Bat Country

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title: "Bat Country" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2005-songs", "2005-singles", "avenged-sevenfold-songs", "music-videos-directed-by-marc-klasfeld", "warner-records-singles", "american-heavy-metal-songs", "american-hard-rock-songs", "alternative-metal-songs"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat_Country" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	Bat Country
cover	avenged_sevenfold_bat_country.png
type	single
artist	Avenged Sevenfold
album	City of Evil
released	August 9, 2005
recorded	January 1 – April 18, 2005
studio	* The Hobby Shop (Los Angeles)
genre	* Heavy metal
length	* 5:13 (album version)
label	Warner
writer
producer	* Andrew Murdock
prev_title	Burn It Down
prev_year	2005
next_title	Beast and the Harlot
next_year	2006
misc	{{Audio sample
type	single
file	Avenged Sevenfold - Bat Country.ogg
::

| name = Bat Country | cover = avenged_sevenfold_bat_country.png | alt = | type = single | artist = Avenged Sevenfold | album = City of Evil | released = August 9, 2005 | recorded = January 1 – April 18, 2005 | studio = * The Hobby Shop (Los Angeles)

• Ocean Way (Hollywood) | genre = * Heavy metal
• alternative metal
• hard rock | length = * 5:13 (album version)
• 4:11 (radio edit) | label = Warner | writer = | producer = * Andrew Murdock
• Avenged Sevenfold
• Fred Archambault | prev_title = Burn It Down | prev_year = 2005 | next_title = Beast and the Harlot | next_year = 2006 | misc = {{Audio sample | type = single | file = Avenged Sevenfold - Bat Country.ogg

"Bat Country" is a song by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released in August 2005 as the second single from their third album, City of Evil. Avenged Sevenfold won 'Best New Artist Video' at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards for "Bat Country" and the single was certified platinum by the RIAA and silver by the BPI. For these reasons, "Bat Country" is often believed to be the band's most commercially successful song.

Background and composition

"Bat Country" is a heavy metal, alternative metal and hard rock song. It takes stylistic cues from punk rock and pop, drawing comparisons to My Chemical Romance. The song's main thematic influence comes from Hunter S. Thompson's 1971 novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, with the title itself being a direct quote from the book in which Raoul Duke (the alter-ego pseudonym of Thompson) is on his way to Las Vegas while being affected by various drugs. The character hallucinated huge bats and manta rays in the sky, and gasps to his companion Dr. Gonzo, "We can't stop here. This is bat country."

The following quote, also included at the beginning of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, is referred to twice throughout the song (at the beginning and the bridge before the last chorus) and is shown at the beginning of the music video. ::quote "He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." – Samuel Johnson ::

Also referenced in the song is a lyric derived from the final words spoken about Dr. Gonzo at the end of the film adaptation. The lyric is used at the end of the second breakdown of the song, as the final lyric of the song. ::quote "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die." – Raoul Duke ::

Shortly after the writing of the song, Thompson committed suicide.

Reception and legacy

Throughout 2008, "Bat Country" was in the top 40 of the UK Rock Chart, and shared the chart with up to three of the band's other songs (including but not limited to: Afterlife, Burn It Down and Dear God). The song was on and off the charts throughout 2008, and eventually peaked at number 9 in December of that year.

The song was ranked at number 20 on *Loudwire*s Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs. It also was rated as number 9 on Ultimate Guitar's list of Top 25 Best Songs With Guitar Duels. In 2020, Louder Sound and Kerrang! both rated it as the fifth greatest Avenged Sevenfold song. In 2023, Guitar World ranked the song's guitar solo at number 16 on its list of The Greatest Guitar Solos of the 21st Century...so far.

In other media

The song appeared in the video games Madden 06, NHL 06, SSX On Tour, Saints Row 2, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, Rocksmith 2014, and Asphalt Legends Unite. It also appeared in the movie Big Momma's House 2 and both the TV shows Bones and About a Boy.

Track listing

| headline = CD | title1 = Bat Country | length1 = 5:13 | title2 = Beast and the Harlot (Live from the Warped Tour) | length2 = 6:08 | title3 = Bat Country (Music Video) | length3 =

Charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (2005–06) | Peak position | US Active Rock Top 50 (Radio & Records) | |---|---|---| | 1 | | | ::

Certifications

Personnel

Personnel listing as adapted from album liner notes.

Avenged Sevenfold

• M. Shadows – lead vocals, backing vocals
• Zacky Vengeance – rhythm guitar, co-lead guitar, backing vocals
• The Rev – drums, backing vocals
• Synyster Gates – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Johnny Christ – bass, backing vocals

Production

• Produced by Mudrock and Avenged Sevenfold, with additional production by Fred Archambault and Scott Gilman
• Mixed by Andy Wallace
• Pro Tools by John O'Mahony, assisted by Steve Sisco
• Mastered by Eddie Schreyer
• Additional vocal production by the Rev, Synyster Gates and M. Shadows
• Drum tech – Mike Fasano
• Guitar tech – Stephen Ferrara-Grand

References

References

1. "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated.
2. (December 30, 2004). "Avenged Sevenfold website".
3. (April 18, 2005). "News".
4. (June 6, 2019). "Avenged Sevenfold Presents Breakdown: Bat Country - Part 01 of 02".
5. "British single certifications - Avenged Sevenfold - Bat Country". [[British Phonographic Industry]].
6. Fletcher, David. (October 12, 2023). "10 Best Concerts of the Week: Shania Twain, Sting, Travis Scott and More".
7. "City of Evil - Avenged Sevenfold {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic".
8. "Avenged Sevenfold Salute Dimebag, Shun Metalcore On 'Evil'". MTV.
9. (March 30, 2008). "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40".
10. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40".
11. (December 28, 2008). "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40".
12. (June 28, 2012). "No. 20: Avenged Sevenfold, 'Bat Country' – Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs". [[Loudwire]].
13. "Friday Top: 25 Best Songs With Guitar Duels - Music News @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com".
14. Alderslade, Merlin. (February 5, 2020). "The 20 best Avenged Sevenfold songs ever". [[Metal Hammer.
15. Law, Sam. (May 29, 2020). "The 20 greatest Avenged Sevenfold songs – ranked". [[Kerrang!.
16. Sharma, Jenna ScaramangaContributions from Amit. (2023-07-17). "The greatest guitar solos of the 21st century... so far".
17. Montgomery, James. "Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters Lend Songs To 'Madden NFL 06'". MTV.
18. (October 6, 2008). "Saints Row 2 Music".
19. "Avenged Sevenfold {{!}} Music Artist, Actor, Composer".
20. (June 12, 2024). "Avenged Sevenfold - Tunefind".
21. "Avenged Sevenfold – Bat Country".
22. "Active Rock Top 50". [[Radio & Records]].
23. (2005). "''City of Evil'' liner notes". Warner Bros. Records.

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