(CelebrityAccess) — The heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold were forced to clarify that they are still planning to perform at multiple music festivals after an apparent deepfake podcast claimed they were dropping out of the events to focus on completing their next album.
The band’s frontman M Shadows took to social media on Sunday to confirm that the band was planning to perform at both the Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple music festivals after multiple music news outlets reported that they had dropped out of the lineup to grapple with delays on their forthcoming studio album.
The reporting was based on a purported statement from the band released via their Trax podcast, which appears to have been faked as part of a hack. The apparently faked message included audio purportedly from the band’s frontman who explained the cancellations.
After the transcript was published, M. Shadows took to social media to deny the cancellations, writing: “Yikes! This is NOT TRUE. We are still playing. Getting to the bottom of this.” In a subsequent tweet, he added: “Literally walking in the streets of Mexico and listening to this. What the actual fuck… NOT ME!”
The full transcript of the alleged podcast from Metal Injection who first reported the alleged hack.
“Hey, Trax listeners, we’re so sorry to bring bad news to you all, but I wanted you to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. We’ve had some unexpected delays on the new album and have decided to cancel our appearances at Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple to focus on finishing it up. It breaks our heart to do this, but some things have to be done.
“I understand this is disappointing news for everyone, and I want to let you know that we are truly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. Creating new music is a passion we have dedicated our lives to, and we believe our fans deserve nothing but the best from us. We put our hearts and souls into this new project to make it the best it can be.
“We’ve been working tirelessly on this new music and are committed to bringing it to you as soon as possible. We know that cancelling more shows is a major disappointment, and I want to assure you that this is a decision we did not make lightly. Many of you will be let down and frustrated. And for that we are deeply sorry.
“We want to thank you for your understanding and support during this time. Your dedication to our music and your unwavering enthusiasm for our shows inspire us every day. We promise to make it up to you, and we will see you soon. Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and we thank you for your patience and understanding.”
