Paul Mazurkiewicz's Drum Setup on Cannibal Corpse's Kill (2006) | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What kit did Paul Mazurkiewicz use on Kill?

On Kill (2006), Paul Mazurkiewicz played his fully mature Pearl Reference kit — dual 22-inch x 18-inch kick drums, a four-tom layout (two rack toms, two floor toms) in maple/African mahogany hybrid shells, and his signature 14-inch x 6.5-inch Pearl Free-Floating steel-shell snare. His Meinl cymbal setup and Pearl Eliminator double bass pedal, both fully established since Gore Obsessed (2002), rounded out a configuration that is essentially identical to his modern rig.

Who produced Kill and where was it recorded?

Kill was produced by Erik Rutan — guitarist and vocalist of Hate Eternal, formerly of Morbid Angel — at his own Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida, recorded and mixed between October and December 2005. It was the first of what would become a long-running Cannibal Corpse/Rutan production partnership; Rutan produced every subsequent Cannibal Corpse studio album and eventually joined the band as lead guitarist in 2020.

Why is Kill called Cannibal Corpse's 'return to brutality'?

Kill (2006) is widely described as a return to brutality because it stripped the band's songwriting back down to a more direct, riff-driven, relentlessly aggressive approach after the more dynamically varied, dual-mode material on The Wretched Spawn (2004) and Gore Obsessed (2002). It was also the first Cannibal Corpse album tracked in G# standard tuning, giving it a heavier low-end than any prior record, and marked the return of guitarist Rob Barrett to the band's lineup.

Did Kill chart on the Billboard 200?

Yes. Kill debuted at #170 on the Billboard 200 in the week following its March 21, 2006 release, making it just the second Cannibal Corpse album to chart on the Billboard 200 after Vile's 1996 debut. It was a modest chart position by mainstream standards, but a meaningful marker for an uncompromising death metal band a decade into its recording career.

What is the significance of 'A Skull Full of Maggots' on Kill?

"A Skull Full of Maggots" closes Kill (2006) as a re-recording of a song originally released on Cannibal Corpse's 1990 debut, Eaten Back to Life. It gives listeners a direct point of comparison between Paul Mazurkiewicz's earliest recorded drumming and his fully mature, sixteen-years-later playing on far more developed Pearl Reference and Meinl gear.