M. Shadows facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
M. Shadows
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Shadows performing with Avenged Sevenfold in 2017
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Matthew Charles Sanders |
| Born | July 31, 1981 Fountain Valley, California, U.S. |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Valary DiBenedetto
(m. 2009) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives |
|
Matthew Charles Sanders (born July 31, 1981), known as M. Shadows, is an American singer and songwriter. He is the main singer and a founder of the heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. In 2017, a music website called Ultimate Guitar named him one of the top modern lead singers.
Contents
M. Shadows' Early Life
M. Shadows was born on July 31, 1981, in Fountain Valley, California. He grew up in Huntington Beach, California. He loved rock music from a young age. His dad gave him his first music cassette, which had Guns N' Roses on it. As he got older, he started playing guitar. This led him to discover heavy metal music.
Playing the piano when he was younger really helped him. It made it easier for him to learn guitar and improve his singing. He went to Huntington Beach High School. There, he played in a punk band called "Successful Failure" for a short time. After that, in 1999, Shadows helped create Avenged Sevenfold. He started the band with his middle school friends Zacky Vengeance, The Rev, and Matt Wendt.
Why a Stage Name?
Like most members of Avenged Sevenfold, M. Shadows uses a stage name. Only Brooks Wackerman uses his real name. In an interview, Shadows explained why he chose his name. He felt he was "the darker character in the group." The 'M' stands for Matthew, his first name. He didn't want to use his full first name in his stage name.
He also said that he and the band chose stage names because many famous musicians they admired had them. For example, Slash from Guns N' Roses and Munky from Korn. The members of Slipknot also use stage names.
M. Shadows' Singing Style
Shadows has a deep voice, known as a baritone. He can sing comfortably in higher ranges too. His voice can reach almost four octaves. His lowest note is D2 and his highest recorded note is A5.
His singing style has changed a lot over the years. On the band's first album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet, he used harsh, screaming vocals. This was common in metalcore music. He used clean singing only a little.
By 2003, with Waking the Fallen, he started singing more melodically. But he still used a lot of screaming. The biggest change came in 2005 with City of Evil. This album had very little screaming. It focused more on strong melodies and harmonies.
Shadows worked with a vocal coach named Ron Anderson. Anderson had also coached singers like Axl Rose and Chris Cornell. Shadows wanted to add a rougher, "raspy" sound to his voice. He worked with Anderson for months before recording City of Evil. This change also meant other band members sang more during live shows. This style has been part of every album since 2005.
Some people thought Shadows couldn't scream anymore. They heard rumors he had throat surgery after a tour in 2003. But producer Andrew Murdock said this wasn't true. Murdock said that when he met the band, Matt told him he wanted to sing more. He wanted to make albums with half screaming and half singing, then later, all singing.
In 2014, Shadows said he purposely changed his voice. He made it less raspy and distorted for touring. This was because their live shows became longer, lasting up to two hours. He said, "you better be taking care of yourself or you're gonna be cancelling shows." He also wanted to hit notes more clearly instead of just rasping.
Other Cool Projects
M. Shadows has sung on many other artists' albums. He sang a part in "Turn out the Lights" on Steel Panther's 2009 album Feel the Steel. He also helped produce The Confession's 2007 album, Requiem. This helped Avenged Sevenfold learn to produce their own 2007 album.
He also sings in "The River" by Good Charlotte. His bandmate Synyster Gates plays a guitar solo on that song too. In 2013, he sang on the song "Haze" for Device's album. He also sang "Nothing to Say" on Slash's solo album. And he was featured on "Sandpaper" by Fozzy.
Shadows is good friends with David Vonderhaar from Treyarch. Treyarch makes the Call of Duty: Black Ops video games. Avenged Sevenfold has made four original songs for these games. In 2012, Shadows and Synyster Gates even appeared in Call of Duty: Black Ops II. They provided their voices and movements for the game characters. In 2013, Shadows played in a big Call of Duty tournament. He placed in the Top 48. In 2019, M. Shadows became a playable character in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4s "Blackout" game mode.
Family Life
Shadows married Valary DiBenedetto on October 17, 2009. They have two sons. River was born in 2012, and Cash was born in 2014. Shadows' bandmate Synyster Gates is married to Valary's twin sister, Michelle DiBenedetto. This makes M. Shadows and Synyster Gates brothers-in-law!
In 2020, Shadows wrote an article for Revolver magazine. He shared his support for the Black Lives Matter movement. He asked rock and metal fans to show kindness and help others. He wanted to write the article because he noticed few African Americans in the Avenged Sevenfold fanbase.
He enjoys music from many artists. Some of his favorites include Guns N' Roses, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Bad Religion, Pennywise, NOFX, At the Gates, Dream Theater, Helloween, Iron Maiden, Korn, Megadeth, Metallica, Pantera, Queensrÿche, System of a Down, Mr. Bungle, H2O, Rancid, Disembodied, and Knocked Loose.
Music Albums
With Avenged Sevenfold
- Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (2001)
- Waking the Fallen (2003)
- City of Evil (2005)
- Avenged Sevenfold (2007)
- Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough (2008)
- Nightmare (2010)
- Hail to the King (2013)
- The Stage (2016)
- Black Reign (2018)
- Life Is But a Dream... (2023)
Guest Appearances
- "Savior, Saint, Salvation" by Bleeding Through (2002)
- "Entombed We Collide" and "This Is Not the End" by Death by Stereo (2005)
- "Buffalo Stampede" by Cowboy Troy (2007)
- "The River" by Good Charlotte (2007)
- "Turn Out the Lights" by Steel Panther (2009)
- "Nothing to Say" by Slash (2010)
- "Check the Level" by Dirty Heads (2010)
- "Go Alone" by Hell or Highwater (2011)
- "Sandpaper" by Fozzy (2012)
- "Landmine" by Pitch Black Forecast (2012, 2014)
- "Save Me" by Machine Gun Kelly (2012)
- "Haze" by Device (2013)
- "Burn It Down" and "Faint" by Linkin Park, live at the Chester Bennington memorial concert (2017)
- "Super Hero" by Atreyu (2018)
- "Street Spirit" by These Grey Men (2020)
See also
In Spanish: M. Shadows para niños
