Death metal patriarchs Cannibal Corpse have left Russia without being able to play most shows of their recent tour, but it seems Russia is not done with them.
Prosecutors in the republic of Bashkortostan requested a court ban on lyrics and cover art by the band, RIA Novosti reported Wednesday.
"The lyrics contain scenes of abuse, physical and psychological violence against people and animals, murders and suicide, complete with pictures," a prosecution spokeswoman was cited as saying.
The comment appears redundant, given that the band's whole image is built on shock, gore and violence, with track lists offering crowd-pleasers such as "Meat Hook Sodomy" and "Necropedophile" — albeit delivered in perfectly unintelligible guttural growling. Eight of their 10 album covers depict scenes of dismemberment.
The band was censored in Australia and Germany in the early 2000s, but those bans have since been lifted.
The complaint, which is pending court review, originated from unnamed residents of the Ural region's capital Ufa.
Cannibal Corpse ran afoul of Russia's guardians of public morals earlier this fall, when they were only able to play two of eight scheduled concerts in Russia. Notably, their Ufa show was among those canceled.
Christian ultraconservatives protested their shows and authorities canceled the performances, though citing technicalities rather than censorship. This did not convince the band's fans, who clashed with police in St. Petersburg.
Several other prominent extreme metal bands, including shock rocker Marilyn Manson, British black metal stars Cradle of Filth and Polish satanists Behemoth, recently saw concerts canceled in Russia amid protests by Christians.
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