Who Wrote Avenged Hail To The King Lyrics?

I’ll keep this straightforward: the lyrics for 'Hail to the King' were written by M. Shadows (Matthew Sanders), though the songwriting is often credited to Avenged Sevenfold as a band. M. Shadows has long been the band’s chief lyricist, and this track’s imagery — kingship, power, ritualized dominance — is very much in his wheelhouse.

The song dropped with the 2013 album of the same name and was crafted to sound like a throwback to classic heavy metal, so the lyrics are deliberately grand and chant-like. Even if the official liner notes list the band collectively, if you’re wondering whose voice shaped the words, it’s M. Shadows’ lyricism you’re hearing. For me, the line delivery and those ominous, repetitive motifs are what make the track stick long after it finishes, and I still find myself mouthing the chorus at odd moments.

It strikes me as one of those songs that sounds like it was carved out of classic-metal marble — huge, regal, and built for arenas. The plain fact is that the lyrics for 'Hail to the King' were written by Matthew "M. Shadows" Sanders, the band's vocalist, though on official releases the song is typically credited to the whole band, Avenged Sevenfold. That collective credit is common for them: M. Shadows usually handles the bulk of the lyrical work, and the rest of the lineup contributes to the music and arrangements, so credits often reflect the group effort even when one member pens the words.

When I dig into the lyrics, I can hear M. Shadows’ style all over them — terse, image-heavy lines about power and authority that echo older metal tropes but feel very deliberate. The title track from the 2013 album 'Hail to the King' leans into a kind of cinematic, almost fascist pageantry, with marching rhythms and a chantable hook that make it both unnerving and irresistibly catchy. The production, led by Mike Elizondo, gives it that big, old-school sheen that complements the lyrical themes.

If you’re tracking down songwriting credits out of curiosity or for a project, most official sources (album liner notes, publisher listings) will list the band as the credited writers, with M. Shadows recognized as the primary lyricist in interviews and songwriting discussions. I’ve always enjoyed how the band balances collective identity with individual voice — you can point to M. Shadows as the source of the words, but the final product feels like a full-band portrait. Personally, that blend of singular lyrical vision and group execution is why 'Hail to the King' still punches me in the chest whenever it comes on, whether I’m driving late at night or seeing the live video clips online.