In a sad bit of news to end the year, Avenged Sevenfold drummer James Owen “The Rev” Sullivan was found dead in his home on Monday, the Orange County Register reports. He was 28. Owen was found in his Huntington Beach, California home by firefighters at around 1pm PST. The initial report is that he died of natural causes. Sullivan was an original member of the band, which formed in 1999. The band’s Myspace page posted the following:

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we tell you of the passing today of Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan. Jimmy was not only one of the world’s best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jimmy’s family and we hope that you will respect their privacy during this difficult time.
Jimmy you are forever in our hearts.
We love you.

Their Warner Bros. debut, 2005′s City of Evil, was perhaps their most popular, going platinum, helped by their Hunter S. Thompson-inspired single, “Bat Country.” And while their most recent 2007 self titled album debuted at #4 and went gold, 2005′s Waking the Fallen best highlighted the band’s strong melodies, Maiden-esque guitar harmonies, and the bombast of vintage Guns N’ Roses, a band who’s excesses they openly looked up to. We’ll give you more info on Owen’s untimely demise as we get it.