Overkill’s Jason Bittner Pays Tribute to Sean Reinert: “He Was Not Just A Drummer”
Jason Bittner, the drummer of the American thrash metal band Overkill, has just posted a statement through his official social media account and has paid his tribute to Sean Reinert. He said about Death / Cynic drummer Sean Reinert that he became a Neil Peart-type influence for the metal world.
“I’m trying to really find all the words to sum the last week or so up, just as we were starting to mend from Neil, this happens.
“I can’t explain just how much Sean meant to all of us in the metal community, and the drumming community alone – this guy was definitely NOT ‘just a metal drummer.’ Read all the posts about him and you will know. Neil influenced all of us to be play more fills and be experimental, and Sean took it to the Nth degree with everyone he played with, and he became a ‘Neil Peart‘ type influence for the metal world. Go back and look at my first Modern Drummer feature – two of my Top 10 drumming albums are his – Death ‘Human’, and Cynic‘s ‘Focus’. Absolute stellar performances, unplayable by most of us mere mortals. I’m still trying. But on top of all this Sean was an awesome, awesome guy – just a laugh riot to hang out with.
“There’s a contingent of people over the last decade who have become the ‘Sickdrummer Magazine family/clique/gang’ at NAMM, – Anton Hefele, Ian Macdonald, Derek Roddy, Gus Rios, Forrest Robinson, Brian Zink, myself, Tim Yeung, Matt Thompson, and a rotating cast of characters depending on the year – but there was always ONE GUY we were hoping was ‘coming to the show this year’, and that was Sean Landon Reinert – he was just that respected and loved by us, and by the drumming world.
“I was lucky enough to become friends with him back in probably 2005/6, and we always stayed in contact, and saw each other when the tour or NAMM permitted, or if I was just in CA for other business, we always made it a point to hang if possible – the last time I saw him was when he came to see me play in Flotsam and Jetsam at the Whiskey in LA. We had just drove in all night from AZ, no sleep, I was TMing too, and just exhausted by time I took the stage – the only thing that was keeping me going was the fact of ‘dude, Sean is watching, you BETTER bring it!’ I did to my best ability, and he told me so after the show… ‘dude you kicked ass’ – I still think he was just being nice!
“RIP Sean – I hope you’re up there trading 7’s with ‘The Professor’ right now – or at least drinking some of his Macallan! We all love and miss you already!”
Sean Reinert was found motionless at his home in San Bernardino, California, on January 24. The cause of death him has yet been revealed, it is pending an autopsy.
