC Register, Sullivan seems to have passed away due to natural ... More >>

Trying to Make Sense of the OC Music Awards Nominees

Everyone I've talked to about the OC Music Awards nominee list, released yesterday, seems to have the same reaction: Huh? Why are young, unsigned bands like The Jakes competing against veteran, internationally known acts like The Offspring, who had Billboard's #1 Hot Modern Rock Track for 11 weeks l ... More >>

OC Music Awards Nominees Announced

I'll have some more thoughts on the more, uh, interesting choices made by the academy (which I am not a part of, despite what their Web site says) a little later, but for now here's the full list of nominees, unedited from the OC Music Awards press release.

Hits!

Bionic Records

Super Secret Spectacular!

The 100 Most Important OC Musicians of All Time

DJ Nobody: Twice as important as most OC musicians. Orange County has been a fertile breeding ground for musicians of many stripes since the beginning of electricity. We at Heard Mentality would like to ask you—the good-looking, intelligent readers of this blog—for your opinions on this impor ... More >>

Lalita Opening at Fury

Last night was the opening of Lalita, a new Monday club at Fury, and Leslie (Le Receptionist) came along with me to provide her brilliant photography skills. This was my first time going to Fury, and weekday night clubs are always questionable in terms of awesomeness. Sometimes they absolutely go of ... More >>

Aural Reports

Empire of Empowerment: Artistdriven's Corey Katouli has a marketing plan for you

Dead Hot Crazy

NOV. 24 DEC. 1

National Compact Disc

Bad Catholic Boys

Avenged Sevenfold are angry and tortured, kinda

Texas is the Reason