American guitarist Brian Elwin Haner Jr. is presently a member of the heavy metal group Avenged Sevenfold. His stage name, Synyster Gates, is well known. Gates, who is a musician, was exposed to a variety of musical styles while growing up, including metal, jazz, classical, gypsy jazz, and avant-garde. He studied jazz and classical guitar at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, California, where he took part in the Guitar Institute of Music program. He became the lead guitarist of Avenged Sevenfold in 2001. The group has released seven studio albums, one live album, and one video album as of 2018. Additionally, they have released one soundtrack album and two compilation albums. Along with former Avenged Sevenfold bandmate James “The Rev” Sullivan, Gates also temporarily participated in the collaborative endeavor Pinkly Smooth. He has received numerous honors throughout his nearly two-decade career as a member of Avenged Sevenfold, including several Golden God and Kerrang! Awards.
Career of Synyster Gates
M. Shadows, Zacky Vengeance, The Rev, and Matt Wendt established Avenged Sevenfold in 1999 in Huntington Beach, California. He gave the group the name, according to Shadows, as a nod to the biblical tale of Cain and Abel. ‘Sounding the Seventh Trumpet’, their first studio album, was released in 2001 by their first record company, Good Life Recordings. Gates joined the group shortly after, and the record was reissued in 2002 by Hopeless Records. Additionally, he worked on Avenged Sevenfold’s debut extended play, “Warmness on the Soul,” which was released in 2001. Following its release, the band experienced significant growth in popularity.
They released their second album, “Waking the Fallen,” in August 2003. They now have Johnny Christ on bass, a new player. This CD has a more refined and professionally made sound. ‘The Boston Globe’ and Billboard both gave it favorable reviews, which gained media attention.
One of their strongest albums to date is ‘City of Evil’, which was released in June 2005 via the Warner Bros. label. Given that it has received gold, platinum, and MC, BPI, and MC certifications, it is also one of their most popular albums. In October 2007, they released their fourth album under their own name. Their fifth album, “Nightmare,” which was released in July 2010, topped the charts in the US and Finland and was awarded gold, platinum, and RIAA certifications.
Before signing with Capitol Records, they only had one album published with Warner Bros., “Hail to the King” (2013). It was certified platinum by MC and reached the top of the charts in the US, Canada, UK, Finland, and Ireland. ‘Hail to the King: Deathbat’, a soundtrack CD, was released in its place in 2015. ‘The Stage’, their most recent album, was released in October 2016. In the Canadian chart, it attained the top place.
Avenged Sevenfold has also released two compilation albums, “Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough” (2008) and “The Best of 2005-2013” (2016), one video album, “All Excess,” and one live album, “Live at the Grammy Museum” (2017).
Between 2001 and 2002, Gates collaborated with The Rev, a former member of Avenged Sevenfold, in the experimental metal group Pinkly Smooth. In 2001, they released one album, titled “Unfortunate Snort.”
He won the title of sexiest man of 2008 in the Kerrang Readers Poll. He was listed among the top 30 shredders of all time by Guitar World in 2010. He and his bandmate Zacky Vengeance were presented with the Revolver Golden God trophy for Best Guitarist on April 20, 2011. Avenged Sevenfold’s “The Stage” was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 2018 by Gates and the other band members.
Individual Life of Synyster Gates
In Long Beach, California, on July 7, 1981, Synyster Gates was born to Jan (Smith) Gera and Brian Haner, Sr. His father is a musician, comedian, and writer who gained notoriety by performing on tour with Jeff Dunham, an American comedian, and ventriloquist. Haner, Sr. was a member of Sam Sham’s band in the 1970s. Gates has ancestors who were English, Irish, German, and Creek. Brent, one of his brothers, serves as an agent with Trinity One Insurance. In 1990, their parents got divorced. Haner, Sr. wed once more. The name of Gates’ stepmother is Suzy. McKenna, his half-sister, is also related to him.
His father served as his primary source of inspiration when he was younger, but he also began to listen to artists like Dimebag Darrell, Steve Vai, Marty Friedman, John Petrucci, Slash, Zakk Wylde, Allan Holdsworth, Frank Gambale, Mr. Bungle, and Oingo Boingo. Although he adored heavy metal, he also enjoyed jazz, gypsy jazz, classical music, and avant-garde music. He enrolled in the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, California, where he studied jazz and classical guitar as a part of the Guitar Institute of Music program.
Gates wed California native Michelle DiBenedetto on May 7, 2010. Nicolangelo “Nicci” Saint James Haner, their son, was born to DiBenedetto on May 12.