GWAR guitarist Cory Smoot, who portrayed the role of Flattus Maximus in the band for the last nine years, was found dead today. The cause of death is not known. Smoot was discovered when his bandmates attempted to wake him as GWAR crossed the Canadian border after performing last night at First Avenue in Minneapolis. In a statement, the band said "there is no word on arrangements and the disposition of the remainder of GWAR's current North American tour, nor are there any details regarding long term plans. At this point we are just dealing with the loss of our dear friend and brother, one of the most talented guitar players in metal today."
Smoot joined GWAR in 2002, and went on to co-produce 2006's Beyond Hell and 2009's Lust In Space. He played Flattus Maximus longer than anybody else in GWAR's history. [via NME]