By Meena Kar
May 25, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Sad news for all metal fans - ‘Slipknot’ bassist Paul Gray was found dead in a hotel room on Monday, May 24. The metal star’s body was found at the Plaza Hotel in Urbandale, Iowa by an employee of the hotel. No foul play has reportedly been suspected. The speculated cause of death is drug overdose but sources close to the band insist that the bassist was not a drug addict. No official announcement about the cause of death is expected before the autopsy on May 25. His wife Brenna Paul, who is pregnant with their child, has not commented on Paul Gray’s death. Paul Gray’s record label has also remained silent on the subject of Paul Gray’s death.Apart from the drug overdose theories, no genetic or natural cause of death has been suspected either. Paul Gray was once arrested for drug possession in 2003.

Paul Gray, 38, was one of the founding members of the 9 member metal band. Known for their strange stage antics and disfigured masks, the band has been a major success in the metal scene. Debuting in 1995 with a self-titled album, Slipknot became an instant hit. The group received a Grammy Award for best metal performance of their song ‘Before I Forget’ in 2006.

Paul Gray was part of the journey which took Slipknot from being Iowa outsiders in the rock scene to one of the most successful rock bands in the world over the last 15 years. All three of their albums have gone platinum and the fourth album ‘All Hope Is Gone’ released in 2008 is expected to go platinum soon.