In an interview with ‘Estadão’, the singer of the heavy metal band talks about participating in the Rio festival, his influences and his relationship with the game ‘Call of Duty’

THE avenged sevenfold will have a tough mission this Sunday, 15th: to headline the only night dedicated to rock of the festival Rock in Rio – as incongruous as it may seem.

The fact is that the genre is not as popular as it was in the 80s or 90s. Among the headliners of Rock in Rio 2024 there is a clear tendency towards pop by Katy Perry, Imagine Dragons, Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes; and rap by Travis Scott. There is also the “Day of Brazil”, with several national attractions.

The 3rd day of the festival will therefore be the only date for rockers, surprised by the choice of the main attraction. The young heavy metal band, formed in 1999, leads a lineup composed of Barão Vermelho, Planet Hemp + Pitty, Incubus and Evanescense, in addition to the legends Deep Purple and Journey – “I’ve never heard of these bands. I hope they have a good career one day,” jokes the singer sarcastically M. Shadows (Matthew Sanders), Stateby video conference.

“Deep Purple is like the first riff everyone learns on guitar. [de Smoke On The Water]. And Journey contains some of the greatest songs ever recorded. [como Don’t Stop Believin’]. So the respect for them is immense. And also for the Evanescents, because Amy Lee is a force. If I had to consider it as a classic of rock from the early ’90s, ’80s or ’70s, I would say: who the hell are Avenged Sevenfold and why do they lead them?” confesses the 43-year-old singer.

Despite having little baggage compared to their veteran counterparts, Avenged have a solid and fervent fan base. The group previously performed at RIR in 2013, but now they return with a strong performance and their latest album, Life is but a dream… (2023).

“Honestly, I just feel grateful. I had the Iron Maiden live album from Rock in Rio when I was a kid, and I played it over and over again and looked at the photos of the audience. For me, it’s like a full-circle moment, to get the call, to not only play Rock in Rio, but to be the main attraction, it’s a huge honor. There are very few shows that somehow permeate American culture and Rock in Rio is one of those that everyone knows about, even if they’ve never been to see it,” he says.

The Californians’ sound is complex: it mixes elements of country, progressive metal, funk and electronic music. In terms of vocals, Shadows cites a wide range of influences: Axl Rose, Dave Mustaine, James Hetfield, Bruce Dickinson and even Stevie Wonder.

“We try to completely reject our sound with every new record we make. But even when we go into uncharted territory, our choice of notes and our taste will always bring us back to a sound. There’s always a common thread, no matter how much we try to distance ourselves from it. I think that’s Syn’s way of playing. [Synyster Gates, guitarrista]. It’s what gives us our identity. We hate it when someone thinks they can say, ‘I’m going to make a song that sounds like Avenged Sevenfold.’ It drives me crazy,” he reveals.

From Stages to Video Games

Shadows is a fan of the shooting game series call of Duty. He became friends with the developers of the series, for which Avenged Sevenfold created four original songs. He also provided narration and motion capture for cameos in the game.

“This is another dream come true. I was lucky enough to meet Mark Lamia [líder da Treyarch, responsável pelo jogo]. He’s a huge rock fan, and once I realized how many nuances and depths I knew Call of Duty, he invited us to do some songs. We had never done anything like that. We actually had a rule that we would never do it, but for this particular situation we did it. This led to a fruitful relationship where he ended up putting us on the line, putting on a show at the end Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Was it incredible?, he comments.

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.