While the saying goes that imitation is the biggest form of flattery, some more well-established metal bands don’t seem too swooned by Avenged Sevenfold’s new album Hail to the King. While Avenged has already faced scrutiny for copying songs and the sound for the effort, specifically by Machine Head’s Rob Flynn, now even their artwork is under fire from the same band. No, the great Ralph Steadman hasn’t come banging on their door just yet, but Machine Head is noticing some direct similarities to their logo and what the band has been using as of late for their stage set on tour supporting the new release.
Machine Head even posted a resemblance to the logos (via Blabbermouth) on their Facebook page. While we too understand that the Lion Crest is a traditional symbol used in logos and for metal bands, the similarities between Avenged’s new graphic work and Machine Head’s 16-year-old symbol seem a little too identical. Whether or not Machine Head sees Avenged Sevenfold’s work as a tribute to the greats, an effort to establish themselves as a legit band in the genre or as just being plain copycats, fans are also drawing their own conclusions and voicing them. It should also be noted that their skull with wings logo bears a little more than passing familiarity with Overkill’s logo. Compare the graphics for yourself and check out the comments on the Machine Head page to see what others think of the continuing ordeal.
