There are numerous reports surfacing saying that Slipknot bassist Paul Gray was found dead in a hotel in Urbandale, IA today. KCCI Des Moines reports Gray was found six hours ago at a Marriott. This backs up an earlier post in the Des Moines Examiner. Gray was 38. He leaves behind a wife, Brenna Paul, who is expecting a child. While an autopsy will be performed on Gray, there’s still no cause of death yet, and any speculation on the cause of death would be premature.
This is seriously one of the most unfortunate years for deaths in metal that we can think of. While the death of Dimebag Darrell Abbott sent shockwaves throughout the metal community five and a half years ago, the untimely losses of Peter Steele, Ronnie James Dio, and and Paul Gray in little more than a month might even be more shocking. And as a married man leaving behind both a child that will never have the chance to meet his father and a grieving wife, it’s hard not to feel for everyone involved on Gray’s end.
Forming in 1995, Slipknot burst onto the nu-metal scene with their self-titled album. Known initially for their appearance and masks, the nine-member band subsequently won over many fans that initially dismissed them with their mix of heaviness and their impressive stage show. The first three Slipknot albums have all gone platinum. Their fourth, 2008’s All Hope is Gone, was their first to debut at #1 and will go platinum later this year.
