Slayer Guitarist Death Update: Caused by Alcohol-Related Liver Failure
The cause of the death of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman was revealed as alcohol-related liver failure, according to reports on Friday.
A founding member of the thrash metal group, Hanneman died on May 2 at the age of 49.
The musician's spokesperson revealed that he died at a Los Angeles hospital with his wife Kathy by his side, according to the Associated Press.
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At first, it was believed that Hanneman's liver failure was the result of a dangerous spider bite he had received in 2011.
The guitarist had been recuperating from necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease, most likely caused by the spider bite in 2011, according to USA Today.
However, the official website for Slasher confirmed that Hanneman died from cirrhosis- scarring of the liver from years of consuming alcohol.
"While he had his health struggles over the years, including the recent Necrotizing fasciitis that devastated his well-being, Jeff and those close to him were not aware of the true extent of his liver condition until the last days of his life," the statement read.
"Contrary to some reports, Jeff was not on a transplant list at the time of his passing, or at any time prior to that," the post continued. "In fact, by all accounts, it appeared that he had been improving, he was excited and looking forward to working on a new record."
Hanneman and guitarist Kerry King founded Slayer in Huntington Park, California in 1981. The group rose to fame with their 1986 release Reign in Blood, which earned them comparison to other thrash metal acts such as Metallica ad Anthrax.
Bassist and vocalist Tom Araya often contributed to the band's lyrics, which included subjects such as serial killers and warfare. Additional help was offered from drummer Dave Lombardo.
Slasher earned five Grammy Awards for Best Metal Performance for songs that included "Disciple" and "Eyes of the Insane."
