In a recent interview with the “Metal Mayhem” program, CANNIBAL CORPSE drummer and founder member Paul Mazurkiewicz was questioned if he considers it a compliment when his band is dubbed the “MOTORHEAD of death metal,” as was the case in a recent analysis in the United Kingdom’s Kerrang! Magazine.
“I completely accept it as a compliment,” he said. Because when you listen to CANNIBAL CORPSE or purchase a new record, you know exactly what you’re getting.
There will be no second-guessing; there will be no, ‘I wonder what they’re going to do…’ Is this how it’s going to sound?’ Because many bands have done that in the past.
“We’re just being ourselves,” he added. “We are not impersonating anyone else. We perform CANNIBAL CORPSE music for our enjoyment and remain loyal to ourselves. And, of course, the fans have learned to recognize this and to rely on us over the years to know what they’re going to get.
They are not concerned about, ‘Oh my gosh. What are they going to do now? Are they going to start using clean vocals?’ or something along those lines. It is, in fact, no. It’s going to be a case of CANNIBAL CORPSE. That is what you will receive. As such, I take that entirely as a compliment.
“The other one we often hear, and that is tremendous praise… If you’re going to be lumped in with bands like MOTORHEAD… Of course, those are legendary bands,” Paul remarked. “Or we’re constantly told we’re the AC/DC of death metal — which is the same thing.
That’s right – AC/DC was AC/DC; they were not anyone else. They were not attempting to pass as someone else. They were AC/DC, so you knew what to expect.
“To hear those expressions and parallels is an honor,” he repeated. “And that is precisely what we are aiming for, man – we have to remain CANNIBAL CORPSE till the very end. That is simply the way things are.”
“Violence Unimagined,” CANNIBAL CORPSE’s fifteenth studio album, was released in April 2021 via Metal Blade Records.
Erik Rutan, a renowned death metal guitarist, best known for his work with MORBID ANGEL in the 1990s and early 2000s, as well as his vocal/guitar duties for HATE ETERNAL, contributed guitar and production abilities to the endeavor, which was recorded at his Mana Recording in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Rutan previously worked with GOATWHORE, SOILENT GREEN, and BELPHEGOR on four CANNIBAL CORPSE albums (in addition to “Violence Unimagined”). Since 2019, he has been filling in life on guitar; in 2020, he became a full member, helping the composition process.
