Cannibal Corpse replace Pat O'Brien with Erik Rutan for Decibel & Slayer tours
Cannibal Corpse have announced that Pat O’Brien will be replaced by Erik Rutan for their upcoming headlining slot on the Decibel Magazine tour and opening slot on Slayer‘s tour. The news follows O’Brien’s arrest for burglary and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer (he was released on bail), and the fire in his own home (where military-style flamethrowers and ammunition were found).
Rutan, who has played in a handful of bands, currently fronts Hate Eternal, and has produced four Cannibal Corpse albums, is sure to be a perfect fit. The band writes:
Cannibal Corpse have announced that Erik Rutan will fill in for guitarist Pat O’Brien as O’Brien tends to personal issues. Rutan will appear live with the band for the Decibel Magazine Tour and the upcoming US leg of Slayer’s final tour happening this May alongside Slayer, 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.
The Decibel tour hits NYC’s Playstation Theater on March 7 with Morbid Angel, Blood Incantation and Necrot (tickets), and the Slayer tour hits NJ’s BB&T Pavilion on May 24, also with Lamb of God and Amon Amarth on the bill (tickets). All dates are listed below.
In December, Cannibal Corpse issued a statement on O’Brien, writing: “As a band and as individuals, we all want nothing but the best for our brother and partner, Pat. While we can offer no further information about the incident, we wanted everyone to know that Pat is getting the help he needs and appreciates the love and support from Cannibal Corpse fans around the world. Pat is currently with family and friends and looks forward to a healthy return at some point.”
Erik Rutan released the great Hate Eternal album Upon Desolate Sands last year, and he also performed with The Mountain Goats.
Watch Cannibal Corpse track with Erik Rutan:
Cannibal Corpse — 2019 Tour Dates
Decibel Magazine Tour 2019
w/ Morbid Angel, Blood Incantation, Necrot
02/17 San Antonio, TX Alamo Music Hall
02/19 Tucson, AZ Club Xs
02/20 San Diego, CA The Observatory
02/21 Los Angeles, CA The Fonda Theater
02/22 Santa Ana, CA The Observatory
02/23 San Francisco, CA The Regency Ballroom
02/25 Portland, OR Roseland Ballroom
02/26 Seattle, WA Showbox Market
03/01 Denver, CO The Oriental Theater
03/03 Minneapolis, MN Skyway Theater
03/04 Chicago, IL The Concord
03/07 New York, NY Playstation Theater
w/ Slayer, Lamb of God, Amon Amarth
05/02 Phoenix, AZ Ak-Chin Amphitheatre
05/03 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheatre
05/05 El Paso, TX UTEP/Don Haskins Center
05/07 Edinburg, TX Bert Ogden Arena
05/08 Dallas, TX The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
05/10 Tampa, FL MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
05/11 West Palm Beach, FL Coral Sky Amphitheatre
05/13 Huntington, WV Big Sandy Superstore Arena
05/14 Columbia, MD Merriweasther Post Pavilion
05/16 Noblesville, IN Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
05/17 Bonner Springs, KS Providence Medical Center Amphitheatre
05/19 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Center
05/20 Youngstown, OH Covel Centre
05/22 Ottawa, ON Canadian Tire Centre
05/24 Camdel, NJ BB&T Pavilion
05/25 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center