LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The drummer with Avenged Sevenfold, a rising force in the heavy metal scene, died on Monday at his home in southern California, the group and authorities said.

James Owen Sullivan, nicknamed "The Rev," appeared to have died of natural causes, Huntington Beach police Lt. John Domingo told the Orange County Register. He was 28. The Orange County Coroner’s Office is investigating, the paper said.

"It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we tell you of the passing today of Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan," the band said on its Web site. "Jimmy was not only one of the world’s best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother."
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