# How to Sound Like Paul Mazurkiewicz — Cannibal Corpse Drum Sound Guide

**Drummer:** Paul Mazurkiewicz  
**Band:** Cannibal Corpse  
**Genre:** Death Metal  
**Guide URL:** https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-paul-mazurkiewicz

## Overview

Paul Mazurkiewicz has been the drummer and a founding member of Cannibal Corpse since 1988, making him one of the longest-serving and most consistent figures in death metal. Across fifteen-plus studio albums — from "Eaten Back to Life" through "Tomb of the Mutilated" and the modern classics — he has provided the relentless, groove-driven engine behind the best-selling death metal band of all time. What defines Mazurkiewicz is not raw speed for its own sake but brutal, riff-locked precision. Famously, he plays blast beats and fast single-stroke patterns using a **traditional grip** — unusual in a genre dominated by matched grip — and frequently relies on single-stroke "skank" and hand-led blasts rather than constant double bass. His drumming locks tightly to Cannibal Corpse's guitar riffs, prioritizing heaviness and groove over technical flash. The result is some of the most identifiable, headbang-inducing death metal drumming ever recorded.

## Kit Setup

Mazurkiewicz favors punchy, articulate Tama kits built for attack and projection:

- **Kick Drums:** 22" x 18" (x2) with Tama Iron Cobra Double Pedal
- **Snare:** 14" x 6.5" Steel — deep, powerful, cutting
- **Rack Toms:** 10" x 8", 12" x 9", 13" x 10"
- **Floor Toms:** 16" x 16", 18" x 16"
- **Cymbals:** Sabian AAX / B8 Pro — bright, cutting, fast crashes
- **Pedals:** Tama Iron Cobra Double Pedal (powerful, reliable)
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5B / Extreme 5B (heavier for power)
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke P3 Clear (kick), Remo Ambassador X Coated (snare), Remo Emperor Clear (toms)

## Tuning & Setup

Mazurkiewicz tunes for attack, punch, and clarity through extremely downtuned, heavily distorted guitars:

- **Kick:** Medium-tight with a foam pad on the batter and a port hole in the resonant head. Tuned for a clicky attack that triggers cleanly; heavy muffling keeps fast patterns and chugs tight.
- **Snare:** Medium-high, minimal muffling. The deep steel snare delivers a powerful crack with enough body to drive brutal mid-tempo grooves — weight as well as cut.
- **Toms:** Medium-high, one Moongel each. Punchy attack with controlled sustain so fast fills don't smear.

## Technique Tips

Mazurkiewicz plays **traditional grip** in the left hand — rare in death metal — which gives his snare hand a distinctive whip and bounce, central to how he generates speed on single-stroke blasts.

**Mazurkiewicz's Core Technique System:**

- **The Skank Beat (180–240 BPM, Advanced):** Fast single-stroke beat alternating kick and snare on offbeats — a death metal staple that drives the relentless forward motion without constant double bass. Start at 130 BPM, keep it evenly spaced and riff-locked.
- **Riff-Locked Blast (200–260 BPM, Advanced):** Blasts that lock precisely to the guitar's tremolo or chug rhythm rather than running independently — drums and guitars move as one machine, the source of Cannibal Corpse's brutality. Learn the riff first.
- **Groove Chug (120–160 BPM, Intermediate):** Mid-tempo, heavily syncopated grooves where the kick mirrors the palm-muted guitar chugs exactly — the headbang sections that define the band. Mirror the palm-muting rhythm precisely.

**Key songs to study:** *Hammer Smashed Face* (Tomb of the Mutilated, 1992) · *I Cum Blood* (1992) · *Stripped, Raped and Strangled* (The Bleeding, 1994) · *Devoured by Vermin* (Vile, 1996) · *Make Them Suffer* (Kill, 2006)

## Gear Shopping List

| Item | Mazurkiewicz's Spec | Budget Alternative |
|------|---------------------|--------------------|
| Drum Kit | Tama Starclassic | Tama Imperialstar (~$600) |
| Snare | Steel 14" x 6.5" | Tama SLP Steel |
| Cymbals | Sabian AAX / B8 Pro | Sabian B8X Pack (~$250) |
| Pedal | Tama Iron Cobra Double | Tama Iron Cobra 200 (~$150) |
| Sticks | Vic Firth 5B / Extreme 5B | Promark 5B |
| Kick Head | Remo Powerstroke P3 Clear | Evans EMAD Clear |

**Starter budget path (~$1,000):** Tama Imperialstar + Sabian B8X + Iron Cobra 200. See [/brands/tama](https://metalforge.io/brands/tama) and [/brands/sabian](https://metalforge.io/brands/sabian).

## Practice Routine

1. **Skank Beat Builder (15 min daily):** At 130 BPM alternate kick and snare on continuous offbeats, relaxed and even. Increase 5 BPM per week only when it stays clean. Goal: even skank beat at 220+ BPM.
2. **Riff-Lock Training (20 min daily):** Pick a Cannibal Corpse riff, learn it, then build the kick pattern to mirror it exactly. Play along until drums and guitar move as one machine.
3. **Traditional Grip Speed (15 min daily):** Single-stroke rolls with traditional grip, starting slow, using the natural wrist whip. Build control before speed.

**Common mistakes:** Ignoring the riff; chasing speed over groove; forcing matched grip; under-muffling the kick.

## FAQ

**Q: Does Paul Mazurkiewicz really play blast beats with traditional grip?**  
A: Yes. He is well known for using traditional grip even on fast blasts and single-stroke patterns, which is unusual in death metal. The grip gives his snare hand a distinctive whip and is central to his speed and feel.

**Q: Does he use constant double bass like other death metal drummers?**  
A: Not as much. Mazurkiewicz relies heavily on hand-led single-stroke "skank" beats and riff-locked patterns rather than constant double-kick barrages, prioritizing groove and riff-lock.

**Q: What drums and cymbals does he use?**  
A: He has long played punchy, articulate Tama drums paired with bright Sabian cymbals that cut through downtuned guitars, plus heavier sticks for power and a solid pedal feel suited to his hand-led approach.

**Q: How do I get the Cannibal Corpse drum sound?**  
A: Tune the kick for a clicky attack with heavy muffling, use a deep steel snare for a powerful crack with body, keep toms punchy — and lock every pattern tightly to the guitar riff. The brutality comes from the drum/guitar unison.

**Q: Which Cannibal Corpse songs should I study first?**  
A: Start with 'Hammer Smashed Face' for the definitive groove and riff lock, then 'I Cum Blood' for skank beats, 'Stripped, Raped and Strangled' for riff-locked blasts, and 'Make Them Suffer' for modern precision.

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**Full interactive guide:** [https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-paul-mazurkiewicz](https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-paul-mazurkiewicz)  
**Drummer profile:** [https://metalforge.io/drummer/paul-mazurkiewicz](https://metalforge.io/drummer/paul-mazurkiewicz)  
**Licks & patterns:** [https://metalforge.io/drummers/paul-mazurkiewicz/licks](https://metalforge.io/drummers/paul-mazurkiewicz/licks)  
**Related guides:** [Pete Sandoval](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-pete-sandoval.md) · [Paul Bostaph](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-paul-bostaph.md)

*Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io) · Last updated: 2026-06-26*