“We didn’t want to live and die by someone else’s sword”: Avenged Sevenfold’s Zacky Vengeance on ditching major labels and nurturing better fan connections with the blockchainWith the launch of their NFT-based fanclub Deathbats Club back in 2021, and a 2023 album, Life Is But A Dream… – which divided opinion, to say the least – Avenged Sevenfold are defined by their drive to innovate and keep things fresh.
Indeed, they’re always gracefully riding the wave of wherever the music industry is headed next, and aren’t afraid to call out redundant industry practices which no longer serve them.

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The band recently parted ways with longtime label Warner Bros. and decided it was time to go their own way. Last week, frontman M. Shadows took aim at major labels and their relevance in 2024, saying: “You’re going to take 24 cents on our dollar and that’s all you can do, come up with a f**king fake viral TikTok moment?”
Now, in an interview with NME conducted before the band’s recent set at Download Festival, guitarist Zacky Vengeance elaborates on why the band have chosen to part with major labels, and use the blockchain to facilitate a better connection with their fans.
Vengeance says the decision “came after spending an entire career depending on record labels and radio”, adding: “We didn’t want to live and die by someone else’s sword – we have true fans and we need to connect with them in our own way.”
“The technology emerged and a light bulb went off collectively in all of our heads,” he says. “We’ve had to dodge arrows from everyone because of it. People saying it’s a cash grab or that it’s stupid, but we actually have a real connection with our fans and it allows them to reap some rewards.
“We have probably the coolest fan club through the Deathbats Club, and they have complete ownership of it. If ever they want to sell it to somebody else because it doesn’t suit them anymore, they can. They can get early access to concerts, join us at exclusive parties, get free tattoos. It’s just a way that we can instantly connect to them.
“So companies steal your information and use it for themselves to sell ads to you, but we’re asking you to volunteer your information as a fan so we can reward you for being a fan.”
Elsewhere in the interview, ZV explains why it’s important the band continues to stylistically innovate and take their music in new directions.
“The easy route would be writing songs similar to our most-played hits, or the ones that go over the best at festivals,” he says. “But, truthfully, I think that’s just career suicide. We want to have fun, make new memories for people, give them an experience to remember for the rest of their lives and maybe even change their whole perspective.”
Head to NME to read the full interview.
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