Paul Raven (musician)

Paul Vincent Raven^{[note 1]} (16 January 1961 – 20 October 2007)^[1] was a bassist best known for his work in the seminal punk/goth/metal/electronic group Killing Joke. He later played in the alternative rock/industrial metal bands Prong and Ministry.

Biography

Raven was born on 16 January 1961 in Wolverhampton, in Staffordshire, and was the son of folk musician Jon Raven.^[2] His early musical career included stints in Neon Hearts and the short-lived 1982 glam rock band, Kitsch. Kitsch is also notable for including Rook Randle [and] Tyla before he would go onto larger success with his band, Dogs D'Amour. In the summer of 1980 he played bass with the short-lived Tony McPhee's Turbo. The band played a few gigs and recorded a 3 track session for Capitol Radio. Turbo included Clive Brooks, the drummer with Tony McPhee's band the Groundhogs (1972–75).

Raven's big break came when he replaced original Killing Joke bassist Youth in mid-1982, just in time for the North American tour documented on the Ha! live EP. He was with the group through its most commercially successful period, appearing on the Fire Dances, Night Time and Brighter than a Thousand Suns albums, before leaving during the recording of 1988's Outside the Gate, rejoining in time for 1990's Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions.

After touring in support of this album, Killing Joke split up, with all members except lead vocalist Jaz Coleman going on to form Murder, Inc. in 1991, adding vocalist Chris Connelly. During this time, Raven also participated in Pigface, a project conceived by drummer Martin Atkins, which operated with a fluid change of differing musicians in their lineup.

Killing Joke reformed in 1992, but it was with original bassist Youth back in the fold. Raven next joined Prong, appearing on their Cleansing and Rude Awakening albums. After leaving Prong in 1996, he began a career as a producer and remixer and also played with the group Zilch, along with hide, Joey Castillo and Ray McVeigh.

In 2002, Paul Raven had been brought on for a Godflesh two-month tour of the United States, but the band disbanded just before departing.^[3] In 2003, Raven played bass on Exit Through Fear with Society 1 and performed on the subsequent tour for the album. He later left Society 1, rejoining Killing Joke for their 2003 eponymous album release, Killing Joke, and its follow up, Hosannas from the Basements of Hell. In 2005, Raven began working with Al Jourgensen of Ministry for their album Rio Grande Blood. In 2006, Raven completed a European and American tour with Ministry. In 2007, Raven wrote and recorded on Ministry's next studio album The Last Sucker and also began work together with Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission, Peter Murphy) on a new project called Mob Research. Warrior Soul frontman Kory Clarke and ex-Queens of the Stone Age drummer Nick Lucero completed the line-up.^[4]

Raven died of a heart attack in his sleep on 20 October 2007 while recording in Geneva, Switzerland.

Discography

Notes

References

External links