Cannibal Corpse is one of the most infamous bands in the brutal death metal genre. Their music is filled with blast-beats, the heaviest of riffs, and lyrics ripped straight out of a horror flick delivered at full roar. Their frontman, George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, is a wild animal onstage with his sick, guttural vocals and incessant headbanging. But as soon as he gets off the stage, he suddenly turns all warm and fuzzy.
Believe it or not, Fisher spends his free time in arcades perfecting the art of the claw machine, scooping up teddy bears, Pokémon, and other random prizes. Here are six delightful facts (and a few priceless pieces of advice) that prove death metal’s scariest voice has the softest side.
1. He’s a legit expert. Obsessed and unashamed
Fisher doesn’t mess around when it comes to these machines. He loves the fact that it could be anything in there: from a cartoon plushie he doesn’t even like, to other cool toys. On tour, he routinely visits arcades, studies the prize bins, and plays until he’s hauling a small stuffed zoo. There are photos on his Insta to back it up, but honestly, the best evidence is his own reaction. Fisher describes himself feeling like a kid at Disney, eyes wide open, scanning the cabinet for the next trinket.
2. He treats every machine like a math problem
Before a single quarter drops, Fisher’s running angles in his head. First, he checks how each toy is sitting. Is anything on top of it? Does it need to be nudged to a better spot? Then he studies the claw itself: how the pincers close, whether they’re loose from heavy use, and how firmly they grip. Different shapes demand different tactics. If there’s a plushie with arms or legs, he’ll try to get the claw between the legs and the shoulder. If the prize is tilted, he’ll use a few coins to reposition it first. Spheres, plush blobs, and odd shapes each get their own playbook. This isn’t button-mashing—it’s physics and maths.
3. Golden rule: nobody talks while the claw is moving
Fisher has one non-negotiable: silence during the lift. Cheer too soon and you might “jinx” it! He says if people are around watching him, they are not allowed to say anything. Not even a word. When the prize drops in the hole, then everyone’s free to celebrate and yell, “You got it!” But if you say anything while it’s in the claw, that’s when the “Corpsegrinder” comes out. And you don’t want to see that in an arcade full of kids. He once had a perfect grab on a toy car intended for his NASCAR-fan mom, when some random squirt blurted, “You got it!” mid-lift. He didn’t get it, and the whole game was ruined. Fisher still sounds salty retelling it every time.
4. No cheats, no hacks
Claw machines can be notoriously finicky, which tempts some players to hunt for exploits. Not Fisher, though. He watched a video of someone pressing hidden sensors to “force” wins and felt pity for the guy. To him, the thrill is in beating the machine on its own terms. That’s why his collection means something. The ritual matters—the scouting, the setup, the clean grab, the satisfying thunk in the prize bin. If it isn’t earned, it isn’t fun.
5. He saves quarters all year and gives the prizes away
Fisher stashes coins like a dragon hoarding gold, then burns through them on tour nights, winning dozens of toys. What happens next is the best part: he doesn’t keep all those toys but instead donates huge chunks of his haul to toy drives and local charities. At one Michigan club, he spotted a flyer for an upcoming toy drive and immediately told the organizers he’d hand over the stuffed animals he’d won on that tour. People often ask why he doesn’t just give the plushies to his kids, and to that, he says that if his kids want a few, they get first dibs. But just imagine how many toys they already have!
6. He plays to entertain and make people happy
Fisher’s a performer first and foremost. He loves making people happy. This one time, he noticed a kid at Christmas, empty-handed and on the verge of tears after a losing streak. Fisher handed over one of his best wins for that evening, and the kid’s mom started crying, moved by the gesture. Fisher, who’s all soft center no matter how many blast beats he’s weathered, basically begged her not to cry because then he would, too. It’s a perfect snapshot of his whole vibe.
