Operation Undercover Friendship
Chapter 1 (Prologue)
Synyster Gates, M Shadows, Zacky Vengeance, Johnny Christ and The Rev, the five men who made up the notoriously acclaimed rock band Avenged Sevenfold. On the outside all seemed normal; the tattoos, dyed hair, piercings all of the physical attributes your typical rockstar would possess. They played concerts, had many groupies, travelled the world and had a kick ass time doing it. One thing that these five men definitely couldn't get enough of were sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll. Does it seem cliche to you? That's because it is. This on-going facade is really just a platform for something greater, something deeper. The entire world has no idea, even their families have no idea. Perhaps this glorious picture that has been laid out so nicely for you is anything but ordinary.
Let's take a step backward shall we? To a time when these five men were known simply as Brian Haner Jr, Matthew Sanders, Zachary Baker, Johnathan Seward, and James Sullivan. They were your average teenaged guys, their lifestyles embodied mostly what they do today, save for the rockstar element. Even as young boys the five knew that they were destined for greatness. However, what they got was completely shocking and not in the least what they were expecting. The five boys excelled in skipping class, causing mayhem and kicking ass. Figure sports into that mix and you've got mostly a complete package. They never dreamed of becoming rockstars, hell they didn't even know how to play instruments at this point. They weren't passionate about creating music, just listening to it.
The outside world had more in store for those five boys. To the passerby the group of five embodied power, especially the frontman and lead guitarist. At this point in time known merely as Matt and Brian. They knew how to command an audience, they demanded attention and respect wherever they went. They were stunning in the looks department and possessed this air of bravado that screamed nothing can touch us. Although the other three were more quiet, more resolved they still had that don't fuck with us air in their swagger. They were badasses, low on the social ladder, but girls flocked to them like moths to and open flame.
That's why it comes as no surprise to find the five boys, now grown men in their mid twenties, using their god-given gifts for all that they are worth. Skip back to the present day, August 20th, 2005. This summer Avenged Sevenfold were on the road with Warped Tour, playing the main stage alongside the likes of Good Charlotte. Nice guys but when does nice end and where does the disguise begin?
Avenged Sevenfold were sitting backstage, enjoying ice cold cans of iced tea; there was no drinking before they played a show, it was an unwritten rule among the five. One put in place by the burly frontman early on in their musical endeavors. No one seemed to mind; the shows were supposed to be all about the fans, even though they weren't. But the five knew that they had to put on a good act, when it came to performing and the fans alike.
Shadows was the worst of the five; he ran the band in a way easily comparable to a captain manning his ship. He kept a tight crew, always ensuring that no one stepped out of line to often or too greatly. The other four let him act in this manner, chalking it up to the fact that Shadows had always been slightly power hungry, and refused to take orders from anyone but himself. Ever the dominator that he was the rest of the band never really took it to heart; it was the way he'd always been and they didn't expect him to change now. Plus, he had a temper that could give satan a run for his money on a good day; when you saw the fire stoke up in his eyes you knew it was time to turn tail and run, or face the dire consequences; usually meaning that you would wake up in a hospital bed not remembering any of the day's previous events.
When it came to fights the other four members took solace in knowing that Shadows was on their side; all four were a little scared of Shadows' strength and what he could do to a person if they were not around to keep him somewhat calm. They did not want to lose their frontman to an accidental death caused by his own human hands. Shadows' strength made him a force to be reckoned with and many men envied his power. Shadows knew this and took pride in it; he was cocky and no one loved him like he could. In fact, his ego was so large that even he believed that there wasn't enough room in his bed to comfortably allow two lovers to sleep; his ego took up too much room. His ego was so large that it had an identity of its own, one that Shadows was fond of but only wished to reveal to himself; it lurked in the shadows of his mind and that was where it would stay. Consequently enough, that was why Shadows had chosen the stagename Shadows to be his alias.
All five men had these alias' for reasons know solely to them and a few choice others. That being said, you will never meet the others; they aren't important for your well-being, only theirs. Each man had selected his own stagename. When asked about their origins in interviews each man has come up with a fictional story to tell, holding just enough truth to be deemed honest; they couldn't go around sharing their secrets with people now, could they? Their boss certainly would not be impressed.
Let's take a step backward shall we? To a time when these five men were known simply as Brian Haner Jr, Matthew Sanders, Zachary Baker, Johnathan Seward, and James Sullivan. They were your average teenaged guys, their lifestyles embodied mostly what they do today, save for the rockstar element. Even as young boys the five knew that they were destined for greatness. However, what they got was completely shocking and not in the least what they were expecting. The five boys excelled in skipping class, causing mayhem and kicking ass. Figure sports into that mix and you've got mostly a complete package. They never dreamed of becoming rockstars, hell they didn't even know how to play instruments at this point. They weren't passionate about creating music, just listening to it.
The outside world had more in store for those five boys. To the passerby the group of five embodied power, especially the frontman and lead guitarist. At this point in time known merely as Matt and Brian. They knew how to command an audience, they demanded attention and respect wherever they went. They were stunning in the looks department and possessed this air of bravado that screamed nothing can touch us. Although the other three were more quiet, more resolved they still had that don't fuck with us air in their swagger. They were badasses, low on the social ladder, but girls flocked to them like moths to and open flame.
That's why it comes as no surprise to find the five boys, now grown men in their mid twenties, using their god-given gifts for all that they are worth. Skip back to the present day, August 20th, 2005. This summer Avenged Sevenfold were on the road with Warped Tour, playing the main stage alongside the likes of Good Charlotte. Nice guys but when does nice end and where does the disguise begin?
Avenged Sevenfold were sitting backstage, enjoying ice cold cans of iced tea; there was no drinking before they played a show, it was an unwritten rule among the five. One put in place by the burly frontman early on in their musical endeavors. No one seemed to mind; the shows were supposed to be all about the fans, even though they weren't. But the five knew that they had to put on a good act, when it came to performing and the fans alike.
Shadows was the worst of the five; he ran the band in a way easily comparable to a captain manning his ship. He kept a tight crew, always ensuring that no one stepped out of line to often or too greatly. The other four let him act in this manner, chalking it up to the fact that Shadows had always been slightly power hungry, and refused to take orders from anyone but himself. Ever the dominator that he was the rest of the band never really took it to heart; it was the way he'd always been and they didn't expect him to change now. Plus, he had a temper that could give satan a run for his money on a good day; when you saw the fire stoke up in his eyes you knew it was time to turn tail and run, or face the dire consequences; usually meaning that you would wake up in a hospital bed not remembering any of the day's previous events.
When it came to fights the other four members took solace in knowing that Shadows was on their side; all four were a little scared of Shadows' strength and what he could do to a person if they were not around to keep him somewhat calm. They did not want to lose their frontman to an accidental death caused by his own human hands. Shadows' strength made him a force to be reckoned with and many men envied his power. Shadows knew this and took pride in it; he was cocky and no one loved him like he could. In fact, his ego was so large that even he believed that there wasn't enough room in his bed to comfortably allow two lovers to sleep; his ego took up too much room. His ego was so large that it had an identity of its own, one that Shadows was fond of but only wished to reveal to himself; it lurked in the shadows of his mind and that was where it would stay. Consequently enough, that was why Shadows had chosen the stagename Shadows to be his alias.
All five men had these alias' for reasons know solely to them and a few choice others. That being said, you will never meet the others; they aren't important for your well-being, only theirs. Each man had selected his own stagename. When asked about their origins in interviews each man has come up with a fictional story to tell, holding just enough truth to be deemed honest; they couldn't go around sharing their secrets with people now, could they? Their boss certainly would not be impressed.