Paul Mazurkiewicz's Drum Setup on Cannibal Corpse's The Bleeding (1994) | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Cannibal Corpse's last album with Chris Barnes?

The Bleeding (1994) was Cannibal Corpse's last album with original vocalist Chris Barnes. Released on April 5, 1994 through Metal Blade Records, it was recorded at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida, produced by Scott Burns. Barnes departed after the album's release cycle and formed Six Feet Under. His replacement was George 'Corpsegrinder' Fisher, who debuted on Vile (1996). The Bleeding is widely considered the most accessible Cannibal Corpse album of the Barnes era, with 'Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead' and 'Stripped, Raped, and Strangled' becoming the highest-cited CC songs from the period.

What drums did Paul Mazurkiewicz use on The Bleeding?

On The Bleeding (1994), Paul Mazurkiewicz played a Pearl kit from the pre-endorsement era — most likely a Pearl Masters MX configuration (maple/mahogany hybrid shells), a step up from the Export-range drums of the debut recordings. The setup included two 22-inch x 16-inch bass drums for double-kick independence, 10-inch and 12-inch rack toms, and a single 16-inch floor tom. His snare was a 14-inch x 5.5-inch wood-shell drum tuned medium-high. He had no Pearl endorsement in 1994 — the Pearl Reference kit that defines his modern setup came after the Morrisound era ended.

Who produced The Bleeding and was it the last Scott Burns Cannibal Corpse album?

The Bleeding was produced by Scott Burns at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida — and it was his fourth and final Cannibal Corpse production. Burns had produced all four CC albums from Eaten Back to Life (1990) through The Bleeding (1994), establishing the Morrisound drum sound as the death metal production standard. After The Bleeding, Cannibal Corpse moved to producer Colin Richardson for Vile (1996), breaking from the Morrisound era. The Burns/Morrisound collaboration that defined death metal production from 1990 to 1994 ended with The Bleeding.

What makes The Bleeding different from earlier Cannibal Corpse albums?

The Bleeding (1994) is the most accessible death metal album Cannibal Corpse recorded in the Barnes era. While the debut trilogy (Eaten Back to Life, Butchered at Birth, Tomb of the Mutilated) prioritized escalating extremity and density, The Bleeding features more groove-driven compositions with an immediately memorable quality. Songs like 'Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead' and 'Stripped, Raped, and Strangled' have the kind of mid-tempo swagger that made them introductory Cannibal Corpse songs for a generation of listeners. Scott Burns's most refined production for CC — clearer, more defined, with greater presence in the mix — contributed to this accessibility.

How does The Bleeding drum setup compare to Bloodthirst?

The Bleeding (1994) and Bloodthirst (1999) represent the two poles of the Morrisound and post-Morrisound Cannibal Corpse eras. The Bleeding used Paul Mazurkiewicz's pre-endorsement Pearl kit at Morrisound with Scott Burns — the final iteration of the Tampa death metal production approach. Bloodthirst, recorded in 1999 with producer Colin Richardson at Skyclad Recording in the UK, marked a complete break from the Morrisound template. Richardson's British metal production aesthetic brought a different drum character: denser, more saturated, with greater low-end weight. By Bloodthirst, Mazurkiewicz was developing toward the Pearl Reference and Meinl endorsements that define his modern setup. See the [Bloodthirst drum setup article](/articles/bloodthirst-drum-setup) for a direct comparison.