According to RAPSI, a court ruled on Friday (November 28) that the translations of lyrics by CANNIBAL CORPSE be banned from distribution in Russia due to violent content.
Prosecutors in the republic of Bashkortostan requested a court ban on lyrics and cover art by the band.
“The lyrics contain scenes of abuse, physical and psychological violence against people and animals, murders and suicide, complete with pictures,” a prosecution spokeswoman was quoted as saying.
The Oktyabrsky District Court of Ufa 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.
In July 2013, Russia passed a new anti-blasphemy law introducing fines and possible prison sentences for offending the “feelings of religious believers.”
CANNIBAL CORPSE‘s tour of Russia kicked off on October 2 in Krasnodar and was scheduled to include eight concerts. However, only four shows went ahead as planned, with the band’s October 5 gig in Ufa getting axed when the venue abruptly closed “for technical reasons.” CANNIBAL CORPSE‘s October 10 concert in Nizhny Novgorod was shut down by armed masked police officers 30 minutes after it had started. A number of fans were detained and taken for compulsory drug tests.
According to the police, the detained fans were charged either with “disorderly conduct” or with “being drunk in public,” offenses that are punishable by fines or up to 15 days in prison.
CANNIBAL CORPSE is far from the only Western rock band to have run into problems in Russia recently. Back in June, shock rocker Marilyn Manson was forced to cancel his show in Moscow due to a bomb threat while another concert in Russia was scrapped over fears his performance would insult Orthodox believers and promote sadomasochism.
One month earlier, Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH had their concerts in Khabarovsk, Tomsk, Novosibirsk and Krasnodar canceled following a string of protests by Christian activists.
Source: Blabbermouth
