Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows Defends Message to Israeli Hostages: ‘It’s Not Political, It’s Human’

M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold says his message to Israeli hostages was about empathy, rather than politics.

Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows has defended a video message he recorded for two Israeli hostages, saying it was “not political, it’s human.” The message, meant for fans Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, was shared publicly and sparked debate online.

David and Gilboa-Dalal, who were taken hostage during the October 7, 2023 attacks, were recently returned home after two years. Gilboa-Dalal, 22 at the time he was kidnapped, credited Avenged Sevenfold’s music with helping him survive his time in Gaza. Shadows’ short message to the men said: “So excited to hear you are home. The things you guys have been through are unspeakable, terrible.”

Speaking about the backlash (as per Rolling Stone), Shadows said he stood by his decision. “It’s not something that I’m going to worry about; I know that it’s the right thing to do,” he explained. “To me, that video is just a human doing something for another human. It’s not making a political stance. It really is about two human beings that have been through hell.”

He acknowledged the division within Avenged Sevenfold’s fanbase but said that fear of criticism shouldn’t dictate his actions. ““You know the hammer’s going to come down from the other side. But if you worry about that, then you’re just going to live your life scared and…in an untruthful sort of place. We’ve done things for a lot of different people across different cultures and different religions. And at the end of the day, if they’re fans, we really want to reach out and we want to support them in some sort of way. And so it just seems unfair – [this idea that] ‘if you’re not on my side, then you’re an enemy.’ It’s really kind of gross.”

Shadows revealed that the issue hit close to home, sharing that two cousins who Avenged Sevenfold spent time with when they played in Israel were killed during the attacks. “Again, it wasn’t anything political. It was two girls that we know – sweet, innocent people. Terrible things happened to them and they didn’t make it out. I made a post then that was very neutral – just our hearts are broken and this happened. I mean.…words seem so cheap, right?”

Reflecting on the intent behind his message, Shadows added, “If I just got released after two years, the last thing I would care about is a video from a singer of a band. But if it could help, of course I’ll do it.”

“[Avenged Sevenfold have] played Iraq, Kuwait, and further over into Abu Dhabi. Our whole thing is that we’re not some militant band that has this line in the sand. We want to play music for every human that wants to come to our shows,” he said.

Shadows added that he feels empathy for Disturbed frontman David Draiman, who has come under fire for publicly supporting Israel (notably signing Israeli artillery shells most likely destined for Gaza, along with the phrase “f**k Hamas”) – an act that led to the cancellation of a show in Brussels due to ‘safety concerns’. “I really respect David, not just for where he stands, but that he believes in something and he’s full-force into it,” he said.

As for the hostages, Shadows said he hopes to connect with them in the future. “I’ve not heard from them yet,” he said. “But I’m sure [Avenged Sevenfold] will play over there and do something for them.”