Yo Honey Bear,
HAIL TO THE ROSE.
I don't think I've ever shared why this collaboration means so much to me. Back in 2020 during COVID, I was going through one of the hardest chapters of my life. I was dealing with health issues, losing family members, trying to keep Civil alive while the world felt like it was falling apart around me. Every day felt like another punch in the face, and honestly, I wasn't in a great place mentally.
Around that time, I found an old-school hardcore bodybuilding gym called Dave's Powerhouse. Somehow, it was one of the only gyms still open. I started showing up every single day, not because I wanted to get bigger or stronger, but because I needed something to hold onto. The people, the community, the discipline... every workout gave me a little bit of myself back.
There was one thing that became part of every single session. Dave and his staff would play Hail to the King( AT THIS TIME I DIDNT KNOW WHO A7X WERE) constantly. Sometimes once. Sometimes five times in the same workout. At first it was just another song playing over the speakers, but after a while it became the soundtrack to one of the hardest seasons of my life. Every time it came on, it reminded me to keep showing up, keep pushing, and keep believing things would eventually get better.
Looking back now, that's really what Roses From Concrete has always meant to me. Even when life feels like complete chaos, there's still an opportunity to grow into something stronger. Sometimes you just need the right people, the right environment, or even the right song to remind you not to quit.
That's why this collaboration means so much to me. It isn't just because it's Avenged Sevenfold. It's because years later, I get to create something with a band whose music genuinely helped me through one of the darkest chapters of my life. Moments like this remind me that some of the things that almost break us end up becoming the foundation for everything we build afterward.
Thank you for being part of this journey. I truly can't wait for you to experience this collection.
