This past Friday (May 12), American heavy metal quintet Avenged Sevenfold played their first concert in nearly five years at AREA15 in Las Vegas. In addition to debuting a few new songs, they pulled out several older favorites and even launched into a spontaneous jam of System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!”
Per setlist.fm, the prior Avenged Sevenfold show was on June 30, 2018 (at Lővér Kemping in Sopron, Hungary). Naturally, that means that their latest performance marked the debut of three songs from their upcoming LP, Life Is But a Dream…: “Game Over,” “We Love You” and “Nobody.” Plus, staples such as “Unholy Confessions,” “Afterlife,” “Nightmare” and “Buried Alive” showed up.
They also played the aforementioned System of a Down classic before “Bat Country.”
Why not... https://t.co/hG84oaZdBm pic.twitter.com/uDDFwgF3eQ
— Avenged Sevenfold (@TheOfficialA7X) May 11, 2023
You can see the full setlist, as well as some videos and photos, below.
Last month, the group announced that they’d be playing their entire new record during a 360-degree immersive concert experience at AREA15 from May 11 – 14.
Of course, they’ve also announced a slew of North American tour dates running from mid-May to mid-October (where they’ll be joined by Falling In Reverse and Kim Dracula). You can see all of their upcoming tour dates here and grab tickets here.
Don’t forget that Life Is But a Dream… – which follows 2018’s Black Reign EP and 2016’s The Stage – comes out on June 2 via Warner, too. You can pre-order it here.
On that note, Avenged Sevenfold just put out a 360-degree VR video for the second single from their latest LP, “We Love You,” which follows lead single “Nobody.” Plus, frontman M. Shadows recently discussed being open to incorporating AI-generated material into future releases (so that’s another thing to potentially look forward to).
Avenged Sevenfold Setlist — May 12, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nev. (via setlist.fm)
01. “Game Over” (live debut)
02. “Afterlife”
03. “Hail to the King”
04. “We Love You” (live debut)
05. “Buried Alive”
06. “So Far Away”
07. “Nobody” (live debut)
08. “Nightmare”
09. “Bat Country” (preceded by System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!” improv jam)
10. “Unholy Confessions” (song cut short due to injury in crowd)
11. “A Little Piece of Heaven” (preceded by a short bass tease of “Mattel”)
Avenged Sevenfold is BACK! 🤘🏼
— Avenged Sevenfold Fans (@a7xfans) May 13, 2023
Will be retweeting footage, so make sure the RT is on 👌🏼 pic.twitter.com/bxDG8kBUcL

Visitor Coach Explores Love, Distance and Longing On New Single “YOU”
Emerging rock band Visitor Coach explores the emotional weight of being separated from someone you love on its new single, “You.” Written by vocalist

Metallica Announces 2027 Tour Dates with Limp Bizkit and Avatar
Metallica has confirmed a series of new North American stadium dates that extend the band’s massive M72 World Tourinto 2027. Having played 99 shows in

Ozzy & Black Sabbath ‘Back To The Beginning’ Hits Theatres October 28th
Trafalgar Releasing announced today the global cinematic release of OZZY & BLACK SABBATH: BACK TO THE BEGINNING, produced by Mercury Studios, the world’s leading music-focused

Mynd Reader Strip Things Back on New Single “Straight On Through” Ahead of Sunday Drive EP
Mynd Reader have released their new single “Straight On Through,” the latest preview of their forthcoming acoustic EP Sunday Drive, arriving October 16, 2026. The

Skratch N Sniff Recap: Alternative Mix #716 + Rock Mix #1232
Skratch N Sniff came back swinging over the weekend of September 19, 2026, with two packed episodes spanning alternative, reggae-rock, metal, hard rock and the

Breaking Benjamin and Chevelle Prove Heavy Rock Still Hits Harder Without a Safety Net in Toronto [Live Review]
At a time when backing tracks, programmed vocals and digitally polished performances have become increasingly common on major tours, Breaking Benjamin and Chevelle arrived at