Cannibal Corpse recently broke their silence in regards to guitarist Pat O'Brien, who was arrested on December 10th and charged with "aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with deadly weapon and burglary occupied dwelling with assault or battery".

Says Cannibal Corpse: "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. For anyone wondering, all Cannibal Corpse touring will happen as planned and all shows will be played."

During an appearance on The Jasta Show, Kreator frontman Mille Petrozza spoke up in defence of O'Brien, saying "As soon as something like this happens, people online, they go, 'Ha! Look at this guy!' People wanna see you slip, they wanna see you fall. And even though they love your music, they still go, 'Ha! Look at this guy!' And I'm, like, 'Fuck you.' The guy has a problem. Have a little respect, and let's hope he's gonna get better because he's one of the greatest death metal guitar players, if not one of the best metal guitar players in the world. So, let's just hope for the best.

"He needs help. Whatever he did... I mean, this whole fucking thing doesn't make sense. How would somebody break into somebody's house while his own house is on fire, which is, like, two blocks away or something? So this whole thing doesn't make sense. It just shows you that it's some crazy thing. He was just 'out there.' It's nothing that he could control. It's not like that he wanted to do some bad stuff. So I hope that the Florida justice system sees that and gives him a chance to recover and get off whatever he's on."

Cannibal Corpse are scheduled to perform next on February 17th at Alamo Music Hall in San Antonio, TX. Find the band's live itinerary here.

Cannibal Corpse, as well as Lamb Of God and Amon Amarth, will support on Leg Five: North America of Slayer's Final World Tour. Dates are listed below.

May
2 - Ak-Chin Amphitheatre - Phoenix, AZ
3 - Isleta Amphitheatre - Albuquerque, NM
5 - UTEP/Don Haskins Center - El Paso, TX
7 - Bert Ogden Arena - Edinburg, TX
8 - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory - Dallas, TX
10 - MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre - Tampa, FL
11 - Coral Sky Amphitheatre - West Palm Beach, Florida
13 - Big Sandy Superstore Arena - Huntington, WV
14 - Merriweasther Post Pavilion - Columbia, MD
16 - Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center - Noblesville, IN
17 - Providence Medical Center Amphitheatre - Bonner Springs, KS
19 - DTE Energy Music Center - Clarkston, MI
20 - Covel Centre - Youngstown, OH
22 - Canadian Tire Centre - Ottawa, ON
24 - BB&T Pavilion - Camden, NJ
25 - Xfinity Center - Mansfield, MA

On December 10th at approximately 6:57 PM, Patrick O'Brien entered 4732 Windflower Cr, to which he did not have permission from the owner/victim, nor did he know any residents at the above listed address. The residents ordered the defendant to exit the home immediately, at which point Patrick O'Brien pushed one of the residents to the ground against her will and fled into the backyard. When a deputy arrived, Patrick O'Brien would not obey his lawful commands and ran towards the deputy with a knife in his right hand.

O'Brien was contained using a taser and was taken into custody. He was charged with Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer with "aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with deadly weapon and burglary occupied dwelling with assault or battery".

O'Brien was released from prison on Friday, December 14th at 9:01 PM, after posting a $50,000 surety bond.

Paul's wife Deana Mazurkiewicz, has launched a fundraising campaign for Pat O'Brien.

Says Deana: "As most of you are aware on December 10, 2018, Pat O’Brien’s house burned down. He lost everything he owns.

"Pat is a standup guy, true to his friends, family and his band. Also Pat does not have insurance, and lost everything that he owns. These funds will help him get back on his feet with the regular much-needed necessities like clothing, a roof over his head, and other daily life necessities that are needed.

"Understanding that money is tight for everybody, especially around the holidays but every amount does help. If it’s $1, $5 dollars, $20 or more. Every penny from this campaign will go directly to Pat.

"If you’re a metal fan and you’ve had the honor of meeting Pat at a show, or elsewhere when he’s out and about then you know how friendly he is, and approachable. He would never start a campaign for himself, but I know he would be absolutely humbled by the support shown.

"I asked that people not jump to conclusions until the full details of what occurred come out, and that you show Pat nothing but love and support and let him know that you’re there for him. Although the last 48 hours have been shocking to most people, they’ve been devastating to him.

"Please feel free to share your pictures, your words and show your support. The changing of your profile pictures on Facebook has been very inspirational. The metal community is a tight one whether you know somebody personally or not ans your support is so much appreciated."

Find the fundraising campaign here.