What Avenged Sevenfold Fans Are Saying in Defense of New 'STATICA' EP

Here's what Avenged Sevenfold fans are saying in defense of the band's new STATICA EP that came out at the end of last week.

The band surprise-dropped the release on July 23 and it's certainly unlike anything they've ever done before. The songs have a mostly electronic feel with some hip-hop flavors and vocal effects. It generated a big mix of reactions from fans — most of whom felt negatively about it.

Some listeners have made compelling arguments in support of the experimental set of songs, though.

Keep reading to see what STATICA defenders have been saying online over the last few days since its release.

What Are Avenged Sevenfold Fans Saying in Defense of 'STATICA'?

We were curious what fans have been saying about the EP and headed over to the Avenged Sevenfold Reddit page to find out.

In a post titled "How I Feel Reading All the Backlash on Every Social Media Platform," one fan wrote:

Seriously!! I absolutely love the 'STATICA' release and I love the way they did it. I’ve been lurking this forum and cracking up at the reactions the entire time knowing that the band has probably been doing the same thing. I’ve been a fan since ['Sounding the Seventh Trumpet'] and I have always enjoyed when they changed it up. Anyone who has been a long time fan knows they love to experiment with their sound. I’ve been watching old interviews too and Matt [Shadows] says they love to piss off people, literally why they came up with stage names.

I hate this culture of gate keeping in every freaking group I swear. You like 'Star Wars'? Toxic community. You like metal? Toxic. God forbid don’t even get me started on being a female metal head (but ackkktually do you even like non popular songs?! Prove it!!) Even a damn gardening community I’m in is toxic as hell wtf. What happened to people?

Also you’d think that fans would have empathy and critical thinking skills. Do you really think it’s healthy for Matt to be coming out with screaming lyrics? It seems cruel for fans to be demanding that music from someone who has had to have surgery on their vocal cords. Do you even care about the longevity of the band or only your own selfish desires? It just seems like a logical progression of their music when you include that as a factor, yet people act surprised and mind blown. Based on another interview he clearly states that screaming lyrics are lazy in his opinion and wanted to challenge himself to come up with more melodic and creative lyrics. It sounds to me that the people screaming the loudest about their disdain are the ones not really listening to what the band said eight years ago.

I digress, but I hope A7X isn’t discouraged by the whining and hate being thrown at them. I hope they keep it up. Can't wait to see them in a few weeks, whatever they decide to play. I’m not gonna let this sub get me down about my favorite band.

Another post, titled "STATICA Confused My Brain," offered a bit more of a nuanced perspective.

The fan didn't like the songs at first and eventually started to appreciate them more as they continued to listen. They wrote:

On Friday, I first listened to 'STATICA' and I thought it was incoherent slop. Like there were cool parts, but the vocal effects and random noises sounded like garbage. Like audible poo poo. And I absolutely loved "Magic" and ['Life Is But a Dream...']. I immediately listened to 'Waking the Fallen' and 'The Stage.'

On Saturday, I started to listen to it a little more and I found it more tolerable. I picked up different things, looked up the lyrics and tried to understand the meanings. I still didn't enjoy it, but it was much more listenable.

Yesterday, I found myself starting to enjoy it more. I found some of the classic A7X-isms within 'STATICA' that is underneath everything else. I truly was starting to enjoy it and vibe to it.

And starting this morning, I just feel a little like....
All the people all around the world rejoice, we all rejoice

There's so many cool things to like about this that you don't find with the first few listens. It's an absolute vibe.

While I do wish they would put out some more classic sounding A7X stuff, I still found myself truly enjoying it. And, as someone with a deathbat tattoo, I still wouldn't care if I didn't find myself enjoying it, as I would just not listen to it lol.

Them making new music that doesn't sit right with people doesn't undo all of the amazing art that they've done for 25+ years.

Another individual suggested that Avenged's fanbase should've anticipated this kind of release in a post titled "STATICA is a project we all should've seen coming" because of how the band has explored different styles throughout their career:

Disclaimer: I personally really enjoy 'STATICA,' but I completely understand why the majority hate it. This post is more about me processing how we got here.

I've studied music and music theory since I was a small child and it's become an obsession of mine. I certainly have my genre preferences (metal and classical are my go-to's), but I have grown to appreciate each genre for what it is.

I grew to love A7X because of their creativity, masterful arranging, and the ability to make the absolute most out of the music theory that they know.

When I listen to 'STATICA,' I still hear a lot of A7X flavors, just with a different coat of paint. When looking back and trying to figure out how we got here, there are many bread crumbs that I think show that this EP was an inevitability. There's the neo-classical influence on 'City of Evil,' the baby genre blending on the self-titled record (shoutout autotune in "Lost"), the fact that the band members are gamers, the redefinition of 'Hail to the King,' the exploration of 'The Stage' and of course, 'Life Is But a Dream...' existing. In general, each A7X album is more expansive and weird than the last, though the signs weren't flashing red until a few years ago.

I also think each A7X album has gotten more sophisticated in terms of music theory and the crafting of progressions, but that sadly only really serves nerds like me rather than, well, THE FANBASE OF A7X. I think that there comes a point in music theory where the music gets so complex that it's more disorienting for general audiences than enjoyable, and I think 'STATICA' is pretty far beyond that. When you combine this with the fact that A7X completely genre flipped with this new release, I understand why the majority of fans dislike it. It's a project that feels alienating by design, though I doubt that was the intention. I feel for the people that miss the days when A7X was strictly metal.

Also, an aside: since they are going this electronic route I think they need a producer that is more accustomed to electronica than rock and metal. My biggest gripe with 'LIBAD,' "Magic" and 'STATICA' are the mixes, not the songwriting.

Is 'STATICA' Its Own Separate Project?

It's still a bit unclear whether Avenged Sevenfold are treating STATICA as its own separate entity or as part of their discography. While it's listed as an Avenged EP on streaming services, they played the album live for the first time from backstage during their 2026 North American co-headlining tour kickoff with Good Charlotte Saturday night (July 25) under the moniker Statica.

READ MORE: 10 Rock Artists That Went Pop

Avenged shared a social media post with the set times ahead of the show, which listed Statica as a performer between opener Jayden Hammer and Good Charlotte (see below). As noted by The PRP,  “the group’s performance took place backstage and was broadcast to those in attendance via accompanying screens as part of the stage production.”

While the Statica band performance certainly can be a promotional vehicle tied to the surprise release, questions linger. In addition to the tour kickoff, Statica played at the second stop in Minnesota. The tour's third stop will be Thursday (July 30) in Tinley Park, Illinois.

See what other big rock and metal tours are happening the rest of 2026 in the gallery below.