Avenged Sevenfold’s Matt Shadows ahead of their Bengaluru gig: It’s going to be a rollercoaster! FilmyMeet

For the first time in a career spanning 25 years, American heavy metal giants Avenged Sevenfold are set to perform in India and frontman Matt Shadows couldn’t be more excited. “I think anytime you go somewhere new, a piece of that culture comes back with you. I would love to go exploring, meet people, eat the food and enjoying the culture and nightlife,” he tells us.

The band is headed to Bengaluru, Karnataka — a city with a thriving rock scene — as a part of the Bandland music festival, organised by BookMyShow, on November 23 and 24. The singer-songwriter says he is eager to witness the impact that international heavy metal can have on local music scenes.

“At the end of the day, when bands from other countries come over, it brings more people into the know. Maybe they hear our music and think, ‘I want to start my own band,’ and that can permeate into a society for years to come,” Shadows shares.

As the band celebrates their 25th anniversary, Shadows feels constant reinvention and authenticity have kept them moving forward: “Once we do something on one record, we steer away from that on to the next one. We’ve always been honest about putting out records we believe in. We’ve never fallen victim to audience capture; we’ve made mistakes, but we’ve owned them. That creates a strong bond with the audience because they know we’re not trying to pull the wool over their eyes.”

Reflecting on the global appeal of their music, he emphasises the transcendent nature of metal. “Heavy metal transcends culture and language. We’ve seen it around the world and I’m sure India will be no different. People sing the songs back to us and that connection, beyond politics or cultural divides, is what makes music so powerful,” he concludes.