Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows on Performing for Troops

Today marks the 10-year anniversary of America's war in Afghanistan, making it the longest war in U.S history. More than 2 million soldiers have been sent to Afghanistan and Iraq (the latter of which began in 2003). Many heavy bands have shown their appreciation throughout the years by performing for troops all over the Middle East.

Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows recently talked to Revolver about playing for the brave men and women who put their lives on the line, and now the magazine has published the entire interview online.

When asked if there was any personal connection he had to the military, Shadows stated, "I think everyone in the band has had someone that’s served in their family. I wouldn’t say that anybody has a military family, but both of my grandfathers were in the military. But I have a lot of friends out of high school, they didn’t know what they wanted to do with their lives, so some went into the Navy, some went into the Marines, some went into the Army."

Shadows also revealed that he was a little nervous to play in the Middle East. "I’d say there was some nerves. Everywhere you go, you have a bulletproof vest on and helmets, which means there probably is some level of danger."

The band went to bases in Kuwait and Baghdad, where they stayed in one of Saddam Hussein's palaces. "He had about 48 palaces in Baghdad alone. It’s insane to go through there."

When asked if Avenged Sevenfold would go back to the Middle East, he responds, "It was an absolute honor and a pleasure to go there to Iraq, and I hope the war ends soon. But if it doesn’t, or if something else pops up, we would love to go back, and we’re looking forward to that and playing for them again."

"I know that sometimes we, as Americans, we reach outside of our means, and every once in a while we like to “police the world,” but I think we do a lot of good as well. I think that those people [in the military], it’s very important that we support them, because I’m not putting myself in front of a bullet every day. And you’re not, but they are. And it’s pretty commendable."