Erik Rutanis a former guitarist for Morbid Angel and Ripping Corpse. He fronts Hate Eternal on lead vocals and guitar, a three-piece extreme death metal band. Aside from being a highly regarded self-taught lead guitarist, he also runs his own recording studio in Florida (Mana Recording Studios), and is making a name for himself as a producer. He produced the latest Cannibal Corpse album (Kill), Six Feet Under album (Commandment),Through the Eyes of the Dead (Malice) and Goatwhore (A Haunting Curse). He rejoined Morbid Angel as guitarist for their European tour summer 2006. Morbid Angel stated the following on the reunion: "This will certainly be an exciting event with the 'Domination' lineup together for the first time in 10 years!" Morbid Angel is a Florida-based death metal band assembled in 1983. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Hate Eternal is an extreme death metal band from Florida, United States. ... This article is about the musical genre. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami metropolitan area Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band founded in 1988. ... Kill is the tenth LP album by the American death metal band Cannibal Corpse, released on March 21, 2006. ... For the death metal band, see Six Feet Under (band). ... Commandment is an upcoming album by death metal band Six Feet Under. ... Through the Eyes of the Dead are a gore-flick inspired deathcore band from Florence, South Carolina. ... Through the Eyes of the Deads second full-length follow-up to 2005s Bloodlust. ... Goatwhore is an American blackened death metal band, formed in 1997 in Thibodaux, Louisiana. ...

In 2007 he produced the Vital Remains album Icons of Evil. He also produced Through the Eyes of the Dead's new album. Vital Remains is a death metal band from Providence, Rhode Island. ... Icons of Evil is the fifth album by Vital Remains. ... Through the Eyes of the Dead are a gore-flick inspired deathcore band from Florence, South Carolina. ...

In addition to his work with legendary death metal artists, Erik has also done a number of different side projects that highlight different aspects of his playing. For example, he formed the group Alas with former Therion vocalist Martina Astner, releasing the landmark progressive metal album "Absolute Purity" in 2001. With female lead vocals, orchestral synths, and a heavy emphasis on harmony and melody, "Absolute Purity" was a definite departure from Rutan's usual songwriting approach and a testament to his versatility within the genre. M. Astner Martina Astner (née Hornbacher) is an Austrian vocalist known for contribution with bands Therion, Alas, Dreams of Sanity and Korova. ...