Synyster Gates

Synyster Gates, sometimes known as Syn, is a stage name used by American guitarist Brian Elwin Haner Jr. (born July 7, 1981). He is best known for playing lead guitar and providing backing vocals for the heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. He comes in at No. 9 on Guitar World's list of the greatest metal guitarists ever. In 2016 and again in 2017, Total Guitar selected Gates as the Best Metal Guitarist in the World.

Synyster Gates, a musician, author, and comedian who played in Sam the Sham's band in the 1970s and has performed in sessions for Avenged Sevenfold is the father of Synyster Gates. Gates pursued jazz and classical guitar studies at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, California, as a part of the Guitar Institute of Music program. Gates has German and Spanish origins.

In the 2008 Kerrang! Readers Poll, Gates was selected as the Sexiest Male. He was named one of the 30 greatest shredders of all time by Guitar World in 2010. He was able to execute finger-twisting licks, acrobatic sweeps, diabolical chromatics, and towering dual harmonies, according to their accounts. One of the top 50 fastest guitarists in Guitar Hero is Gates. Gates won the awards for Best Metal Guitarist and Snappiest Dresser in Guitar World's 2010 Readers Poll. Gates was ranked as the third finest musician in the business in Rock One Magazine's 2010 Readers Poll. Together with bandmate Zacky Vengeance, Gates received the Revolver Golden God award for Best Guitarist on April 20, 2011. Avenged Sevenfold received multiple additional honors and gave the evening's main performance.