Avenged Sevenfold Pay Tribute In "So Far Away"

The American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released the video for "So Far Away," the third single for their fifth studio album, "Nightmare," released last year, and has been certified gold for sales of more than half a million copies. The California metallers use the video as a chance to pay tribute to their late bandmate, and their new clip is described as a "raw and emotional," and the track itself, is said in a press statement to be a "very personal goodbye" to Sullivan.
Metal act quartet Avenged Sevenfold are usually known for their loud, aggressive style and their music videos tend to be a mix of creepy and crazy, but in the band's latest clip for ballad "So Far Away," the band slows it down to honor an old friend. "So Far Away," written by lead guitarist Synyster Gates, is a simple, touching tribute to late drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, who died in December 2009 from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs at the age of 28.
It's an appropriately moving video, foregoing any histrionics to detail an ostensibly autobiographical account of the group's formation. Losing a band member is obviously devastating in any circumstance, but it's especially difficult for a group like reigning rock hit-makers Avenged Sevenfold given their childhood history. All of this makes sense, considering the song was written with The Rev in mind. The heartfelt quality of the video is in keeping with the emotional resonance of the song, a very personal goodbye to Sullivan that appears on the band's album "Nightmare."
The "So Far Away" video was directed by Wayne Isham, and it features the four remaining members of the band playing in a studio and also driving through a neighborhood. As they make their way, flashbacks of the four begin to play. They are shown as kids playing in a basement, then teens playing, hanging out, and stealing alcohol from a store. During the bridge, a collection of photos and videos of the Rev play. It ends with a clip of the band members hugging, the same scene depicted inside the case of the "Nightmare" CD case. The whole package is quite moving, especially if you're a fan who remembers how much fun these guys were obviously having together on stage.