OPETH's MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT Pays Tribute To SEAN REINERT And NEIL PEART

OPETH's Mikael Åkerfeldt has paid tribute to influential drummers Sean Reinert (CYNIC, DEATH) and Neil Peart (RUSH),both of whom passed away earlier this month.

Earlier today (Tuesday, January 28),Mikael took to the OPETH social media to write: "Like many before me, we too want to give our condolences to the family and friends of Sean Reinert. His passing came as a big surprise and shock to us. We toured together with CYNIC in the past, as some of you might know. I remember Sean as a great guy with a splendid sense of humour. And a monster of a drummer! Very sad to hear about his passing! The last few weeks has seen a lot of tragic losses in the music world. Of course I also want to mention Neil Peart. I didn't know him personally, and I never met him but his influence on rock music cannot be understated, which is why I, on behalf of the band, want to pay our respects and give our condolences to the people close to him."

Sean was found unresponsive at his California home on Friday, January 24. He was only 48 years old.

Reinert was a founding member of CYNIC, along with guitarist/vocalist Paul Masvidal, and he remained in the group until September 2015.

In 1991, Reinert and Masvidal joined the legendary Florida band DEATH to record the "Human" album. After touring with DEATH, they returned to CYNIC.

Reinert played his last shows with CYNIC in September 2015 in Japan.

Peart died on January 7 in Santa Monica, California after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old. The band announced his passing on January 10, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

Peart joined RUSH in 1974. He was considered one of the best rock drummers of all time, alongside John Bonham of LED ZEPPELIN; Keith Moon of THE WHO; and Ginger Baker of CREAM. Peart was also RUSH's primary lyricist, drawing inspiration from everything from sci-fi to Ayn Rand.