Waking the Fallen is Avenge Sevenfold's second full-length release and the first to feature Johnny Christ on bass. This was the last Avenged Sevenfold album to feature their metalcore sound. It is also the last album on which frontman M. Shadows screams excessively, although there is much more melodic singing on this album than their previous album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. It is also the last album to be recorded in California near their hometown of Huntington Beach, before moving their recording operations to Houston, Texas. It was released on August 26, 2003 by Hopeless Records. The song Chapter Four is also featured in NHL 2004, Madden 2004, and NASCAR Thunder 2004. The song Eternal Rest is featured on the Saw IV Soundtrack. The constant theme of the album seems to be aimed towards the end of humanity and especially aimed towards the apocalypse, particularly in the song "Chapter Four", which directly references the story of Cain and Abel, this theme goes hand in hand with the numerous amount of biblical references not only in "Waking the Fallen" but in all of Avenged Sevenfold's albums up to date.