M. Shadows
Encyclopedia
Matthew Charles Sanders better known by his stage name M. Shadows, is the lead vocalist
, songwriter
, and founding member for the American metal
band Avenged Sevenfold
.
. He began playing the piano at an early age, but his interest in rock music grew as he became older and began to play the guitar. Shadows links this early musical experience with the piano as a major factor in developing his skills with the guitar and his voice. He attended Huntington Beach High School
, where he played for a brief stint in a punk
band named "Successful Failure". Following this, Shadows formed Avenged Sevenfold in 1999 along with high school friends Zacky Vengeance
, Jimmy "The Rev
" Sullivan, and Matt Wendt. Soon after, Sullivan's friend Synyster Gates
joined Avenged Sevenfold as the guitarist.
In the DVD "All Excess
," Shadows claims that everyone in the band had been assigned to come up with a list of names, but that only he had followed through. The name Avenged Sevenfold, a reference to the Book of Genesis, was chosen over Lips of Deceit, another Biblical reference.
of Guns N' Roses and The Edge
of U2
).
, he features a harsh, metalcore
-style scream, with limited instances of clean vocals. The release of Waking the Fallen
in 2003 showed a progression towards more melodic vocal lines, but still showing a strong metalcore influence. The most important change, however, came with the release of the bands major label debut, City of Evil
, in 2005. The album featured no screaming and much more defined vocal melody, with an increased emphasis on vocal hooks. This style has remained prevalent on every record the band has released since that time, with the exception of the song "God Hates Us" on their album Nightmare
, and their song "Not Ready To Die", which return to the metalcore sound of earlier releases. Rumors began to spread that Shadows had lost his ability to scream due to throat surgery he had needed after Warped Tour 2003. Producer Andrew Mudrock put down these rumors by saying "When I met the band after Sounding the Seventh Trumpet...Matt handed me the CD, and he said to me, 'This record's screaming. The record we want to make...is going to be half-screaming and half-singing. I don't want to scream anymore...the record after that is going to be all singing.'"
bands. He cited Guns N' Roses
as his biggest influence in an interview, commenting that "I love that band. You can compare us all you want — they're a huge reason why I'm even in a band and even write music." Shadows also commented that he was heavily influenced by Metallica
, Megadeth
, Slayer
, and Pantera
. Megadeth and Metallica, Shadows says, are the reason why Avenged Sevenfold try to infuse a classic metal sound into their music. "Metalheads are so bitter, they're like, 'Why doesn't a super-extreme band have all the success that Avenged Sevenfold is having?'," said Shadows in an interview, "It's 'cause we have that traditional classic sound that bands like Metallica and Megadeth paved the way for a while ago. That sound crosses over and the extreme metal doesn't," he added. He also stated later in that interview that guitar expert Scott Taylor taught him how to play guitar. He has also claimed to have been influenced by alternative rock
band The Smashing Pumpkins
.
. The self-produced album, which was in the metalcore
style, gained mixed to positive reviews from critics. Following the success of their first album, the band released a second album, Waking the Fallen
, in 2003. Later in 2003, Shadows and Avenged Sevenfold played in the Vans Warped Tour.
's 2007 album, Requiem
, which, according to an interview, was one of the first steps which led to Avenged Sevenfold self-producing their 2007 self-titled
album.
Shadows has also made several guest appearances at High Schools, per request, such as Thomas Jeffereson High in Virginia, UCLA in California, New Utrecht High school in New York and many others. He also has stated he would be interested in collaborating with Coheed and Cambria
and states that he thinks, "Claudio Sanchez is a great musician. He knows his shit. Really cool dude and I'd personally love to work with him.
Personal Life - M Shadows is a avid Call of Duty player in his spare time, he brings an elaborate gaming rig with him when he tours as well. He also is a Pittsburgh Steelers
fan.
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and founding member for the American metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
.
Early life and musical beginnings
M.Shadows was born as Matthew Charles Sanders on July 31, 1981, in Huntington Beach, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He began playing the piano at an early age, but his interest in rock music grew as he became older and began to play the guitar. Shadows links this early musical experience with the piano as a major factor in developing his skills with the guitar and his voice. He attended Huntington Beach High School
Huntington Beach High School
Huntington Beach High School is a public high school in Huntington Beach, California. Opened in 1906, it is part of the Huntington Beach Union High School District. HBHS is a California Distinguished School...
, where he played for a brief stint in a punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band named "Successful Failure". Following this, Shadows formed Avenged Sevenfold in 1999 along with high school friends Zacky Vengeance
Zacky Vengeance
Zachary James Baker, better known by his stage name Zacky Vengeance, is the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the American metal/rock band Avenged Sevenfold.-Biography:...
, Jimmy "The Rev
The Rev
James Owen Sullivan , more commonly known by his stage name The Reverend Tholomew Plague, often shortened to The Rev, was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold...
" Sullivan, and Matt Wendt. Soon after, Sullivan's friend Synyster Gates
Synyster Gates
Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. , better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American musician, best known for being the lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.-Early life:...
joined Avenged Sevenfold as the guitarist.
In the DVD "All Excess
All Excess
All Excess is Avenged Sevenfold's first DVD which was released on July 17, 2007. The DVD includes a documentary with footage dating back to 1999, four live performances, along with four music videos, and several outtakes....
," Shadows claims that everyone in the band had been assigned to come up with a list of names, but that only he had followed through. The name Avenged Sevenfold, a reference to the Book of Genesis, was chosen over Lips of Deceit, another Biblical reference.
Stage name
Shadows, like the other members of Avenged Sevenfold, uses a stage name. In an interview, Shadows says that he chose "M. Shadows" as his stage name because he thought of himself as "the darker character in the group,". The M is in place of his first name, Matthew, which he did not want to be in his stage name because of the way it sounded. He also added that he and the band took stage names because many other successful musicians that they were influenced by . (e.g. SlashSlash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
of Guns N' Roses and The Edge
The Edge
David Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
).
Vocal Style
Shadows' vocal style has evolved significantly over the years. On the bands first full-length record, Sounding the Seventh TrumpetSounding the Seventh Trumpet
-Personnel:Avenged Sevenfold* M. Shadows — lead vocals, keyboard, acoustic guitar* Zacky Vengeance - Lead guitar and rhythm guitar* Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan — drums, backing vocals, piano* Justin Sane - bass guitar, pianoProduction...
, he features a harsh, metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
-style scream, with limited instances of clean vocals. The release of Waking the Fallen
Waking the Fallen
Waking the Fallen is the second album by Avenged Sevenfold, released on August 26, 2003 through Hopeless Records. It is the last release by the band to feature their metalcore sound, although more clean vocals are featured on the album than their debut album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. It is...
in 2003 showed a progression towards more melodic vocal lines, but still showing a strong metalcore influence. The most important change, however, came with the release of the bands major label debut, City of Evil
City of Evil
City of Evil is the third studio album and first major label release by American metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The album was released on June 7, 2005 under the Warner Bros. Records label. Co-produced by Andrew Murdock, City of Evil contains a more hard rock and classic heavy metal sound than...
, in 2005. The album featured no screaming and much more defined vocal melody, with an increased emphasis on vocal hooks. This style has remained prevalent on every record the band has released since that time, with the exception of the song "God Hates Us" on their album Nightmare
Nightmare (Avenged Sevenfold album)
Nightmare is the fifth studio album by American rock band Avenged Sevenfold, released on July 27, 2010 through Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Mike Elizondo and mixed in New York City by noted engineer Andy Wallace...
, and their song "Not Ready To Die", which return to the metalcore sound of earlier releases. Rumors began to spread that Shadows had lost his ability to scream due to throat surgery he had needed after Warped Tour 2003. Producer Andrew Mudrock put down these rumors by saying "When I met the band after Sounding the Seventh Trumpet...Matt handed me the CD, and he said to me, 'This record's screaming. The record we want to make...is going to be half-screaming and half-singing. I don't want to scream anymore...the record after that is going to be all singing.'"
Influences
Shadows draws his singing and performing style heavily from classic metalClassic metal
Traditional heavy metal, also known as classic metal or simply heavy metal, is the seminal genre of heavy metal music before the genre "evolved and splintered into many different styles and subgenres."- Terminology:...
bands. He cited Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
as his biggest influence in an interview, commenting that "I love that band. You can compare us all you want — they're a huge reason why I'm even in a band and even write music." Shadows also commented that he was heavily influenced by Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, and Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
. Megadeth and Metallica, Shadows says, are the reason why Avenged Sevenfold try to infuse a classic metal sound into their music. "Metalheads are so bitter, they're like, 'Why doesn't a super-extreme band have all the success that Avenged Sevenfold is having?'," said Shadows in an interview, "It's 'cause we have that traditional classic sound that bands like Metallica and Megadeth paved the way for a while ago. That sound crosses over and the extreme metal doesn't," he added. He also stated later in that interview that guitar expert Scott Taylor taught him how to play guitar. He has also claimed to have been influenced by alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
.
Avenged Sevenfold
Shadows was one of the founding members of Avenged Sevenfold, along with The Rev and Zacky Vengeance in 1999. In 2001, the band released their first studio album, Sounding The Seventh TrumpetSounding the Seventh Trumpet
-Personnel:Avenged Sevenfold* M. Shadows — lead vocals, keyboard, acoustic guitar* Zacky Vengeance - Lead guitar and rhythm guitar* Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan — drums, backing vocals, piano* Justin Sane - bass guitar, pianoProduction...
. The self-produced album, which was in the metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
style, gained mixed to positive reviews from critics. Following the success of their first album, the band released a second album, Waking the Fallen
Waking the Fallen
Waking the Fallen is the second album by Avenged Sevenfold, released on August 26, 2003 through Hopeless Records. It is the last release by the band to feature their metalcore sound, although more clean vocals are featured on the album than their debut album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. It is...
, in 2003. Later in 2003, Shadows and Avenged Sevenfold played in the Vans Warped Tour.
Other projects
Shadows has made guest appearances on numerous albums by various artists. He also produced The ConfessionThe Confession (band)
The Confession was an American Rock/Metal band from Dana Point, California. Formed in 2005, in no time they went on to tour with such bands as Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet for My Valentine and Megadeth and were slotted on Rockstar's Taste of Chaos 2006 Tour. In 2008 the band announced their breakup...
's 2007 album, Requiem
Requiem (The Confession album)
Requiem is Orange County, California metal band The Confession's first full-length album, released on March 20th, 2007.-Track listing:#"Burn the Virgin" - 4:33#"Through These Eyes" - 4:05#"Dance with the Devil" - 4:13#"Time Is Gone" - 5:22...
, which, according to an interview, was one of the first steps which led to Avenged Sevenfold self-producing their 2007 self-titled
Avenged Sevenfold (album)
Avenged Sevenfold is the fourth studio album by American metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on October 30, 2007 through Warner Bros. Records...
album.
Shadows has also made several guest appearances at High Schools, per request, such as Thomas Jeffereson High in Virginia, UCLA in California, New Utrecht High school in New York and many others. He also has stated he would be interested in collaborating with Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....
and states that he thinks, "Claudio Sanchez is a great musician. He knows his shit. Really cool dude and I'd personally love to work with him.
Personal Life - M Shadows is a avid Call of Duty player in his spare time, he brings an elaborate gaming rig with him when he tours as well. He also is a Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
fan.
With Avenged Sevenfold
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2001 | Sounding the Seventh Trumpet Sounding the Seventh Trumpet -Personnel:Avenged Sevenfold* M. Shadows — lead vocals, keyboard, acoustic guitar* Zacky Vengeance - Lead guitar and rhythm guitar* Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan — drums, backing vocals, piano* Justin Sane - bass guitar, pianoProduction... |
| 2003 | Waking the Fallen Waking the Fallen Waking the Fallen is the second album by Avenged Sevenfold, released on August 26, 2003 through Hopeless Records. It is the last release by the band to feature their metalcore sound, although more clean vocals are featured on the album than their debut album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. It is... |
| 2005 | City of Evil City of Evil City of Evil is the third studio album and first major label release by American metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The album was released on June 7, 2005 under the Warner Bros. Records label. Co-produced by Andrew Murdock, City of Evil contains a more hard rock and classic heavy metal sound than... |
| 2007 | Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold (album) Avenged Sevenfold is the fourth studio album by American metal band Avenged Sevenfold, released on October 30, 2007 through Warner Bros. Records... |
| 2008 | Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough Diamonds in the Rough -Personnel:Avenged Sevenfold* M. Shadows – lead vocals* Synyster Gates – lead guitar, backing vocals* Zacky Vengeance – rhythm guitar, backing vocals... |
| 2010 | Nightmare Nightmare (Avenged Sevenfold album) Nightmare is the fifth studio album by American rock band Avenged Sevenfold, released on July 27, 2010 through Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Mike Elizondo and mixed in New York City by noted engineer Andy Wallace... |
Featured guest appearances
| Year | Song | Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "Savior, Saint, Salvation" (with Synyster Gates Synyster Gates Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. , better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American musician, best known for being the lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.-Early life:... ) |
Bleeding Through Bleeding Through Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California. Formed in 1999, the band blends influences stemming from modern hardcore punk, symphonic black metal, and melodic death metal... |
Portrait of the Goddess Portrait Of The Goddess Portrait of the Goddess is the second album by American metalcore band Bleeding Through. The album was released on April 30, 2002 through Indecision Records.-Track listing:#"Rise" – 2:06#"Our Enemies" – 3:23... |
| 2007 | "The River The River (Good Charlotte song) "The River" is a song by the pop-punk band Good Charlotte featuring M. Shadows and Synyster Gates of the heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The song was the first single from the Good Morning Revival album in North America and the second single throughout the rest of the world except for... " (with Synyster Gates Synyster Gates Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. , better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American musician, best known for being the lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.-Early life:... ) |
Good Charlotte Good Charlotte Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin... |
Good Morning Revival Good Morning Revival Good Morning Revival is the fourth studio album by Good Charlotte and the follow-up to the 2004 release The Chronicles of Life and Death. It is the first album to feature Dean Butterworth on drums, who joined the band in March 2007 after former drummer Chris Wilson departed in 2005. Billy Martin... |
| "The End Is Near" | The Confession The Confession (band) The Confession was an American Rock/Metal band from Dana Point, California. Formed in 2005, in no time they went on to tour with such bands as Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet for My Valentine and Megadeth and were slotted on Rockstar's Taste of Chaos 2006 Tour. In 2008 the band announced their breakup... |
Requiem Requiem (The Confession album) Requiem is Orange County, California metal band The Confession's first full-length album, released on March 20th, 2007.-Track listing:#"Burn the Virgin" - 4:33#"Through These Eyes" - 4:05#"Dance with the Devil" - 4:13#"Time Is Gone" - 5:22... |
|
| "Buffalo Stampede" | Cowboy Troy Cowboy Troy Troy Lee Coleman III is an American musician, better known by his stage name Cowboy Troy, who performs country rap. He is a member of the MuzikMafia, an aggregation of country music singer-songwriters whose membership also includes Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson and James Otto... |
Black in the Saddle Black in the Saddle Black in the Saddle is an album by American country rap artist Cowboy Troy. It is his second major-label album, released in 2007 on Warner Bros. Records. None of the album's singles entered the Billboard singles charts.... |
|
| "Like Always" | Kisses for Kings | Demo | |
| 2009 | "Turn Out the Lights" | Steel Panther Steel Panther Steel Panther is a glam metal band from Los Angeles, California mostly known for their profane and humorous lyrics as well as their exaggerated on-stage personas... |
Feel the Steel Feel the Steel Feel the Steel is the second album by hard rock/glam metal band Steel Panther, and their debut major label release. The tracks "Fat Girl", "Stripper Girl" and "Hell's On Fire" are re-recordings from the 2003 debut album Hole Patrol while "Death to All But Metal" is a re-recording from their 2004... |
| 2010 | "Nothing to Say" | Slash Slash (musician) Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'... |
Slash |
| "Check the Level (Remix)" (with Slash Slash (musician) Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'... ) |
The Dirty Heads The Dirty Heads The Dirty Heads are a Reggae rock band from Southern California with a melodic style that includes hip hop and punk genres. Their debut album, Any Port in a Storm, was released on September 23, 2008, by Executive Music Group .-History:... |
Any Port in a Storm (Special Edition) | |
| 2011 | "Go Alone" | Hell or Highwater | Begin Again |