It’s not political – it’s human

Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows has defended the video message he recorded for two Israeli hostages after their release.

• Read More: Avenged Sevenfold on dividing fans: “Being willing to risk everything is the most liberating thing”

The singer recorded a message for Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, with the latter being a diehard fan of the band and saying that their music helped him get through his time in captivity.

In the message, he said that was “so excited to hear you are home,” adding: “The things you guys have been through are unspeakable, terrible.”

Gilboa-Dalal said: “Yesterday we listened to their songs. It was overwhelming. It was so much better than imagining it for two years. It felt like my soul had left my body. I’m not even joking. I can’t believe he made this video.”

We’re so deeply grateful for you, @shadows_eth. Your incredible support over these past two years has meant the world to us. pic.twitter.com/coHz3c4hIc

— A7X Israel 🇮🇱 (@A7Xisrael) October 15, 2025

He and David are two of the remaining living hostages released by Hamas earlier this month after spending over two years in captivity in Gaza, while Israel has freed almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees (per BBC News) following a deal brokered by the US.

Shadows’ decision to send the message proved divisive – some fans have praised it while others have accused the band of not being vocal about Palestine – but he has explained to Rolling Stone that it wasn’t a political one.

The singer, who revealed that the band lost two “friends” when Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, said: “It’s not something that I’m going to worry about; I know that it’s the right thing to do. I think you have to stick to your moral compass, but I’ve definitely heard it from both sides.

“To me, that video is just a human doing something for another human. It’s not making a political stance. It’s not sticking it in someone’s eye. It really is about two human beings that have been through hell. And if we can’t agree on that, it’s really hard to agree on anything.”

He continued: “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.”

Avenged Sevenfold has a sizable fanbase in Israel, and they’ve played there in the past, and Shadows said about David and Gilboa-Dalal: “I’ve not heard from them yet. But I’m sure we will play over there and do something for them.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Shadows said that he respected Disturbed frontman David Draiman, who has been vocally pro-Israel and signed an Israeli Defence Forces artillery shell last year.

Earlier this month, a Disturbed show was cancelled in Belgium following threats of protests outside the venue, and Shadows said of Draiman: “I really respect David, not just for where he stands, but that he believes in something and he’s full-force into it.”

Avenged Sevenfold, meanwhile, had to postpone their Latin American tour dates, scheduled to begin last month, due to an vocal injury to Shadows. The dates are rescheduled for January 2026.