Matthew Charles Sanders, better known as M. Shadows, was born July 31, 1981. He is the lead vocalist, songwriter, and founding member for A7X. M. Shadows is well known for his distinctively gritty, rough and powerful voice as well as occasional screaming. He began to play the piano at an early age, but as he got older began to play the guitar, which boosted his interest in rock music. He attended Huntington Beach High School, met Zacky Vengeance, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, and Matt Wendt. He then played a brief stint in a punk band named “Successful Failure”. M. Shadows chose his stage name because he seen himself as “the darker chapter of the group”. He wanted to take stage names because many other successful musicians that interested them also had stage names.