Sam Rivers, the bassist and backing vocalist of the US nu-metal group Limp Bizkit, has died at the age of 48, the band has said.

Limp Bizkit announced the death in a social media post, describing Rivers as the band’s “heartbeat”. “Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” the band wrote.

“Sam Rivers wasn’t just our bass player – he was pure magic. The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound.

“From the first note we ever played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced. His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous.”

The cause of Rivers’ death was not revealed.

Limp Bizkit formed in Jacksonville in 1994 and rose to fame in the late 1990s with their eclectic and heavy sound that blended metal, hip-hop and punk influences.

They achieved mainstream success with their albums Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000), which topped the charts in the US.

Rivers was one of the founding members of the band, along with vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland and turntablist DJ Lethal.

“Rest easy, brother. Your music never ends,” they said in the Instagram post.

DJ Lethal added in a comment below the band’s post: “We are in shock. Rest in power my brother! You will live on through your music and the lives you helped save with your music , charity work and friendships. We are heartbroken 💔 enjoy every millisecond of life. It’s not guaranteed.”