<Tr> <Th> Associated acts </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Avenged Sevenfold </Li> <Li> Successful Failure </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> Avenged Sevenfold </Li> <Li> Successful Failure </Li> </Ul> <P> Matthew Charles Sanders (born July 31, 1981), better known as M. Shadows, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician . He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and a founding member of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold . In 2017, he was voted 3rd in the list of Top 25 Greatest Modern Frontmen by Ultimate Guitar . </P> <P> M. Shadows was born on July 31, 1981 in Fountain Valley, California . He began singing at a young age, but his interest in rock and heavy metal music grew as he became older and began to play the guitar . He links his early musical experience with the piano as a major factor in developing his skills with the guitar and his voice . He attended Huntington Beach High School, where he played for a brief stint in a punk band named "Successful Failure ." Following this, Shadows formed Avenged Sevenfold in 1999 along with middle school friends Zacky Vengeance, The Rev, and Matt Wendt . </P>

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