Sean Reinert

In 1991, Reinert and Paul Masvidal (also of Cynic) joined the band Death to record the Human album. This album is seen by many as the start of the technical death metal genre. After touring with Death, he returned to Cynic.

1993 saw the release of Focus (regarded as a landmark release in the field of technical/progressive metal) on the Roadrunner Records label. Roadrunner re-released it in 2005 as a special collector's edition due to high demand. After Cynic's disbandment Reinert had been a member of the Cynic spin-off band Portal which released a demo but eventually disbanded. Having relocated to Los Angeles, Reinert continued working with music by writing and performing for television shows and motion pictures.

In 1999, Reinert helped form Æon Spoke alongside Masvidal, which is described as an "ethereal rock" band.[3] The band saw releases in 2004 and 2007, receiving national and satellite airplay, performing, hosting radio appearances, and even appearing on television show and motion picture soundtracks.

During this time in 2006, it was announced that Cynic would reform for a tour which took place in the summer of 2007. The reformed line-up then recorded a follow-up to Focus entitled Traced in Air, which was released in 2008 and followed by more touring. In 2009, a new EP with Cynic was recorded scheduled for release in May 2010.

In early May 2014, he publicly revealed his homosexuality along with fellow Cynic member Paul Masvidal.[4]

Reinert died on January 24, 2020.[5] [6]In August 2020, it was reported on Reinert's Facebook page that his cause of death was aortic rupture and hypertensive heart disease.[7][8]He was denied his wish to be an organ donor by the FDA on grounds of being gay.[9]

Many artists have cited Reinert as an influence, including Peter Wildoer of Darkane,[10][11] Brann Dailor of Mastodon,[12] Gene Hoglan,[13] Richard Christy,[14] Dirk Verbeuren of Soilwork and Megadeth,[15] Chris Pennie of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Coheed and Cambria,[16] George Kollias of Nile,[17] John Merryman of Cephalic Carnage,[18] Daniel Moilanen of Katatonia,[19] Elliot Hoffman of Car Bomb,[20] Evan Sammons of Last Chance to Reason,[21] and Vishnu Reddy of Crypted.[22]

In addition, other artists have been quoted expressing admiration for his work including Hannes Grossmann,[23] Kai Hahto of Nightwish,[24] Dan Presland of Ne Obliviscaris,[25] and Danny Walker of Intronaut.[26]

Hank Shteamer of Rolling Stone magazine wrote [27] shortly after Reinert's passing:

These days, it’s old news that death-metal drumming can be one of the chopsiest, most demanding musical disciplines on earth. But back then, the level of subtlety and sophistication that Reinert — who died Friday at age 48 — brought to Death was an outright gamechanger.

Cynic

• Focus (1993)
• Traced in Air (2008)
• Re-Traced (2010)
• Carbon-Based Anatomy (2011)
• The Portal Tapes (2012)
• Kindly Bent to Free Us (2014)

Other

• Death − Human (1991)
• Sean Malone − Cortlandt (1996)
• Gordian Knot − Gordian Knot (1999)
• Gordian Knot − Emergent (2003)
• Aghora − Aghora (2000)
• Aghora − Formless (2006)
• Æon Spoke − Above the Buried Cry (2004)
• Æon Spoke − Æon Spoke (2007)
• Anomaly - Anomaly (1998)[28]
• C-187 − Collision (2007)
• Levi/Werstler – Avalanche of Worms] (2010)
• Sylencer – A Lethal Dose of Truth (2012) (Guest drummer on "Acquiesce")[29]
• Hassan Iqbal – Of the Sky (2020)[30]
• Amahiru – Amahiru (2020) (Guest drummer on "Bringing Me Down (Alternative Version)")[31]

• Sean Reinert Website
• Official Facebook Page
• Death + Sean Reinert Drum Cam – Flattening of Emotions 10.26.91