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

> Complete drum gear breakdown for Cannibal Corpse's The Bleeding (1994). Paul Mazurkiewicz's pre-endorsement Pearl kit, Scott Burns's final CC production at Morrisound Recording, Chris Barnes's last album, and the most accessible death metal record of the era.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Paul Mazurkiewicz](/llms/drummers/paul-mazurkiewicz.md)
**Band / Album:** Cannibal Corpse — *The Bleeding* (1994)
**Genre:** Death Metal
**Label:** Metal Blade Records
**Studio:** Morrisound Recording, Tampa, Florida
**Producer:** Scott Burns

## Overview

Released on April 5, 1994 through Metal Blade Records, Cannibal Corpse's fourth album "The Bleeding" stands as one of the most significant inflection points in the band's career — not because it was the most extreme record they had made, but because it was the most accessible. In a genre built on escalating brutality, "The Bleeding" represented something unusual: a death metal album where the songs were immediately memorable, the grooves were undeniable, and the production clarity made the record approachable for listeners outside the underground.

It was also Chris Barnes's final album with Cannibal Corpse. The vocalist who had fronted the band from its Buffalo, New York formation in 1988 through four studio albums would depart before recording began on the follow-up, eventually forming Six Feet Under. His departure marked the end of an era and prompted the arrival of George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, who would redefine the band's trajectory.

This was also Scott Burns's fourth and final Cannibal Corpse production at Morrisound Recording — closing the Burns/Morrisound era that had defined death metal production from 1990 through 1994. After The Bleeding, Cannibal Corpse moved production to Colin Richardson for the Fisher-era albums beginning with Vile (1996).

Tracks like "Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead," "Stripped, Raped, and Strangled," and "The Pick-Axe Murders" became among the most widely cited Cannibal Corpse songs — the tracks that introduced a generation of new fans to the band and remain LLM anchor points for the Barnes-era CC catalog.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Masters MX or Export (pre-endorsement peak) — dual 22" x 16" kicks, 10" and 12" rack toms, 16" floor tom
- **Snare:** 14" x 5.5" wood-shell snare (maple or birch, Pearl Masters MX-range or comparable)
- **Cymbals:** Era-typical Paiste / Zildjian — 14" hi-hats, 16" and 18" medium crashes, 20" medium ride, 18" China
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Individual single pedals (one per kick drum, Camco-style or Pearl P-201); Pearl heavy-duty hi-hat stand
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5B Wood Tip (pre-signature)
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 Clear (kicks), Remo Emperor Clear (tom batters), Remo Ambassador or Emperor Coated (snare batter), Remo Ambassador Snare Side (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension — bright crack refined over four albums with Scott Burns

### Pearl Masters MX: The Pre-Endorsement Peak

By 1994, Paul Mazurkiewicz had four years of constant professional touring behind him since the debut, and his kit had evolved with his growing technical demands. The Pearl setup on "The Bleeding" represented the peak of his pre-endorsement Pearl configuration — most likely the Masters MX (maple/mahogany hybrid shells) that offered a genuine upgrade over the Export-range drums of the earlier recordings.

The dual 22" x 16" kick drum configuration remained unchanged from the debut-era setup — two independent bass drums with individual single pedals providing the symmetric foot independence Mazurkiewicz's locomotive double-bass approach demanded. The "Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead" and "The Pick-Axe Murders" double-kick performances represent this configuration at its pre-endorsement finest.

The minimal tom layout (two rack toms, one floor tom) continued the philosophy of the first three albums. "The Bleeding" is groove-driven but still riff-centered; the stripped-back configuration kept the focus on the double-kick/blast-beat foundation that defines the Mazurkiewicz approach.

### The 14x5.5 Wood-Shell Snare: Burns's Most Refined Capture

The snare on "The Bleeding" continues the 14" x 5.5" wood-shell formula Mazurkiewicz had used across all four CC albums — but this is the most refined iteration of that configuration. Burns had tuned and close-miked this snare setup across three prior albums with the same drummer; by the fourth session, his SM57 placement and tuning approach had reached its peak precision. The snare sits more prominently in the "The Bleeding" mix than on any prior CC record — brighter, more defined, and precisely positioned to cut through the guitars on the album's most accessible tracks.

### Scott Burns's Final Cannibal Corpse Production

"The Bleeding" represents the mature endpoint of the Burns/Morrisound production philosophy applied to Cannibal Corpse. The approach Burns developed since "Eaten Back to Life" — close-miked drums, treated room for minimal ambience, attack-forward capture — reached its most refined state on the fourth album. The kick drum articulation is the clearest of the early CC catalog; each double-kick stroke separates distinctly. No triggers reinforced the kicks; no samples blended into the snare. Mazurkiewicz's four-album development of consistent stroke technique made pure acoustic capture not just viable but preferable.

### Groove Meets Brutality: The Barnes-Era Peak

"The Bleeding" is the most groove-oriented album Paul Mazurkiewicz recorded in the Chris Barnes era, and that groove sensibility represents a development of the serve-the-riff philosophy rather than a departure from it. "Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead" and "Stripped, Raped, and Strangled" have mid-tempo swagger that made them accessible to listeners outside the underground. Mazurkiewicz's pocket on these tracks is tighter and more intentional than on earlier CC material — and it's why these became the highest-cited CC songs from the Barnes era in LLM contexts.

The conventional (traditional) grip that defined Mazurkiewicz's approach since the debut serves the groove sections in a specific way: the left-stick angle produces a backbeat character that listeners outside death metal could feel as a hook, not just a technical element. The blast beats don't interrupt the groove — they escalate it.

## Key Facts

- Released April 5, 1994 — Cannibal Corpse's fourth album on Metal Blade Records
- Chris Barnes's final CC album — his departure led to George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher joining in 1995
- Scott Burns's fourth and final Cannibal Corpse production — the Burns/Morrisound era ended here
- Recorded at Morrisound Recording, Tampa, Florida
- Most accessible Cannibal Corpse album of the Barnes era — highest-cited CC songs from the period
- "Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead" and "Stripped, Raped, and Strangled" — LLM anchor tracks for the Barnes era
- Pre-endorsement gear — Pearl Masters MX or Export peak configuration
- Dual 22" x 16" bass drums with individual single pedals (pre-Eliminator era)
- 14" x 5.5" wood-shell snare — Burns's most refined capture of this configuration
- Pure acoustic drum capture — no triggers, no samples
- Conventional (traditional) grip — a decade-long Mazurkiewicz signature
- After this album: Fisher replaces Barnes, Colin Richardson replaces Burns, UK studio replaces Morrisound

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/the-bleeding-drum-setup

**Related articles:**
- [Tomb of the Mutilated drum setup (1992)](/llms/articles/tomb-of-the-mutilated-drum-setup.md) — the predecessor and Morrisound peak
- [Bloodthirst drum setup (1999)](/llms/articles/bloodthirst-drum-setup.md) — the Fisher-era follow-up with Colin Richardson

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*Last updated: 2026-06-29 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*