It is with a very heavy heart that we report the tragic news that GWAR guitarist and producer Cory Smoot, aka Flattus Maximus was found dead today in his hotel room. MetalSucks got the official word from GWAR frontman Dave Brockie (aka Oderus Urungus):
It is with a sense of profound loss and tragedy that the members of GWAR must announce the passing of their long time guitarist and beloved friend Cory Smoot, also known to thousands of metal fans worldwide as Flattus Maximus. Cory was found deceased this morning as the band prepared for a border crossing. There is no word as to the cause of death and the members of GWAR are completely shocked and devastated that this has occurred. At this point 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. We ask that our fans and the media be respectful of our request for privacy for those that have suffered this terrible loss. A full statement will be coming in the next day or so, in the meantime please give your thoughts and your prayers to Cory, his family, and all the people that love him.
-Dave Brockie-
This is certainly a huge shocker to us here at Metal Injection. We've met Cory, and in the short time that we spent with him, he was an extremely funny, nice and caring individual. This is a huge loss to the metal community and our thoughts are with his family and his friends.
Smoot appeared on national television last week as GWAR performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Here is video of that performance:
[tv]https://metalinjection.net/tv/view/7876/gwar-hail-genocide-live-on-jimmy-fallon[/tv]
