M. Shadows has had a rather unfortunate run with his vocals. Despite winning fans over with his four-octave range, screams and clean vocals alike, the physicality of his vocal cords have given Shadows a rather difficult time. Back in 2018, and again this past week.
On Friday (26th September), Avenged Sevenfold made a statement regarding M. Shadows' vocal health and the subsequent decision to postpone their upcoming Latin American tour after the band's European festival run in support of their newest record, Life Is But A Dream, released back in June. In the caption of a video posted to the band's Instagram, they announced:
"With a heavy heart, and regretfully, we have to announce that due to a specific condition called a vocal fold hematoma, we have made the necessary decision to push our tour to early next year. We promise to come back stronger than ever. Your tickets will still be valid for the rescheduled shows—new dates are on the way and will be announced next week.
Thank you for your understanding, love, and support."
The vocal fold hematoma became an issue only a few short weeks after Avenged Sevenfold played two shows with System Of A Down in Chicago at Soldier Field, when they made their appearance at Louder Than Life in Louisville. In the video posted to Instagram with the band's caption, M. Shadows individually explains what is led to the discovery of the vocal fold hematoma (as transcribed by thePRP):
“Hey everyone, what’s going on? I got some discouraging news. Gonna have to postpone the Latin American tour. [I] got my voice in some sort of trouble. After Louder than Life, I got a little sick, and I thought that my throat was feeling crummy from being sick. Came down to Argentina. Felt like it was probably the travel, the schedule, etc.. Monday and Tuesday came, I slept a bunch, didn’t feel any difference. So we postponed Buenos Aires.
The next day, got a bunch of sleep, woke up and I felt like something wasn’t getting better. So I found a great doctor in Argentina, went and got my throat scoped, and I have a hematoma on my left vocal fold, which is the same injury I had in 2017. In 2017 though, I decided to keep singing through it, took a bunch of pills and ended up resulting in surgery. So basically, if I shut this down now, I’ll have a couple weeks of voice rest and then a couple months of rehab, and we’ll be able to remake these dates to you. So I’ve got to make the responsible decision here and shut this down.
This will be the last time I’m talking for a couple weeks. Breaks my heart. I have to do this, but we’re going to be able to reschedule these dates for January. You know, apologies to everyone who’s made plans, spent money. Hopefully this is early enough to make you able to make the proper plans and kind of change the dates to January.
Apologies to the bands. All of them have flown down here already. Our crew, everyone’s already down here. The equipment, a lot goes into this. But I have to make the responsible decision and there’s no way I can sing like this and I don’t want another surgery. So we’re going to take the responsible route here, shut it down for a couple months. And. just sorry this had to happen, it just sucks. Can’t wait to see you guys in January.
Sorry.”
A vocal fold hematoma is described as an occurrence that happens when abrasion or stress is applied to the vocal cords in such a way that causes them to bleed or form tiny polyps that impact a person's ability to not only sing, but speak.
