RIDGEDALE, Mo. — Avenged Sevenfold surprised fans at the opening night of their 2026 North American co-headlining tour with Good Charlotte by performing their new EP, “Statica,” from backstage at Thunder Ridge Nature’s Arena on Thursday.
Last week, Avenged Sevenfold released the experimental “Statica” EP without advance notice. The band added to the surprises by performing the four-track collection under the alias “Statica,” as listed on the night’s schedule between opener Jayden Hammer and Good Charlotte.
Instead of appearing on stage in disguise, Avenged Sevenfold played the entire EP offstage. The performance was broadcast to the audience on venue screens as part of the production, according to The PRP.
The setlist for Statica’s debut included “Lights,” “Statica,” “Rejoice,” and “Ashes,” as reported by setlist.fm.
After Good Charlotte’s set, Avenged Sevenfold returned to the stage as themselves for a full headlining performance. The band played their single “Magic” live for the first time. “Magic” was originally released as a tie-in for the 2025 video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.” They also opened with the title track to their 2010 album “Nightmare” for the first time since 2016 and performed “Seize the Day” (from 2005’s “City of Evil”) for the first time in the U.S. since 2015.
The band’s set drew from several albums, including “Nightmare,” “City of Evil,” “Life Is But a Dream…” (2023), and “Hail to the King” (2013). Songs included “Buried Alive,” “Bat Country,” “Cosmic,” “Nobody,” “Hail to the King,” “Shepherd of Fire,” “The Stage,” “Unholy Confessions,” and “Afterlife.” Their 2001 debut album, “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet,” was not represented in the set.
“Statica,” released July 23, is Avenged Sevenfold’s first new collection since “Life Is But a Dream…” The band did not promote the EP online before its release. Reactions from fans have been mixed. Some on Reddit criticized the new sound as a departure from the band’s earlier work, while others praised its creativity and production, which credits the band and engineer Joe Barresi.
The Avenged Sevenfold webstore lists a “Statica” vinyl LP that includes two unreleased tracks, “Arcade” and “Intervention.”
The North American tour continues through August, with stops across the U.S. and Canada. The band will head overseas in the fall, performing in New Zealand, Australia, Asia, and other locations.
