If you were a metalhead in 2008, you probably remember the sheer chaos of the Orange County scene. It was a weird, transitional time for heavy music, but Avenged Sevenfold was sitting right on top of the pile. They had just released their self-titled "White Album," and the hype was honestly suffocating. Then they dropped Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough, and everything changed for the fans who thought they knew the band's limits.
It wasn't just a concert film. It wasn't just a B-side collection.
It was a time capsule of The Rev’s genius before he passed away, and it’s arguably the most honest look at a band hitting their absolute prime. People still argue about whether the live performance in Long Beach or the unreleased studio tracks are the real draw here. Honestly? It's both.
The Night Long Beach Went Nuclear
Most live albums feel sterile. They're polished in post-production until they sound like a studio record with a "crowd.mp3" file layered over it. Live in the LBC is the opposite of that. Recorded on April 10, 2008, at the Long Beach Arena during the Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour, it captures a band that was playing with a terrifying amount of confidence.
M. Shadows was hitting notes that he shouldn't have been able to hit after years of vocal surgery rumors. Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance were locked in that twin-guitar telepathy that defined the 2000s metalcore-to-hard-rock pipeline. But the real star was Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan. Watching him blast through "Critical Acclaim" while screaming those haunting backing vocals is something that still gives fans chills. He was a force of nature.
The setlist was lean. It didn't waste time. You had the heavy hitters like "Afterlife" and "Almost Easy," but seeing them play "A Little Piece of Heaven" live for the first time on film was the moment everyone realized this wasn't a normal metal band. They brought out the theatrics, the brass sections on track, and a level of campy horror that felt more like Danny Elfman than Iron Maiden. It was weird. It worked.
Why Diamonds in the Rough Isn't Just "Leftovers"
Usually, when a band releases a B-side album, it’s because the songs weren't good enough for the main record. With Diamonds in the Rough, that logic fails. A lot of these tracks were written during the self-titled sessions, and they show a much more experimental, gritty side of A7X.
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Take "Demons," for example. It has this chugging, almost Pantera-esque groove that probably felt a bit too aggressive for the experimental "White Album," but it’s a masterclass in metal songwriting. Then you have "Dancing Dead," which features one of Synyster Gates’ most technical and melodic solos. It’s a song about a zombie prom, basically. It’s ridiculous, but the musicianship is so high-level that you can't help but respect it.
The covers on the album also tell a story. Their version of Pantera’s "Walk" is fine—it’s a faithful tribute—but their take on Iron Maiden’s "Flash of the Blade" is where they really shine. They took a classic and injected it with that 21st-century dual-harmonized energy. It showed they weren't just kids from Huntington Beach playing dress-up; they were students of the genre.
The Bitter Sweetness of The Rev’s Final Major Release
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough represents the final era of the original five members. Jimmy Sullivan died in December 2009, just about a year and a half after this was filmed.
Because of that, the footage has become sacred to the fanbase.
When you watch the Live in the LBC DVD, you see a guy who was having the time of his life. He wasn't just the drummer; he was the heartbeat of the band’s creative identity. You hear it in the "Diamonds" tracks too. His fingerprints are all over the vocal melodies and the strange, avant-garde arrangements. It’s hard to listen to "Until the End" without feeling a bit of a gut punch. That song feels like a goodbye, even though it was written well before anyone knew it would be.
The 2020 Re-release and Why It Matters Now
For a long time, Diamonds in the Rough was actually pretty hard to find on streaming services. It lived in that weird limbo of "deluxe edition bonus content." In 2020, the band finally put a revamped version on Spotify and Apple Music, adding a few extra tracks like "Set Me Free" (from the Hail to the King sessions) and "Lost It All."
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This re-release proved that the appetite for this specific era of the band hasn't faded. In fact, it’s grown. New fans who found the band through The Stage or Life Is But a Dream... go back to this record and find a completely different animal. It’s raw. It’s got that "don't give a damn" attitude that made the 2000s rock scene so vibrant.
Breaking Down the Standout Tracks
If you're diving into the audio side of this release, there are a few moments that deserve a second look.
"Crossroads" is a beast. It deals with the pressure of the music industry and the internal struggle of staying true to your sound while everyone wants you to sell out. The riff is massive. It’s one of those songs that makes you wonder how it didn't make the final cut for the main album.
Then there’s "Tension." This is the band at their most "experimental jazz-metal." It’s got weird time signatures, a bridge that feels like it belongs in a 70s prog-rock opera, and lyrics about the mundane grind of daily life. It’s the polar opposite of "Bat Country," and that’s why it’s great. It shows a band that was bored with being "just" a metalcore act.
"Girl I Know" is... well, it's a product of its time. It’s probably the most "dated" song on the record in terms of lyrics, but the groove is undeniable. It’s sleazy, high-energy rock and roll.
The Technical Brilliance of the Long Beach Mix
Audio engineers often point to Live in the LBC as a gold standard for live recording. Mixed by Andy Wallace—the man who mixed Nirvana's Nevermind and Slayer's Reign in Blood—it sounds massive. You can hear every ghost note on the snare. You can hear the pick hitting the strings on the bass.
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It captures the acoustics of a cavernous arena without losing the punch of the instruments. Most bands use triggers and heavy quantization on live releases now. If A7X used them here, they did it with a light touch, because the human element is still very much present. You can hear the slight imperfections, the adrenaline-fueled tempo shifts, and the raw power of a band that was hungry to prove they belonged on the big stage.
How to Experience This Release Properly
If you really want to understand the impact of Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough, don't just put it on as background music while you're cleaning your room. It doesn't work that way.
First, watch the concert film. It’s available in various places online and on the original DVD. Watch the way the crowd reacts during "Unholy Confessions." That "Wall of Death" in Long Beach is legendary. It gives context to the music. You see the pyrotechnics, the sweat, and the sheer volume of people who were captivated by five guys from suburban California.
Then, listen to the studio tracks. Notice the transition from the polished, almost orchestral production of the self-titled album to the slightly more jagged edges of these B-sides.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Listener:
- Check out the 2020 Digital Version: It includes "Set Me Free," a gorgeous ballad that was left off Hail to the King. It’s a essential piece of the A7X puzzle.
- Focus on the Harmony: Listen to the bridge of "Demons" with headphones. The way the vocal harmonies play against the lead guitar is a signature A7X move that they perfected during these sessions.
- Study the Drumming: If you’re a musician, pay attention to the kick drum patterns in "Crossroads." The Rev was doing things with foot speed and independence that changed the game for modern metal drummers.
- Watch for the Cameos: The live film features some great shots of the "Deathbat" culture that was peaking at the time. It’s a great study in branding and community building within music.
This release isn't just a "fan-only" item. It’s a crucial pillar of modern rock history. It marks the end of an era and the beginning of a legacy that has kept Avenged Sevenfold at the top of the charts for over two decades. Whether you're there for the screaming solos or the memories of The Rev, this record delivers something that most "greatest hits" albums can only dream of: a soul.