Paul Mazurkiewicz, founding drummer of death metal institution CANNIBAL CORPSE, has announced his departure from the band after 35 years, confirmed via a joint statement from Mazurkiewicz and the remaining band members on March 7. The announcement came as a shock to the global death metal community, as Mazurkiewicz is widely considered one of the genre's defining drummers — his combination of blast beats, technical precision, and groove-oriented patterns having influenced virtually every death metal drummer who emerged in the three decades following CANNIBAL CORPSE's formation in Buffalo, New York in 1988.
In his personal statement, Mazurkiewicz cited "health considerations and the need to prioritize family" as the primary reasons for his decision, while making clear that his departure is entirely amicable and that his love for the band and its music remains undiminished. "I have given everything I have to CANNIBAL CORPSE for 35 years, and I do not regret a single moment," he wrote. "But my body is telling me it is time to step back, and my family deserves more of me than I've been able to give. I leave with nothing but love and gratitude."
The remaining band members — vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher, guitarists Rob Barrett and Erik Rutan, and bassist Alex Webster — expressed profound gratitude for Mazurkiewicz's contributions and confirmed that a replacement drummer search is already underway. They stated that CANNIBAL CORPSE's touring and recording commitments will be honored, with a drum fill-in already confirmed for upcoming dates. The band's most recent album "Violence Unimagined" (2021) featured Mazurkiewicz in what now appears to have been his final studio recording with the band.