THE BEAST

Florida-based death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE have recruited Erik Rutan to fill in for guitarist Pat O’Brien on the band’s upcoming tours. Rutan will appear live with the band for the “Decibel Magazine Tour” and the upcoming U.S. leg of SLAYER‘s final tour happening this May alongside LAMB OF GOD and AMON AMARTH.

This won’t be the first time these death metal powerhouses have worked together; Rutan has produced four albums with CANNIBAL CORPSE (“Kill”, “Evisceration Plague”, “Torture”, “Red Before Black”) and is uniquely equipped to fill the role — he is one of the death metal’s most acclaimed guitarists and is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL (who are co headlining the “Decibel” tour alongside CANNIBAL) throughout the ’90s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars and production duties for his current band HATE ETERNAL.

O’Brien was arrested on December 10 on charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault. Deputies say he burglarized a house and charged at a deputy with a knife.

O’Brien allegedly broke into a Northdale, Florida home and shouted that “the rapture is coming” before pushing a woman to the ground. He ran toward a responding deputy with a knife and was subdued with a stun gun.

Less than half a mile from where O’Brien was arrested, a fire broke out at the house he was renting, sending flames billowing into the night sky from the roof. Fire marshals found a large cache of weapon, locked safes and potential explosive devices inside O’Brien‘s home.

The owner of the home where O’Brien was arrested wouldn’t go on camera but told ABC Action News he thought the guitarist was hallucinating when he spoke to him and claimed “someone was after him.” The homeowner added O’Brien seemed scared and at one point even hid in his closet.

At a first appearance hearing on December 11, a Hillsborough County judge told the 53-year-old musician, clad in an anti-suicide vest with his hands and ankles chained together, that he would first have to pass a drug test before he would be allowed to post bail and leave jail.

O’Brien was released from Hillsborough County jail on December 14, after posting a $50,000 surety bond.

Via MetalWani