Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough

Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough is the first live DVD, and compilation album by heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold released on September 16, 2008 by Warner Bros. Records. The live DVD features the band's April 10, 2008 show at Long Beach Arena headlining the Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour, while the CD contains previously unreleased B-sides that were recorded during the making of the band's self-titled 2007 album, plus covers, and other never-before-heard material.

Live in the LBC
Live album / video album by Avenged Sevenfold
Released	September 16, 2008 March 6, 2020 (digital)
Recorded	April 10, 2008
Genre	Heavy metal, hard rock
Length	76:49
Label	Warner Bros.
Director	Rafa Alcantara
Avenged Sevenfold chronology
Avenged Sevenfold (2007) Live in the LBC (2008) Nightmare (2010)

Diamonds in the Rough
Compilation album by Avenged Sevenfold
Released	September 16, 2008 February 7, 2020 (Remastered compilation, digital & vinyl)
Recorded	2006–2008
Genre	Heavy metal, hard rock
Length	53:44
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold chronology
Avenged Sevenfold (2007) Diamonds in the Rough (2008) Nightmare (2010)
Singles from Diamonds in the Rough
"Crossroads" Released: February 19, 2008

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
IGN	8.0/10[2]
World of Music	[3]

Production and release

The DVD was directed by Core Entertainment's Rafa Alcantara, who also worked on the band's critically acclaimed 2007 road documentary All Excess.[4][5]

On August 15, 2008, a trailer was released by Avenged Sevenfold on their YouTube channel. On September 5, 2008, Avenged Sevenfold released the live version of "Seize the Day" from the DVD through their imeem account. "Unholy Confessions" and "Scream" were later streamed before the release as well.

There are two alternate mixes of songs on their self-titled album:

• The CLA Mix of "Almost Easy" is simply the original song as mixed by Chris Lord-Alge, instead of Andy Wallace. This includes the mixing of The Rev's vocal take as well as M. Shadows.
• The alternate version of "Afterlife" features a different bridge and a string section throughout the entire song.

The Rev performs vocals on the tracks "Crossroads", "Flash of the Blade", "Almost Easy", "A Little Piece of Heaven" and "Afterlife".

Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. On November 5, 2008, the CD/DVD combo was certified Gold, but has now reached Platinum by selling over 100,000 (Video Longform platinum) copies.[6]

In January 2020, Avenged Sevenfold released "Set Me Free", an unreleased song recorded during the Hail to the King recording sessions. They also announced that the song would be included in a remastered re-release of Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough, expected to be released on March 6 and February 7, respectively. A limited edition clear vinyl of Diamonds in the Rough was also announced.[7]

Critical reception

The album received mixed to positive reviews upon release in 2008. Jim Kaz from IGN wrote "Avenged Sevenfold have proven that there is a way to successfully crossover and bend genres without alienating or insulting the base. With top-notch musicianship and a knack for pinching the best bits from different styles and eras, this is one band to keep pace with." Ultimate Guitar wrote "The CD feels very much like another fresh studio release if you haven't been exposed to the B-sides, while the DVD features a sound mix that is just as strong as if it was also recorded in the studio."

Track listing

Live in the LBC (DVD)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Intro"	0:56
2.	"Critical Acclaim"	6:06
3.	"Second Heartbeat (abridged)"	5:07
4.	"Afterlife"	7:33
5.	"Beast and the Harlot"	6:00
6.	"Scream"	6:24
7.	"Seize the Day"	7:55
8.	"Walk (abridged and member from the audience on vocals)" (Pantera cover)	2:12
9.	"Bat Country"	6:01
10.	"Almost Easy"	5:38
11.	"Gunslinger"	4:30
12.	"Unholy Confessions"	7:25
13.	"A Little Piece of Heaven"	10:56
Total length:		76:49

Diamonds in the Rough (CD)

All tracks are written by Avenged Sevenfold, except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original release	Length
1.	"Demons"		Previously unreleased	6:11
2.	"Girl I Know"		Previously unreleased	4:23
3.	"Crossroads"		Previously unreleased	4:30
4.	"Flash of the Blade" (Iron Maiden cover)	Bruce Dickinson	Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden	4:01
5.	"Until the End"		Previously unreleased	4:44
6.	"Tension"		Previously unreleased	4:50
7.	"Walk" (Pantera cover)	Darrell Abbott, Vincent Abbott, Phil Anselmo, Rex Brown	High Voltage!: A Brief History of Rock	5:21
8.	"The Fight"		Previously unreleased	4:07
9.	"Dancing Dead"		Previously unreleased	5:49
10.	"Almost Easy (CLA Mix)"		Previously unreleased	3:53
11.	"Afterlife (Alternate Version)"		Previously unreleased	5:55
Total length:				64:07

Remastered version

No.	Title	Original release	Length
12.	"St. James"	Hail to the King deluxe version	5:02
13.	"Set Me Free"	Previously unreleased	6:21
14.	"4:00 A.M."	"Welcome to the Family"	5:00
15.	"Lost It All"	Nightmare Japanese version	3:51
16.	"Paranoid" (Black Sabbath cover)	Covered, A Revolution in Sound	2:42

Personnel

• M. Shadows – lead vocals, organ intro on "Critical Acclaim"
• Zacky Vengeance – rhythm guitar, co-lead guitar, backing vocals, acoustic guitar on "Seize the Day"
• Synyster Gates – lead guitar, backing vocals
• The Rev – drums, percussion, co-lead vocals on "Critical Acclaim", "Afterlife" and "A Little Piece of Heaven", backing vocals
• Johnny Christ – bass guitar, lead vocals on intro of "Seize the Day", backing vocals

Diamonds in the Rough

Avenged Sevenfold

• M. Shadows – lead vocals
• Zacky Vengeance – rhythm guitar, lead guitar on "Demons" and "Dancing Dead" outro, backing vocals
• Synyster Gates – lead guitar, backing vocals
• The Rev – drums, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on "Crossroads"
• Johnny Christ – bass

Additional personnel

• Brian Haner – orchestration in "Until the End"
• Mike Portnoy – drums, percussion on "4:00 A.M." and "Lost It All"
• Arin Ilejay – drums, percussion on "St. James" and "Set Me Free"

Charts

Diamonds in the Rough 2020 reissue

Chart (2020)	Peak position
US Billboard 200[8]	130

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9]	Platinum	100,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Live in the LBC and Diamonds in the Rough - Avenged Sevenfold". AllMusic.
2. Kaz, Jim (2008-09-25). "Avenged Sevenfold – Live In The LBC & Diamonds In The Rough". IGN. Archived from the original on 2008-09-28. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
3. "musik gesehen". WOM magazin (in German). No. September 08. p. 31.
4. Archived July 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
5. "News tagged a7x live dvd cd set be released". Avenged Sevenfold. Archived from the original on 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
6. Archived December 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
7. ""Live In The LBC & Diamonds In The Rough" Coming To Streaming Services". avengedsevenfold.com. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
8. "Avenged Sevenfold Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
9. "American video certifications – Avenged Sevenfold – Live in the LBC and Diamonds in the Rough". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 5, 2009. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Video Longform, then click SEARCH.