M. Shadows facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
M. Shadows
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Shadows performing with Avenged Sevenfold in 2017
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Matthew Charles Sanders |
| Born | July 31, 1981 Fountain Valley, California, U.S. |
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| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Valary DiBenedetto
(m. 2009) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives |
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Matthew Charles Sanders (born July 31, 1981), better known by his stage name M. Shadows, is an American singer and songwriter. He is famous for being the lead singer and a founding member of the heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. In 2017, fans voted him as one of the best modern rock singers in a poll by the website Ultimate Guitar.
Contents
Early Life and First Bands
Matthew Charles Sanders was born in Fountain Valley, California, and grew up in nearby Huntington Beach, California. His family has Irish and Italian roots. His sister, Amy Sanders, is a former professional basketball player in the WNBA.
His love for rock music started when his dad gave him a Guns N' Roses cassette. As he got older, he became more interested in heavy metal music and learned to play the guitar. He believes that learning piano as a child helped him become a better singer and guitarist.
While attending Huntington Beach High School, he briefly played in a punk band called "Successful Failure." In 1999, he started Avenged Sevenfold with his middle school friends Zacky Vengeance, The Rev, and Matt Wendt.
Why He Uses a Stage Name
Like most members of Avenged Sevenfold, M. Shadows uses a stage name instead of his real name. In an interview, he said he chose the name "Shadows" because he saw himself as "the darker character in the group."
He uses the "M" instead of his first name, Matthew, because he didn't like how it sounded with Shadows. He also said the band chose stage names to be like their musical heroes, such as Slash from Guns N' Roses. They also thought it would be a fun and rebellious thing to do.
His Unique Singing Style
M. Shadows has a deep singing voice, known as a baritone, but he can also hit very high notes. His vocal range is impressive, covering nearly four octaves. This means he can sing a very wide variety of notes, from low to high.
His singing has changed a lot over the years. On the band's first album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet, he mostly used a harsh, screaming style common in metalcore music. On their next album, Waking the Fallen, he started to sing more melodic parts but still included a lot of screaming.
A big change came with the album City of Evil in 2005. On this record, he focused on singing clear melodies and harmonies, with very little screaming. To prepare, he worked with a vocal coach named Ron Anderson, who also helped singers like Axl Rose and Chris Cornell. Shadows wanted to add a gritty, raspy sound to his voice.
Because he stopped screaming, some fans thought he had damaged his voice. But the album's producer, Andrew Murdock, said this wasn't true. He explained that the band had planned to move away from screaming all along. Shadows himself said, "We don’t listen to bands that scream... I’d rather listen to the Iron Maidens and Metallicas of the world."
Other Music and Fun Projects
Besides Avenged Sevenfold, M. Shadows has worked with many other artists. He sang on the song "The River" by Good Charlotte and "Nothing to Say" on the solo album by Slash. He also sang on songs by bands like Steel Panther, Fozzy, and Device.
Shadows is also a big fan of video games, especially the Call of Duty: Black Ops series. Avenged Sevenfold has created four original songs for the games. In Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Shadows and bandmate Synyster Gates even appeared as characters. In 2019, Shadows was added as a playable character in the "Blackout" mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Personal Life
Shadows married Valary DiBenedetto on October 17, 2009. They have two sons. His bandmate, guitarist Synyster Gates, is married to Valary's twin sister. This makes Shadows and Gates brothers-in-law.
In 2020, Shadows wrote an article for Revolver magazine to show his support for the Black Lives Matter movement. He encouraged fans of rock and metal to show compassion and support for others.
In 2022, he and David Draiman, the singer of Disturbed, spoke out about a law in Florida related to education in schools. As a parent, Shadows felt it was important for kids to learn about empathy for all people at a young age.
Discography
With Avenged Sevenfold
- Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (2001)
- Waking the Fallen (2003)
- City of Evil (2005)
- Avenged Sevenfold (2007)
- Nightmare (2010)
- Hail to the King (2013)
- The Stage (2016)
- 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)
- "Save Me" by Machine Gun Kelly (2012)
- "Haze" by Device (2013)
- "Burn It Down" and "Faint" by Linkin Park, live at a memorial concert (2017)
- "Super Hero" by Atreyu (2018)
- "Street Spirit" by These Grey Men (2020)
- "Your Name Forever" by Machine Gun Kelly (2025)
See also
In Spanish: M. Shadows para niños
