According to RAPSI (Russian Legal Information Agency), The Oktyabrsky District Court of Ufa ruled today, Friday, November 28th, that the translations of lyrics by CANNIBAL CORPSE 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). 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.