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Acclaimed Finnish heavy metal drummer Tonmi Lillman, who has previously played with TO/DIE/FOR, SINERGY and AJATTARA, has died at the age of 38. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
The son of a musician, Tonmi grew up surrounded by a large assortment of instruments. Lillman received his first drum kit at age nine and started performing live at age 14.
In addition to drums and bass, which were his primary instruments, Tonmi played the keyboards and guitar.
Over the course of his career, Lillman taught digital recording and drums at Kouvola Musiikkiopisto (Kouvola Conservatoire) and played in numerous folk, dance and pop orchestras. He also sat behind the kit during the "Dimebag Beyond Forever" 2009 tour alongside Rainer "Raikku" Tuomikanto.
Lillman was featured on several albums as a studio musician, including REFLEXION and TWILIGHT OPHERA, and made a name for himself as a studio engineer, having mixed and recorded such bands as BEHERIT, LIE IN RUINS, MYGRAIN, RYTMIHÄIRIÖ and SAATTUE.
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