Nu metal pioneers Limp Bizkit have announced the death of founding member and bassist Sam Rivers, who has died aged 48.

The band confirmed the news in an emotional post on Instagram, describing Rivers as far more than just a musician:
“It feels like we’ve lost a brother. He wasn’t just a bassist – he was pure magic. The groove in every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound.”

Rivers’ cause of death has not been officially disclosed.

As one of the band’s original members, Rivers helped shape Limp Bizkit’s signature sound, blending heavy riffs with hip-hop influences during the group’s rise to fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s.