Matthew Charles Sanders, better known by his stage name M. Shadows is an American musician. M.Shadows began singing at an early age, but his interest in rock and 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 is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter and founding member of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.
Although Shadows possesses a baritone voice, he has been able to perfect his technique to a degree that allows him to sing convincingly and comfortably in the tenor range often called for by his genre of choice. He married Valary DiBenedetto on October 17, 2009.