AVENGED SEVENFOLD CAPTURE MTV BEST NEW ARTIST

(VIDEO) Avenged Sevenfold beat out the pack to win Best New Artist at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards. So is rock back? See what the band has to say…here!

Avenged Sevenfold took home Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards last Thursday night, mostly on the strength of their song “Bat Country” from their album City Of Evil. In what many feel is a shocker, the band beat out Angels And Airwaves, James Blunt, Panic! At The Disco, Chris Brown, and Rhianna to come away with the award.

The band was all smiles at the aftershow party, and vocalist Matt Shadows talked about achieving the unthinkable.

“We had the stiffest competition. Yeah, it was crazy. A lot of different genres. A lot of hip-hop and R&B, so it was weird.”

We also asked them if this signaled the return of rock.

“I hope so, man. At least MTV is playing some of it. They don’t play much of it. It’s a lot of hip-hop. You go out there and it’s not very many rock bands there at all, and just to go out there, win an award, and take one home is really cool for us.”

So, does the win for Best New Artist make them officially a mainstream band?

“I don’t know. All the mainstream stuff we really don’t think too much about it. All… Our thing is we just try to do what’s right for our fans and make videos for us and our fans.”

Avenged Sevenfold’s latest release is “Seize The Day,” and the band is ready to embark on a tour of the Great White North. Their Canadian tour wraps up September 21 in Quebec City, Quebec.