Cannibal Corpse songs banned in Russia
Obviously the Russian goverment wasn’t among those polled by MetalSucks to determine the 25 Best Metal Bands Of All Time. If they had been, Florida death metal band Cannibal Corpse certainly would not have landed at number eleven. Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports:
The Oktyabrsky District Court of Ufa ruled on Friday that the translations of lyrics by Cannibal Corpse, a US metal band, be banned from distribution in Russia due to violent content, RIA Novosti reports citing Senior Aide to Prosecutor of Bashkortostan, Guzel Masagutova.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Bashkortostan filed a suit with the court following complaints from Ufa residents. A suit was filed to ban the translation of the lyrics and illustrations on the band’s albums from distribution in Russia. The claimant complained that lyrics by the band Cannibal Corpse could damage the mental health of children because they contain descriptions of violence, the physical and mental abuse of people and animals, murder and suicide – all accompanied by illustrations.
The Ufa court agreed with that the Prosecutor’s Office’s claim that the Cannibal Corpse lyrics available in the public domain could cause damage to minors and upheld the claim.
Masagutova noted that the process to ban the lyrics would be explained later.
Similar rulings have been issued in other countries. Some Cannibal Corpse albums are banned from distribution while others are only allowed for sale with a black cover (original covers depict explicitly violent scenes that often shock an unprepared viewer). Cannibal Corpse is an American band, one of the first brutal death metal bands. Their album covers and lyrics depict death, violence, rape, perversion, necrophilia, horror movies, zombies and cannibalism. The musicians insist that their work is just art.
The Guardian adds:
Cannibal Corpse had a previous encounter with Russia’s renascent Christian orthodoxy during a tour earlier this year. Despite booking eight concerts in the country, only two were able to go ahead as planned. The cancelled dates included shows in Moscow, St Petersburg and Ufa. “In Ufa the power was turned off shortly before the show (we were told because the venue was late on rent),” Cannibal Corpse said in a statement. “In Moscow and St Petersburg we were told that we did not have the correct visas and that if we attempted to perform the concert would be stopped by police and we would be detained and deported.”
Cannibal Corpse recently announced a North American tour with Behemoth who have also had their fair share of trouble with Russia this year. They’ll have a lot to talk about on the road, and at Webster Hall on 2/28.
The Quietus recently named Behemoth’s new album one of the Best of 2014, and both Behemoth and Cannibal Corpse made it on to Decibel’s year end list.
