August 20, 2002

Erik Rutan has announced he is leaving Morbid Angel in order to devote himself entirely to HATE ETERNAL. Erik began playing guitar with Morbid Angel in 1993 and has played on three of the band’s albums, as well as numerous national and international tours. In 1996, Erik began forming Hate Eternal, a blistering Death Metal band that takes technicality and brutality to new levels. In Hate Eternal, Erik fully expresses his own musical and lyrical ideas, handling vocals and guitar, and the majority of the songwriting. Hate Eternal’s debut album, "Conquering The Throne", was the high-water mark for Death Metal in 1999 — a furious yet precise assault on the senses. Hate Eternal’s second album, "King Of All Kings" is now finished and is set for release on September 16th in Europe and September 17th in the US. Erik had this to say about his decision to focus all his energies on Hate Eternal: "Being in Morbid Angel for the past nine years has been the greatest time of my life. To play in my favorite Death Metal band of all time has been a tremendous honor. I want to thank Trey and Pete for all the great years and all they have done for me, and all the fans who have supported me and will hopefully continue to support me in the future. It is now time for me to stand on my own two feet with Hate Eternal."