# AVENGED SEVENFOLD’s M. SHADOWS Believes ‘The Stage’ Has Become ‘The Crown Jewel’ In The Band’s Catalog A Decade After Its Surprise Release

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/avenged-sevenfolds-m-shadows-believes-the-stage-has-become-the-crown-jewel-in-the-bands-catalog-a-decade-after-its-surprise-release/
- Published: 2026-11-02T19:17:11+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-02T21:06:14+00:00
- Original publisher: Blabbermouth
- Original article: https://blabbermouth.net/news/avenged-sevenfolds-m-shadows-believes-the-stage-has-become-the-crown-jewel-in-the-bands-catalog-a-decade-after-its-surprise-release
- Topics: Business, Entertainment, Markets, Music

## Key points

- “The Stage” has become a catalogue favourite for M. Shadows.
- Its surprise launch sold 76,000 copies in the first week.
- The band underestimated the need for a longer promotional build-up.

## Summary

Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows says the band’s 2016 surprise album “The Stage” has grown into the “crown jewel” of its catalogue, despite a difficult launch. Looking back on its tenth anniversary, he said the band’s eagerness to try new ideas brought artistic satisfaction but the release strategy failed to build enough awareness.

The album was announced on the night it went on sale, alongside a surprise rooftop performance at Capitol Records in Hollywood. It sold 76,000 copies in its first week, including 73,000 physical copies, the band’s lowest first-week sales in 11 years. Shadows said radio stations felt excluded by the lack of advance notice, while the band had expected the record to gain momentum after release; he has since described it as one of the group’s most ambitious works, centred on artificial intelligence and its possible effects on society.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.