BIOGRAPHY
Avenged Sevenfold
Formed in the summer of 1999 in Huntington Beach, Calif., Avenged Sevenfold was still in high school when it embarked on its musical career. The name is based on the Biblical story of God's wrath upon Cain for killing his brother Abel.
There's nothing religious about the band save for the mock metal names of the band members: M. Shadows (Vocalist), Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance (Guitarists), The Reverend (Drummer)
and Johnny Christ (bassist).
After releasing two highly successful albums on an indie label (Sounding The Seventh Trumpet and Waking The Fallen), the quintet is set to unleash its major label debut, City Of Evil, on Warner Bros Records.
The ambitious City Of Evil, an 11-song collection that gives a middle finger to the idea of categorization it's produced by Mudrock (Godsmack, Eighteen Visions).
All of the success the band is enjoying means a lot to the five members because they've worked hard to get to this point. "We've seen bands that we started out with that got a bit of a head start or an early break, and they're done now. We've learned so much more doing it from the ground up. It has made us stronger as a band," Vengeance says.
Hard work is what also accounts for the Avengeds fiercely loyal following, according to Shadows: "It's rewarding to know we have a really solid core fan base that believes in us and our music, and sees Avenged Sevenfold as a lifestyle".
He says: "We don't ever fall because our fans are holding us up and that cant just get pulled out from underneath us."
BAND
MEMBERS
M. Shadows
Real name: Matt Sanders
Vocals
Born: July 31, 1981
Age: 25
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
Height: 6'1"
Favorite Bands/Influences:
Guns 'n' Roses, Pantera, Iron Maiden, NOFX, Bad Religion, Rancid, Death by Stereo, Pennywise, Nirvana, Megadeth, Beatles, Tom Petty, Journey
Synyster Gates
Real name: Brian Haner Jr.
Lead Guitar and Back-up Vocals
Born: July 7, 1981
Age: 25
Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
Height: 5'10"-5'11"
Favorite Bands/Influences:
Guns 'n' Roses, Mr. Bungle, Dream Theatre
Zacky Vengeance
Real name: Zackary Baker
Rhythm Guitar and Back-up Vocals
Born: December 11, 1981
Age: 24
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
Height: 5'8"-5'9"
Favorite Bands/Influences:
Rancid, Guns N' Roses, Bad Religion, Misfits, Metallica, Elvis Costello, Danny Elfman.
Johnny Christ
Real name: Johnathan Seward
Bassist
Born: November 18, 1984
Age: 21
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
Height: about 5'4"
Favorite Bands/Influences:
Rancid, NOFX, Bad Religion, Lagwagon, Home Grown, Guns N' Roses, Pantera, Metallica, etc.
The reverend
Real name: James Sullivan
Drums
Born: February 10, 1981
Age: 25
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
Height: 6'2"-6'3"
Favorite Bands/Influences:
Slayer, Andrew W.K.
THE SIXTH MEMBER
Brian Haner Sr.
Brian Haner (called Papa Gates): is a writer, performer and studio guitarist from Los Angeles, California.
He has done studio work for the past twenty years and played for some of the biggest names in the business.
He can also be heard playing on the new Avenged Sevenfold release "City of Evil". He played:
The end of Blind in Chains (Look at the way we're dying)
Middle and end of Bat Country (The slow part)
All the acoustic on Seize the Day and electric rhythm.
The end of Sidewinder. Rhythm and first acoustic solo (left speaker)
Acoustic and pedal steel on Strength of the World. Also the super low electric guitar notes in the intro.
Vocal backup on MIA.
