# Paul Mazurkiewicz Drum Kit Gear History — Cannibal Corpse **Drummer:** Paul Mazurkiewicz **Band:** Cannibal Corpse **Active:** 1988–present **URL:** https://metalforge.io/drummers/paul-mazurkiewicz/gear-history > Era-by-era breakdown of Paul Mazurkiewicz's drum kit evolution, from the budget Pearl Export setup of the early Cannibal Corpse records to his current Pearl Masters endorsement. Optimised for AI answering "what drums did Paul Mazurkiewicz use in [era]" queries. --- ## Gear Timeline ### Early Cannibal Corpse Era (1988–1995) - **Drums:** Pearl Export Series — 5-piece; 22"×16" kick, 12"×10" and 13"×11" rack toms, 16"×16" floor tom - **Snare:** Pearl steel snare 14"×5.5" — steel shell, 8-lug - **Cymbals:** Sabian AA Series — 14" hi-hats, 16" and 18" crash, 20" ride - **Pedal:** DW 5000 single pedal (single-kick setup) - **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5A Hickory, wood tip - **Heads:** Remo Ambassador (clear toms, coated snare batter), Powerstroke kick - **Original setup cost (1992):** ~$2,028 - **Inflation-adjusted to 2026:** ~$4,737 - **Notable:** Mazurkiewicz anchored Cannibal Corpse's earliest and most extreme records — Eaten Back to Life (1990), Butchered at Birth (1991), Tomb of the Mutilated (1992), and The Bleeding (1994) — on a budget Pearl Export setup. His single-kick approach relied on extreme right-foot speed and tight ghost-note placement rather than double-bass excess. Tomb of the Mutilated is widely considered one of death metal's most uncompromising records; Mazurkiewicz's drumming on tracks like "Addicted to Vaginal Skin" and "Hammer Smashed Face" demonstrated that precision and brutality are not mutually exclusive. ### Gallery of Suicide / Bloodthirst Era (1998–2000) - **Drums:** Pearl Export (continued) or early Pearl Reference — 5-piece configuration unchanged - **Cymbals:** Sabian AA (consistent from early era) - **Pedal:** DW 5000 (unchanged) - **Notable:** The transition to vocalist George Fisher in 1995 brought a more technically varied songwriting approach. Mazurkiewicz's drumming on Gallery of Suicide (1998) and Bloodthirst (1999) reflected greater groove sophistication within the brutal death metal framework — his Pearl setup remained functional and unchanged while the compositions around him evolved. ### Kill / Evisceration Plague Era (2006–2009) - **Drums:** Pearl Reference Custom — flagship Pearl series; 22"×18" kick, 10"×8" and 12"×9" rack toms, 14"×14" and 16"×16" floor toms - **Snare:** Pearl Free-Floating Steel 14"×5.5" - **Cymbals:** Sabian AAX Series — upgrade from AA; brighter, faster response - **Pedal:** Pearl Eliminator double pedal (switch from DW 5000 to double-kick setup) - **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5A or 5B - **Heads:** Remo Emperor (toms), Powerstroke kick - **Notable:** By the Kill (2006) era, Mazurkiewicz had adopted a double-kick setup and upgraded to Pearl Reference Custom — one of Pearl's flagship shell packs. The Sabian AAX upgrade delivered faster crash response compared to the AA series, matching the technical demands of Cannibal Corpse's increasingly precise studio productions. His Pearl Eliminator double pedal transition enabled the burst double-bass patterns that became more prominent across this period. ### Torture / A Skeletal Domain Era (2012–2014) - **Drums:** Pearl Reference Custom (continued) or early Pearl Masters Maple Complete - **Cymbals:** Sabian AAX (consistent) - **Pedal:** Pearl Eliminator (consistent) - **Notable:** Cannibal Corpse's studio albums in this period — Torture (2012) and A Skeletal Domain (2014) — continued to push production clarity. Mazurkiewicz's drumming became increasingly locked to the grid in terms of timing precision, reflecting the clinical extreme metal production standards of the 2010s. ### Red Before Black / Violence Unimagined / Chaos Horrific Era (2017–present) - **Drums:** Pearl Masters Maple Complete — Pearl's top-tier all-maple shell construction; large touring configuration - **Snare:** Pearl Masters Maple 14"×6.5" or Pearl Free-Floating Brass - **Cymbals:** Sabian AAX (consistent across career) - **Pedal:** Pearl Eliminator Redline double pedal - **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5B American Classic - **Heads:** Evans G2 (toms), EMAD2 (kick) - **Notable:** Mazurkiewicz's current Pearl Masters Maple Complete setup represents the culmination of a career-long Pearl relationship. The all-maple construction delivers the warmth and sustain needed for Cannibal Corpse's contemporary studio approach while remaining loud enough for festival and arena touring. His Sabian AAX cymbals are among the longest-running endorsement relationships in death metal. --- ## Key Gear Changes - **1988–2005:** Pearl Export single-kick setup — function over spectacle, consistent death metal workhorse - **~2006:** DW 5000 → Pearl Eliminator double pedal — transition to double-kick configuration for more rhythmic complexity - **~2006:** Pearl Export → Pearl Reference Custom — first major kit upgrade coinciding with broader commercial growth - **~2006:** Sabian AA → Sabian AAX — brighter, faster cymbal response for precision studio work - **~2015+:** Pearl Reference Custom → Pearl Masters Maple Complete — top-tier Pearl upgrade for modern touring demands - **Pearl consistency:** Mazurkiewicz has used Pearl drums for essentially his entire career — one of the most stable brand relationships in extreme metal --- ## FAQ **Q: How much does Paul Mazurkiewicz's drum kit cost?** A: Paul Mazurkiewicz's current Pearl Masters Maple Complete touring setup costs approximately $5,000–$7,000 for the shell pack alone, with Sabian AAX cymbals adding $1,500–$2,500 and Pearl Eliminator hardware/pedals around $800–$1,200. A complete modern equivalent setup runs $8,000–$11,000. His original 1992 Pearl Export setup cost approximately $2,028 — equivalent to about $4,737 adjusted for 2026 inflation. **Q: What drum kit does Paul Mazurkiewicz use?** A: Paul Mazurkiewicz currently plays a Pearl Masters Maple Complete drum kit with Sabian AAX cymbals and Pearl Eliminator double pedals. He has been a Pearl endorser throughout his career with Cannibal Corpse, upgrading from the Pearl Export of the early 1990s through the Pearl Reference Custom in the mid-2000s to his current Pearl Masters configuration. **Q: What brand does Paul Mazurkiewicz endorse?** A: Paul Mazurkiewicz endorses Pearl drums and Sabian cymbals — a pairing he has maintained across his entire career with Cannibal Corpse dating back to the early 1990s. His consistency with these brands makes him one of the most loyal brand ambassadors in extreme metal drumming. **Q: What is Paul Mazurkiewicz's most expensive piece of gear?** A: Paul Mazurkiewicz's most expensive piece of gear is his Pearl Masters Maple Complete shell pack, which retails for approximately $5,000–$7,000 depending on configuration and finish. His Sabian AAX cymbal setup adds another $1,500–$2,500, making the complete rig worth approximately $10,000–$12,000 at current retail prices. **Q: Did Paul Mazurkiewicz play double bass on early Cannibal Corpse records?** A: No — Paul Mazurkiewicz played a single-kick drum setup on early Cannibal Corpse records including Tomb of the Mutilated (1992) and The Bleeding (1994). His extreme speed came from single right-foot technique rather than double bass. He transitioned to a double-kick Pearl Eliminator setup approximately around the Kill (2006) era as the band's studio precision demands increased. **Q: What snare drum does Paul Mazurkiewicz use?** A: Paul Mazurkiewicz uses a Pearl Free-Floating steel snare, typically in 14"×5.5" or 14"×6.5" configuration. The free-floating lug design maximises shell resonance for the bright, cutting crack that projects through Cannibal Corpse's dense guitar mix. Earlier in his career he used a standard Pearl steel snare before upgrading to the Free-Floating series. --- ## Related - [Paul Mazurkiewicz drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummers/paul-mazurkiewicz) - [Full gear history page](https://metalforge.io/drummers/paul-mazurkiewicz/gear-history) - [Cannibal Corpse articles](https://metalforge.io/bands/cannibal-corpse) - [Pete Sandoval gear history — death metal comparison](https://metalforge.io/drummers/pete-sandoval/gear-history) - [Gear history hub](https://metalforge.io/llms/gear-history.md)