Islander Recruit Former Avenged Sevenfold Drummer for December Shows

Earlier this year, Avenged Sevenfold announced they had parted ways with drummer Arin Ilejay. After spending four years with Avenged, it didn't take long for Ilejay to bounce back, as he'll be joining Islander on tour in December.

Ilejay manned the throne following the 2009 death of founding member The Rev. Mike Portnoy spent part of 2010 on the road with Avenged Sevenfold as a touring drummer, but it was Ilejay that kept Avenged churning since 2011, even performing on Hail to the King in 2013.

Islander are scheduled to play nine U.S. shows in the beginning of December, beginning in Atlanta, Ga. on Dec. 2. Earlier this month, Islander posted a photo with Arin Ilejay teasing upcoming shows and even new material:

There's no word if Islander will record an album with Ilejay or if he will be their full-time drummer, but stay tuned for updates on the band's sophomore effort. Islander have undergone a few changes since recording their breakthrough Violence and Destruction disc. Bassist Chris Doot exited earlier this year, recently replaced by Ezekiel Vasquez. Lead guitarist Andrew Murphy split in 2014, replaced by J.R. Bareis. That leaves vocalist Mikey Carvajal as the band's lone original member.

After parting ways with Ilejay, Avenged Sevenfold revealed the split was due to creative differences. "We love the guy and always will," the band wrote. "We are and will always be grateful to him for helping us to move forward through some very dark times. Creatively though, we felt we needed to move in a different direction." They recently announced longtime Bad Religion stickman Brooks Wackerman as their new drummer.

Check out the full list of Islander's December dates with Arin Ilejay below.

Islander December 2015 U.S. Tour Dates:

12/02 - Atlanta, Ga. – The Masquerade
12/03 - Spartanburg, S.C. – Ground Zero
12/05 - Sanford, Fla. – The Barn (WJRR’s Holiday Ho-Down)
12/06 - Biloxi, Miss. – Kress Live
12/08 - Nashville, Tenn. – Rocketown
12/09 - Hagerstown, Md. – Hard-Times Cafe
12/11 - New York, N.Y. – The Studio at Webster Hall
12/12 - Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – The Loft at The Chance Theatre
12/13 - Pittsburgh, Pa. – Altar Bar

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