AVENGED SEVENFOLD has released the following statement:
“We are writing this to inform you all that we will be moving forward without Arin Ilejay as our drummer. Arin has been nothing but a positive energy and monster drummer for us over the past four years. We love the guy and always will. We are and will always be grateful to him for helping us to move forward through some very dark times. Creatively though, we felt we needed to move in a different direction. While we can’t say more at this time, we are excited for the future and looking forward to sharing our plans soon with the greatest fans in the world. As always we appreciate your understanding and unwavering support.”
Ilejay joined band in 2011 when he took over for former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy, who temporarily stepped in after the death of AVENGED SEVENFOLD‘s original drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan on December 28, 2009. He played his first show with AVENGED SEVENFOLD (albeit not as an official member) on January 20, 2011 in Reading, Pennsylvania. He was featured on two singles subsequently released by the band: “Not Ready to Die,” which was featured in the Call of Duty: Black Ops zombie map “Call of the Dead”, and “Carry On,” which was featured in the sequel Call of Duty: Black Ops II. On August 9, 2013, Ilejay played his first show as an official member of AVENGED SEVENFOLD in Mashantuckt, CT at the Foxwoods casino, in advance of the release of his first album with the band, Hail to the King, which was released on August 27, 2013.
