He had been the bass player of the Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth at the time of his death, where he had been known as Bøddel.

He played on every Obituary release until his departure from the band in 2010, with the exception of their debut album Slowly We Rot (1989).

Watkins prided himself not only on the technical side of his music, but also on the business aspect, managing, mentoring, and guiding other bands and musicians.

He formed his management company, Back From the Dead Productions, in 2007 to help bands create a positive impact in their musical careers.

In an interview with Metal Maniacs published online in August 2009,[citation needed] Watkins explained that for his work with Gorgoroth he had taken the stage name "Bøddel", which means "Executioner" in Norwegian.