The drummer and founding member of the heavy metal band Pantera, Vinnie Paul. Paul, who was currently the drummer in the band Hellyeah, was 54 years old. No details on the cause have yet to be provided.

In a statement written on Pantera’s official Facebook page, the band posted; “Vincent Paul Abbott aka Vinnie Paul has passed away.” It continued with, “Paul is best known for his work as the drummer in the bands Pantera and Hellyeah. No further details are available at this time. The family requests you, please respect their privacy during this time.”

In the early 1980s, Paul founded Pantera in his hometown of Arlington, Texas, along with his brother guitarist Dimebag Darrell. What started out as a glam-metal band quickly mutated into more hard pounding, thrash, and hardcore infused music. The group included lead vocalist Terry Glaze and bassist Rex Brown. Pantera released four albums during the 1980s, and in 1986, Glaze was replaced by Phil Anselmo. After Anselmo joined the band, they released their groundbreaking album Cowboys From Hell followed by Far Beyond Driven which earned the Pantera the #1 spot on the Billboard sales chart in 1994. Though in 2003, after 13 years of playing together, the band dissolved.