Two dedicated Avenged Sevenfold superfans, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, who endured two years as hostages in Gaza amidst the Israel-Hamas war, publicly expressed their profound gratitude on Wednesday, October 15. Their appreciation was directed towards a message of unwavering support and love from M. Shadows, the lead singer of the acclaimed hard rock band. Both David and Gilboa-Dalal were tragically captured on October 7, 2023, while attending the Nova Music Festival in Israel. Their release came about this week as a result of a ceasefire deal, which was brokered by President Trump.

During their arduous captivity, the two childhood friends reportedly found solace and bonded deeply over their shared passion for the music of Avenged Sevenfold, often referred to as the “Nightmare” band. This profound connection prompted M. Shadows to personally send them a video message, warmly welcoming them home. This heartwarming gesture came after an Israeli fan group of A7X reached out to the band, informing them of the men’s harrowing plight. In the video, Shadows conveyed his excitement: “Evyatar and Guy, I’m so excited to hear you guys are home today. We’ve been following the story closely. We knew you guys were devoted A7X fans and we appreciate it so much. The things you guys have been through, it’s just unspeakable, terrible.” He concluded his message with words of care and hope: “Hopefully we see you guys soon. Be safe. Spend time with your family. Get some rest and hopefully we can see you guys soon. Welcome home. Glad you guys are ok.”

A subsequent response video, shared by the A7X Israel group, captured Gilboa-Dalal’s incredulous and joyous reaction as he watched Shadows’ message. From what appeared to be a hospital room, he was seen smiling, laughing, and exclaiming, “No! ‘See you soon’!” in sheer amazement. When his brother mentioned that Shadows was “waiting for you,” Gilboa-Dalal responded with disbelief, “no way… do you think he would meet me?” His brother reassured him with, “why not?” and promised to endeavor to facilitate a meeting, as Gilboa-Dalal insisted that David also see the clip. Overwhelmed, Gilboa-Dalal shared his shock: “Yesterday we listened to their songs. It was overwhelming. It was so much better than imagining it for two years.” Reflecting on one of their first nights of freedom, spent listening to their favorite band, he emotionally stated, “It felt like my soul had left my body. I’m not even joking. I can’t believe he made this video!” The moving clip concluded with footage of the two men post-release, sitting side-by-side, enthusiastically playing air guitar to an Avenged Sevenfold song.

This particular ceasefire agreement, which went into effect on Monday, saw the successful return of 20 living Israeli hostages. It also marked the commencement of the repatriation process for the bodies of 28 deceased captives who had been held in Gaza throughout the devastating conflict. At the time of reporting, the ceasefire deal appeared to be successfully holding.