"It has been brought to our attention that a lot of videos have been posted online from some pretty amazing drummers who want to try out for Avenged Sevenfold," says the band in an online post. 

"While we appreciate the overwhelming interest and support we thought it would be the right thing to do to let everyone know that we already have someone. In fact, we have been working with this person for over a year now to make sure that it was a correct fit before making any sudden changes. When we have more to share we will be sure to do that. As for Mr. Chris Hawkins, you rule brother. We look forward to hearing about any future musical endeavors you may have. We appreciate the video and your service to our country. We will reach out and would love to meet with you when our paths cross next."

In July, Avenged Sevenfold issued the following statement:

“We are writing this to inform you all that we will be moving forward without Arin IIejay as our drummer. Arin has been nothing but a positive energy and monster drummer for us over the past 4 years. We love the guy and always will. 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. While we can’t say more at this time, we are excited for the future and looking forward to sharing our plans soon with the greatest fans in the world. As always we appreciate your understanding and unwavering support.”