Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows is once again suffering from a vocal cord hematoma — the same injury the singer dealt with several years ago that led to surgery and the band canceling its 2018 North American tour.
Shadows took to social media to inform fans that he would once again be shutting down singing activities as he deals with the injury — a hemorrhage in which a blood vessel in the vocal cord ruptures and collects blood in the vocal cord lining. As a result, Avenged Sevenfold have postponed their Latin American tour that was slated to kick off last Friday (September 25th) in Buenos Aires.
Shared the band in a statement [via Instagram]:
“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.”
In an attached video message to fans, a noticeably hoarse Shadows explained that he began to feel discomfort in his throat following Avenged Sevenfold’s recent performance at Louder Than Life. Assuming it was a symptom of mild illness and travel, he made the trip to Argentina to begin the Latin American tour before discovering that it was once again a hematoma.
“I got a little sick and I thought that my throat was feeling crummy from being sick,” Shadows explained (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “I came down to Argentina. I felt like it was probably the travel, the schedule, et cetera. Monday and Tuesday came. I slept a bunch. I 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.”
He continued, “In 2017, though, I decided to keep singing through it. I 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 gotta make the responsible decision here and shut this down.”
Recovery will require him to rest his voice, including talking as well as singing, and he said that the video message would be the last time he’d talk for the next two weeks. He added that the band intends to reschedule the Latin American dates for January.
“This will be the last time I’m talking for a couple weeks,” he continued. “It breaks my heart I have to do this, but we’re gonna be able to reschedule these dates for January. 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 just no way I can sing like this. And I don’t want another surgery.”
The tour included a total of seven shows in Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
