The Rev is dead

Jimmy Sullivan, also known as the Revered Tholomew Plague, is dead. So disappointing.

I have always maintained that the Rev was an alien that came here from outer space. And having other-worldly talents, he could have done whatever he wanted to in this world, so he chose a life that would be the most fun - being a drummer in a rock band.

In all seriousness, the Rev - a person whose existence I had no knowledge of just two and a half years ago and have never met or seen in person - has had an impact on my life. He got me inspired to play the drums again. A7x is the first band that I've liked as much as the bands that I used to listen to since...the back when I used to listen to those bands. Jimmy was a huge part of that band - more than just a drummer in a rock band - he wrote entire songs, brought concepts to the table, and did some singing.

What an incredibly creative and talented person. His approach to rock drumming just blew my mind. The concepts that he would come up with were just different, and everything he did was just interesting. It was interesting to listen to. It was interesting to figure out. It was interesting to try and figure out how and why he was doing certain things. Nothing was haphazard. Everything was well thought out, but not with rigid calculus. It was inspiring.

Except for Strength of the World, which is just a bad song.

When I talk about "his approach", I'm talking about a lot of things. One of the most creative guys on the double bass without a doubt. Not just machine-gunning 16ths or triplets, but breaking it up and making it groove and making the songs "crackle". He could also machine gun them with the best of them. Songs 2, 3, and 5 on City of Evil are quintessential Rev. The other thing he was good at was incorporating interesting sticking patterns. Some of the double ride/hi-hat stuff was pretty intricate. I wonder how he picked up that stuff. Some of that stuff I know how to do from doing marching band and some of the rudimentary stuff that I used to work on for drum lessons. I wonder how he picked up on that stuff.

I honestly wonder what the Rev did in his youth to get that good. What bands did he used to listen to? What approach did he take to their songs? What did he used to work on when he sat down at the kit? From the videos on the band, it just seemed like Jimmy was homeless from middle school on. He was a weird dude who wore kimonos and shit to school. Lived in vans or in buildings that were under construction - wherever he could find a home. And in all this, he became an incredible musician - truly original in so many aspects of his life, and music.

When I hear him play now, there is a tinge of sadness. The most disappointing part about it is that we will never be able to hear what he was going to do next. That is what I was looking forward to the most. It's like a beautiful, gifted light in the world has just suddenly been switched off.

I wish for good things for the band, although I think they're done and I think they think they're done. The band was all good friends through high school. You don't make those type of connections later in life. If they get a new drummer, it will sound mechanical. It will just be a guy playing drum parts. Jimmy helped mold the A7x sound.

Ideally, I'd like to see a guy like Vinnie Paul step in and take over. I think the bands had/have a lot in common, and musically, they're good fits. Each entity is missing what the other has. I think there'd be a mutual respect. But the generation gap I think is just far too wide. And I'm not sure Vinnie would have the motivation to learn all the A7x stuff (that is, if he doesn't know it already). Vinnie could always play crushing metal-grooves and has sick double bass skills.

Ahhh...we call can dream I guess. It was nice to be able to enjoy music, especially metal music, the way I used to enjoy music. There had been a sonic void in my life for such a long time. Unfortunately, it's here again. RIP REV.