Jeff Hanneman was the founding guitarist of the thrash metal band Slayer. His raging riffs and chaotic bursts of power chords helped drive a revolution in heavy metal. Too bad he has just been announced dead via Facebook on Thursday. WHy can’t we learn our news in other ways than by pop-media culture!?!?!?

I would have wanted to read this in a news paper, go old school and get a pigeon landing on my window sill will some serious business of a famous metal band God dying by way of alcoholism…essentially.

But I’ll give you some pop-culture news via internet anyway. He was 49 and born in Long Beach. Thanks to him battling an ailment thought to be caused by a spider bite, many people were under the impression that it wasn’t his chosen poison to have caused his death. But let’s be realistic here. Drinking is bad, mmmk.

The band’s statement on Facebook read:

“Slayer is devastated to inform that their band mate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11 AM this morning near his Southern California home. He was 49. Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry, and will be sorely missed.”

Let’s give a round of applause and a moment of heavy metal non-silence to commemorate this rock God. You were and are a legend, Jeff Hanneman.