Brandon Ellis Honors Rob Barrett While Shredding With Cannibal Corpse

Brandon Ellis recently spoke about his new role with Cannibal Corpse, where he is stepping in to replace Rob Barrett, during an interview with Another Rundown.

He outlined his approach to filling Barrett’s spot and expressed enthusiasm about joining the legendary death metal group. “Even though in this position here, I’m mostly playing a rhythm guitar gig, you know, I have a handful like five solos or so in the show or something like that, and I’m mostly just just really doing doing justice to what to what Rob [Barrett] would do,” Ellis explained.

The guitarist made it clear that his goal is to honor Barrett’s legacy rather than highlight his own style.

“So, it’s not like I’m up there like showcasing all my crazy solo guitar playing or whatever on this, but it’s an amazing opportunity to get that,” he added. “I’m a Cannibal Corpse fan since I was a teenager. That’s like the first death metal band that turned me on to it. And it’s surreal to be asked to do this.”

Ellis also expressed how surreal it feels to perform the band’s iconic material. “And I’m just like, ‘Dude, tonight I’m going to go on stage. I’m going to play Hammer Smashed Face with Cannibal Corpse for the first time.’ It’s going to be crazy. It’s really insane. I’m lucky,” he said.

His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for both Ellis and the band, marking a new chapter in his career after leaving another major death metal act.

According to Metal Insider, Ellis will be filling in for Rob Barrett on Cannibal Corpse’s upcoming U.S. tour, which kicks off September 15 in Nashville and runs through October 22 in Charlotte.

The lineup also includes Municipal Waste, Full of Hell, and Fulci, offering fans a powerhouse bill of extreme music. The Metal Detector highlighted that this tour will be Ellis’s first with Cannibal Corpse since his departure from The Black Dahlia Murder earlier this year—an impressive transition that underlines his versatility and standing in the scene.

In a message to fans, Ellis described his honor to “help out and put on a killer death metal show for you all” during the fall tour, as reported by Metal Insider. His dedication to maintaining the band’s high live performance standards reflects his professionalism and deep respect for Cannibal Corpse’s legacy.

This collaboration blends generations of death metal, with Ellis’s technical skill reinforcing the influence of one of the genre’s most iconic groups. By balancing reverence for Barrett’s role with his own musical identity, Ellis continues to prove why he is one of extreme metal’s most in-demand guitarists.