Tributes have flooded in for former Killing Joke, Ministry and Prong bass player Paul Raven who passed away at the weekend.
''We are all deeply stricken with grief at the unannounced departure of possibly the funniest man on planet Earth," said Killing Joke frontman Jaz Coleman and guitarist Geordie Walker in a joint statement. "Unimaginable sadness is felt by all''
Ministry's Al Jourgensen added: "The world of music is a sadder, emptier place. Not only was Raven an extraordinary talent, but one of my closest, dearest friends. Our condolences and prayers go to his immediate family. He will be truly missed by artists, musicians and his fans the world over."
"We are in deep shock and we miss him a great deal," added Raven's brother Dan. "We love him."
Paul Raven, the, was found dead on Sunday morning (October 21) at his home in Geneva, Switzerland. Early reports suggest that Raven died of a heart attack. He was 46.
Raven had moved to Geneva to record with French industrial band Treponem Pal who had recently reunited for a new album with frontman Marco Neves and Prong drummer Ted Parsons. Raven had been out drinking with his bandmates the night before his death. His body was discovered early the next morning by Parsons.
"I found Raven asleep in a chair the next morning in the living room," explained the drummer via a post on his MySpace page. "I thought nothing of it, as Raven would sleep like this on the tour bus in the front lounge all the time. Then I looked closer at him, and he looked very grey.
"I checked his pulse and there was none. I yelled for the other guys in the band. We immediately did some CPR and called for an ambulance. Medics arrived quickly, but after an hour of trying to get his heartbeat back, they could not save him. They said he died in his sleep, probably around 6 a.m. It was then 9:30 a.m.
"Words can't describe how I feel right now. I'm devastated. He will be missed by many."
