Vengeance is theirs

Mention to Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows that his band’s second album, “Waking the Fallen,” is downright pretty in places, and you won’t get a heavy-metal argument.

“I can’t listen to a band that sits there and shreds and screams the whole time,” Shadows says. “We mix a lot of different styles, really heavy and really melodic. We keep things diverse.”

So on tracks such as “Eternal Rest,” Shadows’ tortured howls segue into soaring harmonies -- they’re punk-rock explosions wrapped tightly in hard-core anthems. That dynamic makes the Huntington Beach quintet hard to pigeonhole. “We just say we’re a heavy-metal band,” Shadows says.

With “Waking” just out on L.A.’s Hopeless Records, Avenged Sevenfold has a lot of touring ahead, including the Take Action! Tour benefiting the suicide prevention service National Hopeline Network (1-800-SUICIDE). “It’s great, touring with bands who are your friends,” he says. “We’ve had some pretty crazy shows.”

Kevin Bronson

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Take Action! Tour, House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Blvd. Monday-Tuesday, 6 p.m. $18. (323) 848-5100. Also, House of Blues Anaheim, 1530 S. Disneyland Drive. Wednesday, 7 p.m. $18. (714) 778-2583.