Image copyright Shutterstock Image caption Herbert began playing guitar at the age of 14
Oli Herbert, the guitarist of US metal band All That Remains, has died suddenly at the age of 44.
The news of Herbert's death was announced on social media on the US group's Instagram account.
In the post the band, best known for such songs as Two Weeks and What if I was Nothing, said they were "devastated" by the loss of one of their founding members.
The cause of Herbert's death is not yet known.
"Oli was an incredibly talented guitarist and song writer who defined Rock and Metal from the Northeast [of America]," the statement continued.
"His impact on the genres and our lives will continue indefinitely."
The Massachusetts quintet formed in 1998 and released their debut album, Behind Silence and Solitude, in 2002.
Herbert has appeared on all of their nine studio albums, including Victim of the New Disease, to be released in November.
Herbert's wife Beth, who was married to the guitarist for 14 years, posted a message on Facebook saying the circumstances surrounding Herbert's death were unclear.
"Thank you all for the kind thoughts and words. I don't want to go into what happened until we have a complete picture," she wrote.
Among the musicians to pay tribute to the guitarist is Arch Enemy's Michael Amott, who said he was "shocked" to learn of Herbert's death.
Skip Twitter post by @Michael_Amott Really shocked to learn of Oli Herbert passing away. AE and ATR toured together years ago and Oli always used to come out and see us play when we came through his area. The nicest guy. The metal community’s lost another great musician way too early. #RIPOliHerbert #AllThatRemains pic.twitter.com/B4CM5pKEbA — Michael Amott (@Michael_Amott) October 17, 2018 Report
Cristina Scabbia, from Italian metal band Lacuna Coil, also expressed sadness at his passing.
Skip Twitter post by @MissScabbia These are the news I would NEVER EVER want to give. I am deeply saddened by hearing that Oli Herbert from All that Remains passed away. I will always remember him as a very sweet, kind and… https://t.co/jMO84Ta0gT — Cristina Scabbia (@MissScabbia) October 17, 2018 Report
US rock show host Lou Brutus said Herbert was a "tremendous musician" and a "phenomenal guy".
Skip Twitter post by @LouBrutus R.I.P. OLI HERBERT: I am shocked to learn of the death of my friend Oli Herbert of All That Remains. A tremendous musician, phenomenal guy and frequent guest on my show for many years. All my love to his family and to everyone in the band. I'm stunned. So long, Oli. #OliHerbert pic.twitter.com/ENzCWNOMRd — Lou Brutus (@LouBrutus) October 17, 2018 Report
The band is scheduled to come to the UK in December to perform six dates as part of a European tour.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
Oli Herbert, guitarist and co-founder of Massachusetts metal band All That Remains, has died at age 44. His bandmates confirmed his death on social media, writing, “Oli was an incredibly talented guitarist and songwriter who defined rock and metal from the Northeast. His impact on the genres and our lives will continue indefinitely.” A cause of death is currently unknown.
Herbert formed All That Remains in 1998 with former Shadows Fall vocalist Phil Labonte. He appeared on each of the band’s nine records. His final LP with the group, Victim of the New Disease, is due out November 9. Earlier this year, Herbert debuted his signature Rhoads model electric guitar in partnership with Jackson Guitars. “This guitar is the culmination of the almost 30 years that I’ve been playing the instrument,” he said at the time.
Oli Herbert of All That Remains
Oli Herbert, founding member and guitarist of All That Remains, died a the age of 44 yesterday, as a result of an accident at his home (as revealed in an update to the story below).
“Oli was an incredibly talented guitarist and song writer who defined Rock and Metal from the Northeast. His impact on the genres and our lives will continue indefinitely,” All That Remains said in a statement.
“No further details are available at this time. The band and family request that you please respect their privacy and remember Oli by celebrating the great music he made.”
Herbert had been with the metalcore outfit since its inception in 1998. He appeared on all nine of the band’s studio albums, including their as-yet-unreleased LP, Victim of the New Disease, which is due out next month.
Update: Herbert’s widow, Beth, posted a statement online, saying, “Hello everyone this is Beth, Oli’s widow. Thank you all for the kind thoughts and words. I don’t want to go into what happened until we have a complete picture, but as soon as we do there will be a statement from the family on this page. In the meantime, please respect our privacy as there are still relatives being informed of Oli’s passing. Thank you.”
Update 2: In a statement issued to MetalSucks by Herbert’s publicist, the guitarist died as a result of an accident at his home. The full statement reads as follows, “On behalf of Oli’s wife and family I can confirm that Oli Herbert passed away yesterday unexpectedly as a result of an accident which occurred on the property of his home. He was 44 years old. No further details are being released at this time. Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced once that information is available. The family requests for privacy during this time but does wish to express their appreciation to fans worldwide for the outpouring of condolences.”
TMZ further reports that Herbert’s body was found in a pond near his home, and that his death does not appear to be suspicious at this time.
Oli Herbert, founding member and lead guitarist for American metal band All That Remains, has died.
The band posted a statement on their social media accounts, which said they were “devastated” to learn of the musician’s death.
“Oli Herbert, our friend, guitar player, and founding member of All That Remains, has passed away,” they wrote. “Oli was an incredibly talented guitarist and songwriter who defined rock and metal from the northeast. His impact on the genres and our lives will continue indefinitely.”
They added: “No further details are available at this time. The band and family request that you please respect their privacy and remember Oli by celebrating the great music he made.”
Herbert had played in All That Remains since the band’s inception in 1998, and had performed on all nine of their studio albums, including their yet-to-be-released LP Victim of the New Disease, which is scheduled for 9 November.
He began playing guitar aged 14 and was supported by his parents after they realised his dedication to music. After graduating from high school he earned a Bachelor’s degree in music composition and taught guitar during the early stages of All That Remains to help pay for college.
Something of a perfectionist, he revealed in an interview with TeenView in 2015 that he would lock himself in a room for up to three hours working on a single guitar lick.
Herbert and vocalist Phil Labonte were the only remaining members of the band.
