Bassist Paul Raven Dies

Paul Raven, bass player with acts including Killing Joke, Ministry and Prong, died unexpectedly in a village near Geneva, Switzerland, October 20th.

The 46-year old, whose big break came when he replaced original Killing Joke bassist Martin "Youth" Glover just in time for the act’s 1982 North American tour, had been recording with Ted Parsons and Marco Neves for a band called Treponem Pal.

After a day in the studio, Raven went to bed and is believed to have died in his sleep during the night. Some European newswires are reporting that he had a heart attack.

Raven was with Killing Joke during the act’s most successful period, which included the Fire Dances, Night Time and Brighter Than A Thousand Suns albums.

He left in ’88 and returned two years later, in time to make and tour the Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions album.

It was the last record the act made, as everyone except singer Jaz Coleman left to form Murder Inc.

Killing Joke re-formed in 1992 with Youth back on bass. Raven had joined Prong and was on the last two albums the band made before it split a couple of years later.

In 2005, Raven began working with Al Jourgensen of Ministry. He was on the Rio Grande Blood album and played with the act throughout the 2006 tours of Europe and America.

Born in Wolverhampton in 1961, he started his musical journey with local punk legends The Neon Hearts and then Kitsch, which he formed with Tyla – before the latter went on to Dogs D’Amour.