Editing Cannibal Corpse (section)

===''Tomb of the Mutilated'' and dismissal of Bob Rusay (1992–1993)===
{{Main|Tomb of the Mutilated}}
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| quote = So, we get into the and they all say, "We want Jack to do both guitars on the album." I was like, "Fuck that! This is a band." When they had Jack do both guitar parts, the whole thing broke. It was the final straw. People need to know I wasn't able to record my own fuckin' music. Shit I wrote. They did the same thing on the Hammer Smashed Face EP. After about two weeks I got the call that I was fired. I don't think Chris had too much to say about it. It took me by surprise. I was working a club, Chris showed up, punched me in the arm, and then the next day I get a call, "We don't wanna jam with you anymore." It's like, "What? Do I have a choice here?" The way it was handled was pretty bad. I called Paul and he was frantic. Like a little girl. That's how they got rid of me. I tell people it was a mutual break-up and we weren't getting along, but now that we're talking about it I want to set the record straight.
| source = Original Cannibal Corpse guitarist Bob Rusay recounting his dismissal in the book ''Precious Metal'', as quoted by Chris Dick of ''[[Decibel (magazine)|Decibel]]'' <ref>Dick, Chris. ''Precious Metal'' (2008). Da Capo Press. page 160-161</ref>
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The band released their third album ''[[Tomb of the Mutilated]]'' on September 22, 1992, which was said to have showcased "some of the sickest album art and song titles of all time." Vincent Jeffries of [[AllMusic]] said, "the band's attention-getting tactics worked perfectly and record sales soared. Cannibal Corpse then became one of the biggest names in the death metal genre -- just as the group's discs and live performances were being banned all over the world."<ref name="allmusic.com">{{Citation |title=Tomb of the Mutilated - Cannibal Corpse {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/tomb-of-the-mutilated-mw0000119495 |access-date=2025-01-03 |language=en}}</ref>

In February 1993, founding guitarist Bob Rusay was fired from the group and was replaced by [[Malevolent Creation]] guitarist [[Rob Barrett]], which the band emphasized as "definitely a professional decision and nothing personal."<ref>{{cite web|last=Pratt|first=Greg|title=Cannibal Corpse Staring through the Eyes of the Banned|publisher=exclaim.ca|year=2012|url=http://exclaim.ca/Features/Timeline/cannibal_corpse-staring_through_eyes_of_banned/Page/2|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130719192214/http://exclaim.ca/Features/Timeline/cannibal_corpse-staring_through_eyes_of_banned/Page/2|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-07-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjdjCFoudGs&t=212s |title=an interview with CANNIBAL CORPSE at Milwaukee Metalfest from July 31, 1993 |date=2025-02-22 |last=MINDMELTVIDEO |access-date=2025-03-14 |via=YouTube}}</ref>[[File:Cannibal_Corpse_Full_Force_2019_05.jpg|thumb|300x300px|Guitarist [[Rob Barrett]] performing with Cannibal Corpse at Full Force in 2019. Barrett replaced original guitarist Bob Rusay in 1993. Barrett left the in 1997 and was replaced by [[Pat O'Brien (guitarist)|Pat O'Brien]]. Barrett returned to the band in 2005 to replace the band's other original guitarist [[Jack Owen]].]]The band has stated that Rusay, whose musical background was in [[punk rock]], was having trouble adapting to the band's increasingly technical songwriting style. Owen recalled: "We tried to be professional. We were under the microscope. The budgets were getting bigger. He wasn't tight. It's not where we were at. It goes back to ''Butchered''." Webster fired Rusay over a phonecall while the latter was attending a party in celebration of the [[Buffalo Bills]] winning the Conference Championship Game. Webster was not a sports fan and was unaware of the poor timing of the band's decision. Owen commented, "I wasn't going to break the news to him. I really thought he'd kill me. Bob was a badass." According to Webster: "Bob was the tough guy in the band, for sure. He was in great physical condition and was really into martial arts. When you're young, you tend to solve your problems [[Violence|that way]] instead of talking it out. That was something to think about. He could have found us if he wanted." Webster recounted that Rusay hung up on him after receiving notification of his dismissal. Barnes has since stated that he and Owen did not agree with the decision to relieve Rusay of his duties, and expressed regret for having not called him afterward. However, by Webster's account, the decision to dismiss Rusay was unanimous.<ref name=":1" />

The band has stated that Rusay has made no effort to contact them since his firing, and that he subsequently withdrew from the music scene afterwards. Despite his dismissal from the band, Mazurkiewicz commended Rusay in the [[Centuries of Torment: The First 20 Years|Centuries of Torment]] documentary, calling him "monumental". Barnes credited Rusay for having composed some of the most important songs of the band's early career. Rusay has since become a [[Golf instruction|golf instructor]].<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LoeWc41ios |title=Chris Barnes explains his vocal change on The Bleeding by Cannibal Corpse |date=2025-01-06 |last=DeathSpace Archives |access-date=2025-01-20 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Dick |first=Chris |title=Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces |publisher=Da Capo Press |publication-date=July 14, 2009 |pages=161–162}}</ref><ref>Cannibal Corpse: Centuries of Torment</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGPot3rP53o&t=3153s |title=Cannibal Corpse - Centuries of Torment - DVD 1 - History (OFFICIAL) |date=2013-11-20 |last=Metal Blade Records |access-date=2025-01-20 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pasbani |first=Robert |date=2013-08-21 |title=Did You Know That Founding CANNIBAL CORPSE Guitarist Bob Rusay Is A Golf Instructor Now? |url=https://metalinjection.net/shocking-revelations/did-you-know-that-founding-cannibal-corpse-guitarist-bob-rusay-is-a-golf-instructor-now |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Metal Injection |language=en-US}}</ref>

The band fired Rusay weeks before they were scheduled to leave for a US tour. Rusay's replacement, Rob Barrett, learned the entire setlist in two weeks prior to the tour.<ref name="nysmusic.com"/> In an interview at Milwaukee Metalfest in 1993, Barrett commented, "The kids in Europe were disappointed about [Rusay's departure], 'cause [they were like], 'What happened to Bob?! He was the brutal-ist!' So I kind of had my work cut out for me, you know?"<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjdjCFoudGs&t=212s |title=an interview with CANNIBAL CORPSE at Milwaukee Metalfest from July 31, 1993 |date=2025-02-22 |last=MINDMELTVIDEO |access-date=2025-03-14 |via=YouTube}}</ref>