M. Shadows: The new Avenged Sevenfold album is "70 per cent done"

While M. Shadows told Kerrang! late last year that Avenged Sevenfold won't be releasing a new album until the band can tour it when the pandemic is over, he has given a recent update on the progress that's been made on the follow-up to 2016's The Stage.

Speaking to 93X (via Blabbermouth), the frontman explains, "We're working on stuff. We have pretty much 70 per cent of the record done. We have some things we can't finish right now ’cause of COVID – string players, etc. We know Andy [Wallace, mixer] doesn't wanna travel, or his management doesn't want him to travel because of COVID. So there's just a lot of things going on."

He adds that it "doesn't make sense" for A7X to put out new music without the option to hit the road. "The world has changed," M. says. "Putting out a record on Spotify without touring for a rock band, it just doesn't make sense to us. So we're gonna wait till everything is back, then we'll come out with the record, finish it up, and all will be good."

Read this: Avenged Sevenfold: 12 reasons The Rev absolutely ruled

It's a subject the vocalist touched on when speaking to K! in December, explaining that, "We have a lot of friends who have released records and they’re like, 'Well, we want to get it to the fans because it’s a tough time,’ but you have to think about it in terms of: if the fans can’t see it live, and they can’t go out and interact in a way that feels important… it’s just a personal choice, I guess, as a band. There’s other reasons, but we just want to be excited about it, and we don’t want to be in quarantine and then a year later it’s like, 'Hey, remember that old record? Let’s go play it!’”

M. also teased of the sound of the band's new music: "The [new] record sounds nothing like The Stage – it’s a completely new direction, and it sounds nothing like anything we’ve done. That’s all I’ll say about it: it’s over the top, and it’s very eclectic and wild!"

Watch the new interview below:

Read this: "You’re not cooler than anyone”: Avenged Sevenfold write letters to their younger selves