<\/p>\n
Allen Blickle, the drummer best known as a founding member of the heavy metal band Baroness, has died at 42. <\/p>\n
The unfortunate news was announced through Baroness frontman John Baizely, per Louder Sound<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cIt breaks my heart to have to share the news that my dear friend, creative partner and former bandmate Allen Blickle passed away a few days ago,\u201d Baizely said in his announcement. \u201cI\u2019m still in shock that he\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe ask for understanding as his family and this band process his passing and grieve his loss,\u201d he continued. \u201cAllen, I love you and miss you. I treasure every moment we shared.\u201d<\/p>\n The two bandmates were part of the original Baroness group when the band formed in 2003, together with the other founding members, Tim Loose and Summer Welch. <\/p>\n After its debut with 2007\u2019s \u201cRed Album,\u201d the group went on to have a successful career in the heavy metal community. The group received a 2017 Grammy Award nomination for its smash hit, \u201cShock Me.\u201d <\/p>\n Blickle left the group after a serious bus accident in 2012, which left most of the band with injuries that spanned from broken bones to fractured vertebrae. <\/p>\n \u201cThe accident was much more to me than just a near-death experience,\u201d Blickle explained to The Fader<\/a> in 2013. \u201cIt made me rethink a lot in my life and has been the most difficult time I\u2019ve been through thus far. It was a horrible memory, but I\u2019m trying not to let it define me or stop me from doing what I love. Let it be and keep moving.\u201d<\/p>\n So far, no cause of death has been confirmed, although an Instagram post by Laura Pleasants<\/a>, guitarist with Georgia psychedelic sludge metal band Kylesa<\/a>, suggests that Blickle had been battling health issues.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all thought you had this thing beat,\u201d she wrote. \u201c[expletive], we were supposed to hang out when I got back from tour. Gone too soon, my friend. I\u2019m glad you are at peace and no longer in pain. Much love to you.\u201d<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n