Paul Mazurkiewicz's Drum Setup on Cannibal Corpse's 'A Skeletal Domain' (2014) | MetalForge
Paul Mazurkiewicz recorded A Skeletal Domain (2014) on a Pearl Reference (mature endorsement configuration, 2014) kit with a Pearl Free-Floating steel-shell snare snare.
Complete drum gear breakdown for Cannibal Corpse's A Skeletal Domain (2014). Paul Mazurkiewicz's Pearl Reference and Meinl rig, Mark Lewis's Audiohammer Stud...
Frequently Asked Questions
What kit did Paul Mazurkiewicz use on A Skeletal Domain?
On A Skeletal Domain (2014), Paul Mazurkiewicz played the same Pearl Reference kit documented on Kill (2006), Evisceration Plague (2009), and Torture (2012) — dual 22-inch x 18-inch kick drums, a four-tom layout in maple/African mahogany hybrid shells, and his 14-inch x 6.5-inch Pearl Free-Floating steel-shell snare. His Meinl Byzance cymbal setup and Pearl Eliminator double bass pedal carried over unchanged; the main difference was a cleaner, more modern production under new producer Mark Lewis.
Who produced A Skeletal Domain and where was it recorded?
A Skeletal Domain was produced, engineered, and mixed by Mark Lewis at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida — the first Cannibal Corpse album not produced by Erik Rutan since 2003, breaking a streak of three consecutive Rutan-produced records (Kill, Evisceration Plague, Torture).
How did A Skeletal Domain perform commercially and critically?
A Skeletal Domain debuted at #32 on the Billboard 200 upon its September 16, 2014 release, selling approximately 8,800 copies in its first week — Cannibal Corpse's highest chart debut to that point, surpassing Torture's #38 debut two years earlier. Critical reception was strong: AllMusic rated it 3.5/5, Sputnikmusic gave it 4.0/5, and both The Guardian and Revolver awarded it 4/5.
What did Cannibal Corpse do after Evisceration Plague?
After Evisceration Plague (2009), Cannibal Corpse released Torture (2012), their twelfth studio album and, at the time, their best Billboard 200 debut. They followed it with A Skeletal Domain (2014), which broke Erik Rutan's three-album production streak in favor of Mark Lewis at Audiohammer Studios and became the band's highest chart debut yet, before Red Before Black (2017) continued the arc.
Why did reviewers praise A Skeletal Domain's production specifically?
Reviewers widely noted that A Skeletal Domain sounded noticeably cleaner and more modern than the three Erik Rutan-produced albums that preceded it. Sputnikmusic praised a mix that let "all the instruments space to breathe" and made the bass "100% audible," while Metal Injection specifically described Paul Mazurkiewicz's drums as "crispier than saltines" under Mark Lewis's Audiohammer Studios engineering.