Earlier this year, Avenged Sevenfold's stadium show in Mexico City saw tickets sell out in just 20 minutes. Such a rapid sell-out reflects the band's strong international fan base, especially in cities across Central and South America, where the passion for live metal music is high, and tickets are often in high demand.
For the band's lead singer, Matt Sanders, fans refer to him as M. Shadows. This response implies a deeper meaning; he believes that today's artists have the opportunity to transcend the limitations of the stage and build more lasting relationships with their communities. In recent years, Sanders has become a leading figure among musicians exploring blockchain infrastructure—tools originally developed for finance, now supporting everything from digital collectibles to verifiable passes.
In 2021, the band launched the Deathbats Club, a collection of 10,000 NFT tokens that sold out quickly. It has now become a token-gated fan club that offers exclusive benefits to members, such as private listening parties, early ticket access, skip-the-line tickets, and limited edition merchandise. This club was the band’s first attempt at on-chain fan interaction and laid the groundwork for future development.
Based on a newly mobilized fan base, they launched Deathbat Rewards, a free loyalty program designed to enhance engagement among a broader fan community. The program links real-world behaviors (such as concert attendance, merchandise purchases, streaming activity) to the benefits offered by opting-in fans.
In the interview below, Sanders outlines the technological architecture behind Deathbats Club and Deathbats Rewards, sharing how his team collaborates with global ticketing company Ticketmaster and Web3 development company Bitflips, and explains why all types of artists can benefit from building a fan ecosystem that operates on their own terms.
Note: This record has been edited for readability and understanding. The interview took place on March 25, 2025.
OpenSea: Great to connect with you, Matt! You're about to perform in South America; how has the fan response been there?
M. Shadows: South America may have the most passionate metal fans in the world. Our tickets for last week's show at the Mexico City stadium sold out in just 20 minutes. The same goes for São Paulo and Santiago; the people there are hungry for music, and their presence is powerful.
OpenSea: Why do you think that is?
M. Shadows: I think part of the reason lies in the political environment and deeper cultural energy. We can see this phenomenon in Southeast Asia as well. Europe used to have a richer cultural atmosphere, but now it's become a bit saturated. Audiences in South America still respond strongly to powerful instrumentals, theatrical performances, and compelling storytelling. This imagery resonates, especially in cultures with deep religious traditions.
OpenSea: The themes of your band's performances lean towards visual elements—religion, film, emotion. I imagine these elements would resonate even more.
M. Shadows: Of course, we are following in the footsteps of bands like Iron Maiden and Metallica, which have always had a strong impact due to their visual effects and storytelling in music; people can easily resonate with that.
OpenSea: Besides touring, what else has been keeping your creative energy alive recently?
M. Shadows: The entire music industry is incredibly exciting right now. Everything has changed dramatically since the rise of streaming and social platforms. In the past, we had giants like MTV and radio gatekeeping, but now the internet provides everything people want anytime and anywhere. This makes standing out more challenging but also gives artists the chance to set their own rules.
Today, we can try various approaches, release more or less music, experiment with surprise releases, and incorporate VR or Web3 tools. I think this is a return to art; music used to feel more like a commercial endeavor, but if you're here now, you're likely driven by a love for the craft.
OpenSea: It sounds like you view technology itself as part of the creative palette. Do you see new tools like VR or blockchain as art mediums?
M. Shadows: That's right. Take stereo sound, for example. The Beatles knew what it would sound like on specific hardware when they created their music. Now, we can consider VR or spatial audio while composing music. A friend of mine who develops video games once asked, 'What happens when people start experiencing music in virtual environments?' That question changes the way you create; it becomes more cinematic, more immersive, and that's just another source of inspiration.
OpenSea: The shift towards multisensory, format-aware experiences undoubtedly creates opportunities, but it also brings some fragmentation. How do you view maintaining cohesion across all these platforms? Does trying different formats create friction with the audience?
M. Shadows: Some people will always resist change, which is part of the reason, but as artists, it’s our job to lead. You can’t write with a committee. When Apple launches a new iPhone, people complain and then adapt; music is the same. You need to guide the audience to the next trend.
For example, we did a VR concert that was meant to be experienced only in a headset, but most people don't have headsets yet. That's okay; just like how it took time for mobile phones to become widespread, VR and Web3 will eventually scale too. Our job is to build the bridge.
OpenSea: Awesome! Now let's talk about Deathbats Club. You launched it in 2021, with 10,000 NFTs. What was the original idea? How has it evolved?
M. Shadows: I got into cryptocurrency back in 2015, and after Ethereum launched and smart contracts became possible, I started thinking about real applications. After CryptoPunks and Bored Apes launched, I realized we could build a fan club on-chain that provides actual utility and ownership to users.
We launched the Deathbats Club in 2021, and it quickly sold out. 6,000 independent fans own all 10,000 tokens. Since then, we've started offering early bird tickets, merchandise, parties, and skip-the-line experiences. It's a decentralized fan ecosystem.
OpenSea: You are also collaborating with Ticketmaster to pilot blockchain-based ticketing. What problem are you trying to solve? How was this partnership formed?
M. Shadows: I gave a talk at NFT LA and met David Marcus from Ticketmaster. We had lunch and discussed how to tackle the scalping issue. We asked, 'What if verified fans have a token they can access, while bots or intermediaries cannot get in?'
We designed a system that allows Deathbats Club members to experience things in advance, without waiting in line, without bots, and without paying high resale prices. This became the blueprint for Deathbat Rewards, a free tiered rewards program for the fan club that grants points based on fan activity (like attending shows, purchasing merchandise, listening to music online), similar to an airline loyalty program for concerts.
OpenSea: There are now 50,000 fans involved in the Deathbat Rewards program. How is the backend supporting this? How do you track fan activity without compromising ownership or privacy?
M. Shadows: We built the entire infrastructure for Deathbat Rewards through Bitflips, a Web3 development company I co-founded with some old friends and engineers. Fans can register with just an email address and can get a custodial wallet if needed. We integrate with platforms like Shopify and Ticketmaster, so when you scan a ticket or buy a tour T-shirt, points are automatically accumulated.
Fans do not need to use new tools; they can interact as before, and we will provide corresponding rewards, which include meet-and-greet events, digital stubs, and various forms of limited edition merchandise.
OpenSea: Have other artists started adopting your model?
M. Shadows: Yes, we are now bringing in other companies, including Megadeth, but we are very cautious. We want to avoid collaborating with any large labels that hold outdated views and poor incentive mechanisms. Not all labels are bad, but some tend to replicate the same control systems. Our model returns power to the artists, so we will not associate any works with the Bitflips brand. Artists own their own data, smart contracts, and designs; it's like a music version of an AWS toolkit, but the data is processed in a decentralized manner.
OpenSea: Are you planning to enter the educational space and help more musicians understand how to build this ecosystem?
M. Shadows: I’ve talked to many artists about this issue, but to be honest, my focus right now is on creation. Web3 has become very noisy—too many speculative projects—so we can only keep improving the tools, releasing new features, and letting word of mouth work; that's more authentic than ongoing marketing.
OpenSea: Many people still associate NFTs with hype cycles. How do you explain their real value to skeptics?
M. Shadows: NFTs are just data. They are a way to permanently record ownership and access on the blockchain. This data can be tied to rewards—real tickets, exclusive experiences, anything you want.
The problem is that people always expect all tokens to appreciate, but that's not the issue. The Deathbats Club token allows you to participate in meet-and-greets, merchandise drops, and lotteries; that's where its value lies, and it's very straightforward.
OpenSea: You even tokenized the meet-and-greet experience; can you explain how that works?
M. Shadows: We give out 25 meet-and-greet tokens at each show, which can be earned through our rewards system. They can be resold or gifted. Currently, there are two tokens on Rarible, and we do not price or control them. Anyone holding a token can participate.
We have never held paid meet-and-greets; that doesn’t feel right for us. Instead, we built a system to identify the most active fans, and then we meet with those people.
OpenSea: That's great! So what are your plans with the band next?
M. Shadows: We will go to Eastern Europe in June and South America in the fall. We are onboarding new artists and expanding the platform, releasing new features every week. This is our long-term focus.
OpenSea: Where can people learn more or get involved?
M. Shadows: Visit AvengedSevenfold.io and Bitflips.io. You just need to provide your email address to register; we will handle the rest. You don’t need to use a wallet unless you want to.
OpenSea: Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed vision.
M. Shadows: Thank you, I really appreciate it.
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