Avenged Sevenfold has surprise-released a four-track EP called Statica, a heavily auto-tuned, effects-laden departure from the classic rock sound of albums like Waking The Fallen and City Of Evil. The writer, a critic for Louder, admits to disliking the EP as a musical listen but argues it deserves credit as a rare example of a hugely successful, Grammy-nominated metal band taking a genuine creative risk rather than repeating past formulas.

The piece frames Statica as a deliberately strange, "goofy" release that leans into distortion and Auto-Tone to an almost disorienting degree, comparing its excess to T-Pain's signature vocal effects. Despite the mixed personal verdict, the author's broader argument is that established, commercially safe metal acts rarely experiment this boldly, and that Avenged Sevenfold's willingness to alienate some fans with an unconventional EP is something more big bands in the genre should be willing to attempt.