AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Synyster Gates is featured in a new interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com. An excerpt is available below:

UG: How has the dynamic changed within Avenged Sevenfold having added new recruit Arin Ilejay on drums?

Gates: "Well, it is hard to say. I mean there are a few different things definitely, compared to the dynamic we had with Jimmy and the dynamic we had with Mike Portnoy, so it is different. Also Arin is very young and it is more about us taking him under our wings at this point where as with Jimmy, things were absolute insane and the guy was mad man, very funny and we were all friends, so it was a much crazier time for Avenged Sevenfold.

I also think since The Rev’s passing, we’ve had to grow up quite a bit and I think Mike helped us to get through our period of grieving. I mean, playing with Arin now is definitely a lot lighter kind of atmosphere than the moments we had with Mike Portnoy at that time. And not because of Mike, but because it was a lot closer towards the passing of the Rev. But now, I think we’re into the healing process and it is a breathe of fresh air to have this really young talented kid out with us, that is so humbled by this experience and very deserving of all the things that are going to come to him."

UG: So have you begun the writing process for next album yet?

Gates: "We don’t have any plans right now, as we are just really focused on touring. A lot of new cool places have opened up and we are really excited to come and see all our fans, both old fans and new fans, and go out and just play for all these kids, that haven’t seen us or have seen us in awhile. And that is what is exciting to us right now. When we try and blend the two together, the songwriting and the touring like we did before, it doesn’t really work. We tend to become very focused on what we are doing. And we tend to be a little bit one track minded. We’re very much perfectionists so when we’re putting on a huge show and want to play to the best of ability, we rehearse intensely. And I have a guitar pretty much in my hand for at least five hours before doing a show. I’m just noodling and mucking around and working on some of the songs here and there."

Click here for the complete interview.

Avenged Sevenfold are currently headlining the 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival, also featuring main stage artists THREE DAYS GRACE, SEETHER, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, and ESCAPE THE FATE. The touring music and lifestyle festival also includes the Best Buy Music Gear Stage headliners SEVENDUST, as well as BLACK TIDE, ART OF DYING and THE BLACK CLOUD COLLECTIVE.

The Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival launched August 26th in Camden, NJ and will criss-cross North America before wrapping October 15th (see below for current tour dates). The all day festival will run from 2 PM - 11 PM in most cities and tickets are affordably priced between $20 and $69.99. Go to RockstarUproar.com and LiveNation.com for full details and to purchase tickets.

The Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival is produced by John Reese, John Oakes and CAA in conjunction with Live Nation and will entertain fans with a full afternoon and evening of great rock bands. The festival will also include a concourse midway featuring band autograph signings, vendors and other activities.

Main stage artist Neil Sanderson of Three Days Grace notes: "In the slightest chance that the Mayan calendar is right, and the world is ending in 2012, then this could technically be the last big rock tour in the history of human existence."

The current tour dates are as follows. Additional dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

September

5 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
9 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Centre
10 - Buffalo, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
11 - Hartford, CT - Comcast Theatre
14 - Toronto, ON - Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
16 - Pittsburgh, PA - First Niagara Pavilion
17 - Indianapolis, IN - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
18 - Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Pavilion
21 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
23 - Omaha, NE - WestFair Amphitheater
24 - Kansas City, MO - Sandstone Amphitheater
25 - St. Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

October

1 - Seattle, WA - White River Amphitheatre
5 - Denver, CO - Comfort Dental Amphitheater
7 - Albuquerque, NM - Hard Rock Pavilion
8 - Phoenix, AZ - Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion
9 - San Diego, CA - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
13 - Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre
14 - San Francisco, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre