Influential death metal band Cannibal Corpse have announced that their longtime lead guitarist Pat O’Brien will not be joining the rest of his band mates for their upcoming 2019 tour. Erik Rutan, from Hater Eternal, will be joining in that role instead according to a statement released by the band this week.

“Cannibal Corpse have announced that Erik Rutan will fill in for guitarist Pat O’Brien as O’Brien tends to personal issues,” the band explained in a press statement. “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 likely has to do with O’Brien’s strange arrest back in December of last year. According to Loudwire O’Brien was arrested “for assaulting a police officer while invading a neighbor’s home before his own house caught fire and ammunition inside exploded as firefighters battled the inferno.” A search of the home found over 80 firearms and what Loudwire claims were three skulls during an investigation of the home.

Although the situation isn’t ideal for the band, who claim that they hope O’Brien is “getting the help he needs,” Rutan has collaborated with the band routinely in the past. He has helped produce four albums for the band: Kill, Evisceration Plague, Torture and Red Before Black.

As the press statement further explains:

“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 band is currently set to help open during thrash metal band Slayer’s farewell tour this year, which will have them join with other heavy metal legends such as Lamb of God and Amon Amarth. They are also currently on their Decibel Magazine tour.

In 2017 the band recorded their album Red Before Black, a Rutan produced project which used some elements of slow doom metal elements into their music. Despite this the band contends they try to stick to their style since it allows them to “stay close to home.”

“It was incredibly convenient that we have a guy that’s kind of in our backyard, basically,” the band’s drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz explained in an interview with BlabberMouth. “I think at this point in our careers and lives, we kind of felt that we could be more productive by recording close to home, as it means we don’t need to alter our routines with our families.”

“We looked at who we’ve got in the area, and it was a no-brainer to go with Erik at Mana,”Mazurkiewicz continued. “And plus he did a really good job on our previous albums, so it was a no-brainer to go with him and stay in our routines with our families. I think it totally helped with the making of this album.”