It looks like Avenged Sevenfold vocalist M. Shadows may be regretting the band’s decision to surprise release The Stage. A7X surprise released The Stage, their seventh studio album, back in October. The unexpected drop followed just a few weeks of cryptic promotion. Now, Shadows says it possibly wasn’t “the greatest plan in the world.” The frontman spoke to Full Metal Jackie on the 95.5 KLOS Whiplash show, where he says the band’s surprise release decision was partially shaped by the music industry’s changing landscape. (via Blabbermouth)

“We’re just trying to figure out new ways to get music to people, to excite the fanbase. Also, people have shorter attention spans now with the way information comes and goes so quickly on the internet. We’re just trying to figure out the puzzle. And one thing that we really didn’t wanna do was be months out [from the album release] and just keep releasing singles and really just getting on people’s nerves with all the promotion. So this was just another way to do it. I don’t know if it was the greatest plan in the world, but I know it was a plan, and it was different, and it was exciting to us.”

Shadows also says the surprise release may have left some outlets in the dust, with certain radio stations seemingly unaware that the album was already out.

“I just talked to a few radio stations today and there’s radio DJs that got [the] ‘God Damn’ [single] for the first time, and they’re, like, ‘Yeah, so the new record’s coming out, huh?’ And I go, ‘No. The record came out four months ago.’ And they’re like, ‘Really? Why are we just getting a single now?’ So there’s a lot of explaining to do, I guess.”

Were you stoked when Avenged Sevenfold totally surprise-released The Stage on all of us? Let us know down in the comments section! Avenged Sevenfold are touring with Metallica this summer—so go ahead and check out the cities and dates below.

Metallica & Avenged Sevenfold tour dates

06/07 – Denver, CO @ Sports Authority Field

06/11 – Houston, TX @ NRG Stadium

06/14 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome

06/16 – Dallas, TX @ AT&T Stadium

06/18 – Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field

07/05 – Orlando, FL @ Camping World Stadium

07/07 – Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium

07/09 – Atlanta, GA @ Suntrust Park

07/12 – Detroit, MI @ Comercia Park

07/16 – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre

07/19 – Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean-Drapeau

07/29 – Pasadena, CA @ Rose Bowl

08/04 – Phoenix, AZ @ University Of Phoenix Stadium

08/06 – San Diego, CA @ Petco Park

08/09 – Seattle, WA @ Centurylink Field

08/14 – Vancouver, BC @ BC Place

08/16 – Edmonton, AB @ Commonwealth Stadium

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