Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows pens essay in support of Black Lives Matter

Ollie Millington/Getty ImagesAvenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows has shared his support for Black Lives Matter in an essay published by Revolver.

“The reality is, this is not a ‘black problem’ — it is an American problem,” Shadows writes. “Until we address it as such, the tides will remain the same.”

Shadows shares how he’s seen the African-American people in his life, including his best friend and brother-in-law, endure “horrifying and unfair” treatment, and recalls that when he brought his brother-in-law to see his favorite band Slipknot live, the “tension of a black man being in that crowd was palpable.”

“Which brings me to my point,” Shadows writes. “If you are white and have been sitting on the sidelines of this situation, we need you to stand up.”

“I understand that the Avenged Sevenfold fanbase is made up of very few black Americans,” he continues. “That is why I feel more compelled than ever to write this to you. We can be the ones — the rock and metal community — to reach out and show the compassion that I know is in us all to help raise up our fellow humans.”

Shadows also acknowledges that his band has “used confederate flags in our artwork while paying tribute to artists we grew up listening to or simply trying to start controversy. “

“I’m sure we will be called out, and rightfully so, by people reading this,” Shadows writes. “No excuses. But everyone grows up at some point, and I feel grateful that we have an audience that has allowed us to evolve with them.”

He concludes, “I can only hope that the rock and metal community, and the white community at large, can move forward with an open mind and come together to help out our fellow Americans in this desperate time.”

By Josh Johnson
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.