Sean Reinert passed away last Friday, the 24th, at the age of 48 at his home in California. The cause of death has not yet been released.
The drummer founded the band Cynic alongside guitarist and vocalist Paul Masvidal in 1987 and left in 2015 due to "creative differences." Reinert also had an exceptional career with Death , with whom he worked on the acclaimed album Human , released in 1991.
Masvidal paid tribute to his friend and bandmate with a post on Facebook: “I am shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of one of my oldest friends. We were brothers, connected by something greater than both of us. So many memories are flooding back. From the moment I met him in school, I knew we had a connection. His abilities were immeasurable and I am so grateful to have made music alongside him. There will never be anyone like him.”
Reiner was important to the metal world not only for his contribution to Human , but also for the courage he had in publicly announcing that he was gay. The drummer made the announcement along with Masdival in 2014 in the Los Angeles Times, discussing the acceptance, or lack thereof, in metal: “I see all these old guys headbanging to our music and I have to think, 'You know what you're listening to and headbanging to? It's gay metal, man.'”
Sean Reinert and Paul Masvidal faced together the prejudice that some metal fans still harbor, especially towards gay men.
