Dec 29 2009 10:05 AM EST Avenged Sevenfold Drummer James 'The Rev' Sullivan Dies Sullivan, 28, appears to have died of natural causes

James "The Rev" Sullivan, drummer for hard rockers Avenged Sevenfold, died at his Southern California home on Monday at the age of 28. According to Reuters, police said Sullivan appeared to have died of natural causes, but the Orange County Police Department is investigating the incident. He was reportedly found unresponsive at his Huntington Beach home on Monday morning, and at press time, an autopsy was pending.

"It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we tell you of the passing today of Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan," the band announced on its Web site. "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."

Sullivan was one of the co-founders of the group, which formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1999, as well as the lead vocalist for an avant-metal side project called Pinkly Smooth. A7X (as the band is commonly referred to by fans) won the Best New Artist award at MTV's VMAs in 2006 thanks to their hard-driving metal sound, which mixes in elements of emo and punk. The group was working on its fifth album at the time of Sullivan's death.

It was unknown at press time how Avenged Sevenfold would proceed with the sessions for their third major-label album in light of Sullivan's death. The drummer and backing vocalist is survived by his wife, Leana MacFadden.

New Eminem Songs, 'Elevator' And 'Buffalo Bill,' Hit The Net


Two new Eminem songs hit the Internet on Thursday (December 3), both of which are slated for his re-release of his Relapse LP, Relapse: Refill. The album comes out on December 21.

"Elevator" is a satirical look at Em's life: He raps that he can't believe his house is so big that it has an elevator in it.

"I used to sit and goof on the phone with my friend Proof," he sings on the chorus. "That if I went gold/ I'd go right through the roof/ He said, 'What if you went platinum?'/ I'd just laugh at him/ 'That's not happening/ That I can't fathom.' "

After selling millions and millions of albums, of course, Em is living like Tony Montana - well, at least in that they both have lifts in their cribs. In the song, Slim Shady also calls out some names from pop culture, as he often does.

"Sorry, Lance, Mr. Aiken and Lambert ain't gonna make it," Em raps before addressing the two American Idol stars' manhood.

Later, Em goes into battle mode, rapping: "You standing adjacent to Jason/ Leatherface, and together it makes him a bad combination."

On the track, Shady jokes about using gold toilet paper and having to walk one hour just to get from the refrigerator elsewhere in his house.

The second song from Relapse: Refill to make the rounds is "Buffalo Bill." Buff, of course, is the villain from Silence of the Lambs that Clarice Starling has to confer with Hannibal Lecter about.

Em's record name-drops two of his familiar subjects, Christopher Reeve and Lindsay Lohan, but dissects what's going on in the mind of the psychotic film character. The musical version of Bill isn't far from the movie version, as Slim Shady cuts and skins women and severs limbs.

Of course Em does nod his hat to Buffalo Bill on Relapse's "3 A.M.," where he quotes from the film: "She puts the lotion in the bucket/ It puts the lotion on the skin/ Or else it gets the hose again."

Katy Perry Has Been 'Spilling Out' Material For New Album



Katy Perry has already gone on record as saying that her new album will show the influence of artists like Ace of Base and the Cardigans, but now she appears to be tempering that goal a bit.

"Yeah, I guess the idea was to have, like, roller-skating music, like ['The Sign' by Ace of Base] or 'Lovefool' by the Cardigans. But actually, what I'm focusing on is the actual song and the story and having it say something, because then I can put the bells and whistles around it," she told MTV News Wednesday night at the Grammy nominations telecast in Los Angeles, where she picked up a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance nomination for "Hot n Cold." "But if I don't have the song, then I don't really have anything. I really want to continue to be able to make a record that ... I can make [another] 'Unplugged' with."

In recent months, Perry's been working with the likes of Weezer's Rivers Cuomo and frequent Rihanna collaborator Tricky Stewart on crafting the songs for the follow-up to her breakthrough One of the Boys album. And, so far, she's happy to report that things have been going swimmingly. But she doesn't want to say too much about the process, lest she jinx.

"I was in Las Vegas working with Tricky Stewart, who is amazing, and I'd been bottled up for about two years," she explained. "I haven't written on the road. I was focusing on the One of the Boys record and making that visual and touring, so all of that stuff that I've kind gathered has just been spilling out. And it's hard for me to talk about it, because I don't want to jinx it. ... I'm not usually one of those people but ... I'm like 'It's going to be great, but let's see.' "

Just when will she be ready to unveil some of her new songs? Seems like that's still a ways off. Perry's gunning for greatness on the new album, and you can't put a timetable on that.

"It's too premature, but I know that I really want to make a record that I can never make again. I didn't think I had it in me to get to this capacity, so what do I have to go to the next level, you know?" she said. "I'm really encouraged, and nobody's really stopping me or telling me what to do or say. ... I'm just kind of letting it all come out."