AVENGED SEVENFOLD Drummer Found Dead

According to The Orange County Register, AVENGED SEVENFOLD drummer James Owen Sullivan (a.k.a. The Rev) was found dead at his home on Monday (December 28). He was 28 years old.

James Owen Sullivan, a drummer and backup vocalist for the Southern California band Avenged Sevenfold, was found dead at his home on Monday, authorities have confirmed.

Sullivan, who went by the stage name The Rev, appears to have died of natural causes, Huntington Beach police Lt. John Domingo said. Police were notified by firefighters who had responded to Sullivan's home about 1 p.m.

Sullivan was 28. The Orange County Coroner's Office is investigating the death.

Avenged Sevenfold formed in Huntington Beach in 1999. Sullivan was a member from the beginning.

Since then, the five-man group has put out four albums and won Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2006. The group's self-titled fourth album hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2007. According to a message posted by Zacky Vengeance on the band's MySpace page, the group was hard a work on a fifth album.

By Monday evening, whispers about Sullivan's death had spread to the band's fan sites on the Internet, which quickly filled with messages of condolence.

John Frusciante has left Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Band working with guitarist Josh Klinghoffer


It would appear that John Frusciante is no longer working with the Red Hot Chili Peppers - so says a source close to the band in an exclusive interview with MusicRadar.

"Josh Klinghoffer has been playing with the group for a couple of months now," says the source. "Optimistically, the Peppers are trying to lock down a replacement for John, who has apparently quit.

"Mentally, John checked out a long time ago. He's interested in doing his own thing, his own albums - the whole big rock band machinery just doesn't appeal to him anymore."

The news that Frusciante has quit can hardly be viewed as surprising. During a podcast interview with MusicRadar earlier this year, the guitarist was lost for words during a routine question about the status of the group. He paused for nearly 30 seconds (later edited) before awkwardly stating that the Peppers had "no plans."

Frusciante also refused to be introduced to be as 'guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers,' preferring instead to be called, simply, 'guitarist.'

Klinghoffer's a well-liked LA player

Oddly enough, Klinghoffer is not only friends with the Chili Peppers but with Fruscinate as well. "Josh has been on everybody's radar for quite some time," says the source. "He's extremely popular within a certain circle of LA musicians.

"The big thing right now that the band will have to consider is, Can Josh write great songs? Can he help push them forward? Everybody knows he can play, but the Peppers need somebody who can come up with amazing material and get them moving again."

Get Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Tom Morello together to pick the best albums and songs of the decade and you're bound to have a wild cage match of o

Get Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Tom Morello together to pick the best albums and songs of the decade and you're bound to have a wild cage match of opinions, right? Not as much as you might think.

U2 showed up, in various forms, on everybody's lists. Oasis (one of Ulrich's all-time favorite bands), Muse and System Of A Down also made strong showings.

For those who might think that these hard-hitting monsters of Metallica and Rage Against The Machine limit their listening habits to shredologists, you've got another thing coming: The Dixie Chicks and Amy Winehouse figure in with Morello's choices for the decade's best. (Somewhat shockingly, he names one of his own albums, One Man Revolution, which he recorded under his alter ego of The Nightwatchman, as a top pick as well. The man digs himself - go figure.)

The rest of the complete, handwritten lists can be viewed at Metal Sucks.