Music videos don't usually start with a necrophilia-themed musical number, but then again, Avenged Sevenfold isn't exactly a usual band. In 2007, when the "White Album" dropped, fans were expecting more of the twin-guitar harmonies and metalcore-adjacent riffage that made City of Evil a platinum powerhouse. Instead, they got A Little Piece of Heaven. It’s an eight-minute opus that features a literal brass section, a choir, and a plotline that feels like Tim Burton had a fever dream after binging Danny Elfman soundtracks and slasher flicks.
It’s weird. It’s gross. It’s brilliant.
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The track was primarily the brainchild of the late Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan. He didn't just write a song; he constructed a mini-opera. Most metal bands try to be "dark" by tuning their guitars down to Drop Z and screaming about demons. The Rev decided to be dark by writing an upbeat, Broadway-style arrangement about a guy who kills his girlfriend because he’s afraid she’ll leave him, only for her to come back from the dead and return the favor. Honestly, it’s the most romantic thing to ever happen in Huntington Beach.
The Rev’s Masterpiece and the Oingo Boingo Connection
When people talk about A Little Piece of Heaven, they’re really talking about the genius of The Rev. He didn't use guitars for the primary driving force of the track. Think about that for a second. One of the biggest guitar bands of the 2000s released a lead single where Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance basically take a backseat to a trombone and a cello.
The Rev reportedly sat at a piano and hammered out the entire thing, influenced heavily by Mr. Bungle and Oingo Boingo. You can hear it in the "oom-pah" rhythm. It’s got that specific, manic energy that Danny Elfman brought to The Nightmare Before Christmas. But beneath the horns and the whimsical melody, there’s a genuine technical complexity. It’s not just a joke song. The vocal layering alone is a massive undertaking. You’ve got The Rev’s gritty, eccentric delivery clashing and blending with M. Shadows’ melodic strength, creating a back-and-forth that mirrors the dialogue of the two undead lovers.
Recording it was apparently a nightmare for the producers. How do you mix a heavy metal drum kit with a full orchestra without it sounding like mush? They managed to find a balance that feels theatrical yet heavy. It’s the kind of song that sounds massive in a stadium but also wouldn't feel out of place in a haunted opera house.
The Music Video That Scarred a Generation
You can’t talk about this song without mentioning the animated video. If you saw it on MTV2 or Fuse back in the day, it probably stayed with you. Directed by Rafa Alcantara, the visuals are a hand-drawn descent into madness. It’s grisly.
There's the scene with the heater. The wedding in hell. The anatomical heart being offered as a gift.
It works because it leans into the "camp" factor. If this had been a live-action video with realistic gore, it would have been banned instantly and probably would have felt too mean-spirited to enjoy. By making it look like a twisted cartoon, the band tapped into a specific aesthetic that defined the mid-2000s "emo-adjacent" metal scene. It gave the fans something to latch onto visually that matched the absurdity of the lyrics.
What's wild is how the song has aged. Usually, "gimmick" songs die out after a tour cycle. But A Little Piece of Heaven is consistently one of the band's most-streamed tracks. It’s the encore. It’s the song where the entire crowd, even the guys in the mosh pit, starts singing along to a chorus about "eat it, eat it, eat it." It has become a cultural touchstone for the "A7X" family.
Why the Composition Actually Works (Technical Breakdown)
Musically, the song shifts keys and tempos in a way that should feel jarring but doesn't. It starts in a playful, almost jaunty D minor and snakes its way through various movements.
- The "Crime" - This is the setup. The brass is staccato. It’s bouncy.
- The "Aftermath" - The music swells. The strings get more lush. This is where the tragedy (if you can call it that) hits.
- The "Resurrection" - The tone shifts. It gets darker. The guitars finally start to chug a bit more here.
- The "Wedding" - The grand finale. It’s a literal wall of sound.
The use of female vocals—provided by Juliette Beavan of the band 8mm—is the secret weapon. Her voice provides the perfect counterpoint to the masculine grit of the band. It turns the song into a duet, a conversation between two people who are clearly terrible for each other but literally bound by death.
Critics at the time were confused. Rolling Stone and other mainstream outlets didn't really know what to make of a metal band doing show tunes. But the fans got it. It showed that Avenged Sevenfold wasn't just another band in the New Wave of American Heavy Metal. They had ambition that reached far beyond the confines of a 4/4 time signature and power chords.
Legacy of the Little Piece of Heaven
Since The Rev's passing in 2009, the song has taken on a bittersweet quality. It’s his signature. When the band plays it live now, his vocal tracks are often piped in, and his face flashes on the screens. It’s a reminder of his creativity and his refusal to stay inside a box.
Most bands get scared when they get famous. They try to repeat the formula that made them rich. Avenged Sevenfold did the opposite. They took the biggest budget they’d ever had and spent it on a song about a zombie wedding.
It taught a generation of metal fans that "heavy" doesn't always mean "loud." Sometimes, "heavy" is just a really well-placed violin solo or a lyric that makes you feel slightly uncomfortable. It paved the way for their later, even more experimental work like The Stage or Life Is But a Dream.... Without the success of this weird experiment, we might never have seen the band evolve into the avant-garde titans they are today.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Musicians
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the world of A Little Piece of Heaven or if you’re a musician inspired by its madness, here is how to appreciate it on a deeper level:
- Listen to the Isolated Stems: If you can find the multitracks or isolated vocals online, listen to The Rev's harmonies. The complexity of the vocal arrangements is staggering.
- Study the Orchestration: For composers, look at how the brass isn't just "padding." It carries the melody. Try writing a riff on a horn instead of a guitar to see how it changes the "weight" of the music.
- Watch the "Making of" Documentary: The band released a DVD for the self-titled album that shows the recording process. Seeing The Rev explain his vision for the "horns" gives you a lot of respect for his process.
- Explore the Influences: To really understand where this came from, listen to Oingo Boingo’s Dead Man's Party or Mr. Bungle’s self-titled album. You’ll see the DNA of the song immediately.
- Check Out Live Versions: Watch the performance from Live in the LBC. It’s arguably the definitive version of the song, captured when the band was at their absolute peak of 2000s chaotic energy.
Ultimately, the song reminds us that art is supposed to be a bit dangerous. It’s supposed to be weird. It’s supposed to be a little piece of heaven, even if it looks a lot like hell.