Cannibal Corpse

American death metal band

Cannibal Corpse

Cannibal Corpse performing at Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany in October 2024

Background information
Origin| Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Genres|

* Death metal
* brutal death metal

Works| Cannibal Corpse discography
Years active| 1988–present
Labels| Metal Blade
Spinoffs|

* Six Feet Under
* Paths of Possession
* Voodoo Gods
* Serpentine Dominion
* Blotted Science
* Conquering Dystopia

Members|

* Alex Webster
* Paul Mazurkiewicz
* Rob Barrett
* George Fisher
* Erik Rutan

Past members|

* Chris Barnes
* Jack Owen
* Bob Rusay
* Pat O'Brien

Website| cannibalcorpse.net

Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1988, now based in Tampa, Florida.

The band has released sixteen studio albums, two box sets, four video albums, and two live albums. The band has had little radio or television exposure throughout its existence, although a cult following began to build with the releases of their early albums, including Butchered at Birth (1991) and Tomb of the Mutilated (1992). As of 2015, they achieved worldwide sales of two million units for combined sales of all their albums.[1][2] Cannibal Corpse received its best "first week" sales of all-time and first Top 10 on the Billboard Top Album Sales Chart with their fifteenth studio album Violence Unimagined (2021), which entered at No. 6 with 14,000 copies sold.[3]

Cannibal Corpse has seen several lineup changes throughout its run, with bassist Alex Webster and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz being the only constant members. The band's current lineup includes Mazurkiewicz, Webster, vocalist George Fisher, and guitarists Rob Barrett and Erik Rutan.

## History

[edit]

### Formation and self-titled demo (1988–1989)

[edit]

Original vocalist Chris Barnes was in the band from its formation until his dismissal in 1995. Barnes appeared on the band's first four studio albums.

Cannibal Corpse was formed in December 1988 when members from recently disbanded Buffalo-area death metal bands Beyond Death (Alex Webster and Jack Owen) and Tirant Sin (Paul Mazurkiewicz, Chris Barnes, Bob Rusay) started jamming and writing music together. Mazurkiewicz, Barnes and Rusay knew each other from high school, and met Webster and Owen while attending area shows. Webster recalled, "when we got going, there were only a few other bands that you’d really call death metal".[4][5]

Bassist Alex Webster came up with the name Cannibal Corpse. The band played its first show at Buffalo's River Rock Cafe in March 1989, shortly after recording a five-song self-titled demo tape, which is now commonly known as A Skull Full of Maggots. The band's first live performance was opening for thrash metal band Dark Angel at a sold-out show in a small club. The band promoted the show by printing off thousands of posters in multiple colors, and handing them out at a Metallica concert. Afterward, the band gained traction in the Buffalo area, going as far to receive mentions by The Buffalo News. During this time, the band also opened for Bloodfeast, The Accüsed, Death and Kreator. Cannibal Corpse would also often play shows with Malevolent Creation, as the latter were local to Buffalo as well. The band signed to Metal Blade Records in July 1989. Mike Faley at Metal Blade wanted to sign the band immediately after reading the song titles in their tracklist. He heard the demo tape after having had it sent to him by the manager of the record store in which Barnes was working. Metal Blade president Brian Slagel recalled, "I thought it was really interesting and cool. Plus, 'A Skull Full of Maggots' is one of the greatest song titles ever."[6][7][4][8] Mazurkiewicz said, "It was unbelievable; it was a dream come true. When we signed the contract with Metal Blade, we were only a band for eight months. And here we are having to finish off writing material and record a record."[9]

### Eaten Back to Life and Butchered at Birth (1990–1991)

[edit]

Main articles: Eaten Back to Life and Butchered at Birth

The band's original logo, which was created by original vocalist Chris Barnes. The logo was changed after Barnes' departure in 1995 to avoid litigation regarding royalties.

The band's debut album, Eaten Back to Life, was released in August 1990. The band played several local area shows to support the album.[9] Inspired by and seeking the new commercial and recording opportunities of the then-emerging Florida death metal scene, the band relocated to Tampa.[10] The band released its second album Butchered at Birth on July 1, 1991. Webster recalled, "We went over to Europe in '91 for Butchered at Birth and saw this great reaction from all these people on the other side of the ocean. We were like, 'Wow, all these people know who we are!' We were getting two or three hundred people a night at these shows, which was really great for a band with only two albums out. It was a great surprise."[4] The band members quit their day jobs and dropped out of college during this time.[9][8]

Friction arose between the band members while touring in support of Butchered at Birth. According to Webster, Barnes was managing a tour by himself for the first time, and there were uncertainties regarding how the tour's finances were being handled. The band privately dissolved and split into two separate camps during this time, and Owen claims to have been "in the middle" of the situation. Mazurkiewicz and Webster moved into an apartment just four doors down from the band's practice space, and composed the music to "Hammer Smashed Face" as a means to vent their frustrations with Barnes.[11]

Cannibal Corpse soon reformed and toured Europe with Atheist and Gorguts in early 1992. That same year, the band toured with Obituary, Malevolent Creation and Agnostic Front on the Complete Control Tour. Cannibal Corpse and Malevolent Creation shared a tour bus during this tour, and the latter of which future Cannibal Corpse guitarist Rob Barrett was playing with. According to Barrett, "We were like one big family, and I am pretty sure that is why I got the call to join with them the next year."[12][13]

### Tomb of the Mutilated and dismissal of Bob Rusay (1992–1993)

[edit]

Main article: Tomb of the Mutilated

> So, we get into the studio 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.

Original Cannibal Corpse guitarist Bob Rusay recounting his dismissal in the book Precious Metal, as quoted by Chris Dick of Decibel [14]

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."[15]

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."[16][17]

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. Barrett returned to the band in 2005 to replace the band's other original guitarist Jack Owen.

The band has since stated that Rusay, whose musical background was in punk rock, was struggling to adapt to the band's increasingly technical musical approach. 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." Owen stated that he had outright refused to take it upon himself to deliver the news to Rusay out of fear for his own safety. He recalled: "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 that way instead of talking it out. That was something to think about. He could have found us if he wanted."[18]

The task of firing Rusay was ultimately assumed by Webster. Rusay was attending a party in celebration of the Buffalo Bills winning the Conference Championship Game when Webster phoned him to notify him of his dismissal. Webster was not a sports fan, and was unaware he had timed the actioning of the band's decision poorly. Webster recounted that Rusay hung up on him. 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.[18]

The band has stated that Rusay was deeply hurt by his dismissal, and has made no effort to contact them since. Despite his dismissal from the band, Mazurkiewicz commended Rusay in the 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 subsequently withdrew from the music scene wholesale, and has since become a golf instructor.[19][18][20][21][22]

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.[12] 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?"[23]

### Ace Ventura cameo and The Bleeding (1994)

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Main article: The Bleeding (album)

Shortly following Rusay's dismissal, Cannibal Corpse had a cameo appearance in the 1994 Jim Carrey film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, performing an abridged version of their song "Hammer Smashed Face".[24]

The band released their fourth studio album The Bleeding on April 12, 1994. According to Paul Mazurkiewicz, “The Bleeding had begun a process of change in the band. We were developing musically, and the aim was to really take things to the next level. I believe this was obvious with the music that the four of us were coming up with at the time.”[25]

After The Bleeding's touring cycle had concluded, Barrett convinced the rest of the band to relocate to Florida.[26] Barnes stated in a 2025 interview that he was not given a say in this decision.[27]

### Dismissal of Chris Barnes and Vile (1995–1996)

[edit]

Main articles: Vile (album) and Six Feet Under (band)

The band's current logo, in use since 1995. George Fisher replaced original vocalist Chris Barnes in 1995

In 1995, during recording sessions for their fifth album Vile, singer Chris Barnes was dismissed from the band while on tour with Six Feet Under, which was at the time his side project. Barnes and the rest of the band members have since stated the split was due to creative and personal differences within the group that had been mounting for years. The band members have since admitted some semblance of jealousy towards Barnes on their part, partially due to media attention regarding his vocals and lyrical content, which often eclipsed attention towards the band's instrumentation and songwriting. Barnes stated "things just kept getting weirder and weirder between us at that point," and has gone as far as to allude to a "fist fight" with another band member that occurred during this time.[28][29][25]

In 2025, Barnes said, "There was always tension on a personal level in that band when I was in the band, and probably mostly my fault [laughs], so I'll be the first to admit it."[30]

Barnes was replaced by Monstrosity singer George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. According to Paul Mazurkiewicz, "George was the only person we ever considered. We believed he could do what we wanted. If he had declined, or hadn’t have worked out, I’m not sure what would have happened. It may have been the end of Cannibal Corpse. It was as serious as that." Webster commented, "I feel that certain people at our record label [Metal Blade] were making it sound like our careers would be over without Chris. And if the only good thing about our band was Chris Barnes, then we weren’t much of a band then, were we?" Mazurkiewicz said, “I’ll admit that Brian Slagel, the head of [Metal Blade Records], wasn’t at all pleased. That was understandable. For any band to fire their vocalist is a really risky step. But we had complete faith in what George had done, and thankfully the fans’ reaction was almost totally positive."[31][25]

Original guitarist Jack Owen left the band in 2004, and was replaced by former guitarist Rob Barrett.

According to producer Scott Burns, "I thought Barnes was irreplaceable. I had no idea who could take his place, but occasionally, amid the drama and confusion, Rob Barrett would speak up and say, "Let's bring in George." Rob was the easiest to get on board with the decision. I'll stress this: The decision to remove Barnes was ultimately the band's. Alex and the guys knew I didn't think Barnes's performance was up to par, but kicking out a band member was not my territory. I wasn't thinking about George at the time. I worried about getting the album done and didn't see how we would do it without Barnes. I remember the Cannibal guys saying they didn't care if Metal Blade dropped them. They wanted to make one record where they were as happy with the vocals as the music. It took a lot of courage to make that call."[32]

Pat O'Brien replaced Rob Barrett following his departure from the band in 1997.

The band released their fifth album Vile in 1996. Mazurkiewicz said, "At first I think everybody was a little reluctant. [...] They loved Barnes, but we knew we were bettering the band and were just like, 'Wait until you hear it.' And I think, for the most part, everybody shut up after that. As soon as we put the album out, we went out on the road, and it was 'Barnes who?' at that point."[9]

The band toured North America with Misfits, Anthrax and Life of Agony in 1996.[33]

Barnes went on to perform with the band Six Feet Under as his main project and later, Torture Killer. Barnes designed the original Cannibal Corpse logo, which was changed following his dismissal from the band. There has been speculation regarding whether Barnes had legal ownership rights to the logo. Cannibal Corpse drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz clarified, "He didn’t legally own it, [...] but Chris did draw the thing in the first place. We needed a logo when the band started out, and he came up with something suitable. But once we’d fired him, then he started asking for payment on all CDs and merchandise we sold that carried his logo. Therefore, we decided to come up with a new one for the Vile release, which also marked a new era for us. So, it really did the job on two levels."[25]

### Gallery of Suicide, Bloodthirst and Gore Obsessed (1997–2003)

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Main articles: Gallery of Suicide and The Wretched Spawn

In February 1997, Rob Barrett left Cannibal Corpse due to musical differences and rejoined his previous bands Malevolent Creation, Solstice, and HatePlow. Pat O'Brien replaced Barrett on guitar.[34][35] He had been recommended to the band by their soundperson, as well as by Steve Tucker, who had been playing with Morbid Angel at that time. Webster recalled, "When Rob left, we’d written about three songs for the new album. We carried on writing and took a couple of months before we chose another guitar player. This was one change that we didn’t have to make in a hurry, for once!" The band started recording new material in October 1997. Fisher shared a house with Mazurkiewicz and another friend during this time. He recalled, "it was a crazy time. We were slobs and just partying!"[36]

The band's sixth studio album, Gallery of Suicide, was released on April 21, 1998. It was O'Brien's first studio appearance with the band.[37] The album proved popular with fans of black metal, and Cannibal Corpse would ultimately tour with Swedish bands Marduk and Dark Funeral during this time. Webster stated: "Black and death metal come from the exact same roots, from mid-80s stuff like Sodom, Kreator, Celtic Frost and Possessed, so there was no reason why they couldn’t tour together, and that worked out really well."[36]

The band's seventh studio album, Bloodthirst, was released on October 19, 1999. Steve Huey of AllMusic opined: "It's rather remarkable how little the band's sound has changed over the course of an entire decade."[38]

The band's first live album, Live Cannibalism, was released on September 26, 2000.[39]

The band's eighth studio album, Gore Obsessed, was released on February 26, 2002.[40]

The band toured the US during the winter of 2004 with Hypocrisy, Exhumed and Vile.[41]

### The Wretched Spawn, departure of Jack Owen and return of Rob Barrett (2004–2005)

[edit]

The band's ninth studio album The Wretched Spawn was released on February 24, 2004.[42]

Founding guitarist Jack Owen left Cannibal Corpse in 2004 to spend more time on his second band, Adrift, and also joined Deicide in late 2004. Jeremy Turner of Origin substituted on guitar for the band's 2004 tour of Mexico in support of their album The Wretched Spawn, after being referred to the band by Erik Rutan of Hate Eternal (who would later join the band himself in 2019). The band also played Wacken Open Air and toured the US that year. Turner stated that he believes he played approximately 90 shows with the band over a six-month. The band ultimately did not hire him as a permanent replacement for Owen due to his locality in Kansas; although Turner said that he would have been willing to relocate to join the band, the band in the long run did not feel comfortable "uprooting" him from his family and life. Rob Barrett re-joined the band for a concert at the Northwest Deathfest in Washington in 2005, before ultimately reassuming guitar duties permanently following several months of deliberation. Barrett's mother stated in the Centuries of Torment documentary that she discouraged his decision to leave the band in the first place.[34][35][43]

### Kill and Evisceration Plague (2006–2011)

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Main articles: Kill (Cannibal Corpse album) and Evisceration Plague

The band's tenth studio album Kill was released on March 21, 2006,[44] and was considered a turning point in the band's career.

The band participated in the Sounds of the Underground Tour in 2006, which also featured Behemoth and In Flames.[45][46] The band also embarked on a headlining tour alongside Necrophagist and Dying Fetus in late 2006.[47][48]

Writing for the follow-up to Kill began in November 2007, as indicated in an interview with bassist Alex Webster.[49] Evisceration Plague, Cannibal Corpse's eleventh studio album, was released on February 3, 2009,[50] to a highly positive response from fans. They also released a live DVD in 2011 entitled Global Evisceration.

The band toured with Children of Bodom to promote the album. The band then participated in Mayhem Festival 2009 along with Marilyn Manson, Slayer, Behemoth, Job For a Cowboy and The Black Dahlia Murder.[51] The band then toured on the Decimation Of The Nation 2 tour along with Hatebreed, Unearth, Born of Osiris and Hate Eternal.[52] Throughout 2010, the band played various festivals in Europe such as Wacken Open Air, Full Force and Bloodstock Festival.[51] Following these festival appearances, the band toured the US during the spring of 2010 with Norwegian black metal band 1349 and thrash metal band Skeletonwitch.[53] The band toured the US during the fall of 2010 with Dying Fetus, Vital Remains, and Devourment.[54]

### Torture, A Skeletal Domain and Red Before Black (2012–2019)

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Main articles: Torture (album), A Skeletal Domain, and Red Before Black

Bassist Alex Webster performing in Rostock in 2012

Cannibal Corpse released its twelfth studio album, Torture, in March 2012.[55] Two early bands of the members reunited for one respective benefit concert each for Tony Lorenzo of the group Sons Of Azrael in January 2012.[56] The band toured the US from late 2012 into early 2013 with Misery Index and Hour of Penance.[57]

In February 2014, Cannibal Corpse announced that they had begun recording their thirteenth album, A Skeletal Domain, which was released on September 16. "Sadistic Embodiment" was released as a single in July. All the song titles of the forthcoming album were announced on the same day.[58] The same month, Metal Blade announced the publication of the band's authorized biography Bible Of Butchery, written by the British author Joel McIver.[59]

George Fisher performing at Hellfest in 2019

In an August 2016 interview, drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz stated that Cannibal Corpse would likely begin recording a new album in 2017.[60] In September 2017, the band announced their fourteenth studio album Red Before Black, which was released on November 3.[61]

On December 10, 2018, guitarist Pat O'Brien was arrested for assault and battery; his bail was set at $50,000.[62] On the eve of the news of his arrest, Cannibal Corpse was announced as one of the supporting acts for Slayer's final North American tour, which would take place in the spring of 2019 and also be supported by Lamb of God and Amon Amarth.[63] On January 18, 2019, Cannibal Corpse announced that Hate Eternal frontman and former Morbid Angel guitarist Erik Rutan would fill-in for O'Brien on their future tours.[64] The band toured the US with Thy Art is Murder in the fall of 2019.[65]

### Violence Unimagined and Chaos Horrific (2020–present)

[edit]

Main articles: Violence Unimagined and Chaos Horrific

Cannibal Corpse entered the studio in June 2020 to begin recording their fifteenth studio album.[66] On February 1, 2021, the band announced that the album, Violence Unimagined, would be released on April 16.[67] They released a music video for the song "Inhumane Harvest" from the album in February. The music video was largely inspired by the Saw movie franchise.[68] The band also announced that live guitarist Erik Rutan has officially joined the band full-time,[69] in spite of that it is currently uncertain as to whether or not lead guitarist O'Brien will return to the group following his 2018 legal troubles.

In early 2022, the band toured the US with Whitechapel and Revocation.[70] In fall of 2022, the band toured the US with Dark Funeral, Immolation and Black Anvil.[71]

By January 2023, Cannibal Corpse had begun working on their sixteenth studio album, which was listed by Revolver magazine as one of the "55 Most Anticipated Albums" of the year.[72] On June 22, 2023, the band released a new single "Blood Blind" and announced their next record, Chaos Horrific, would be released on September 22, 2023.[73]

In 2023, the band toured the US on a co-headlining tour with Mayhem, along with Gorguts and Blood Incantation.[74] The band toured Europe in the fall of 2024 with Municipal Waste and Immolation. During this tour, Erik Rutan's house suffered "catastrophic" damage from Hurricane Helene, which forced him to leave the tour early. The band completed the tour with Barrett assuming all guitar duties.[75][76]

The band announced a headlining tour of the US for the fall of 2025 with support from Municipal Waste and Fulci.[77]

## Artistry

[edit]

### Musical style and instrumentation

[edit]

Cannibal Corpse is ultimately a death metal band.[78][79] Various publications have also classified the band as brutal death metal,[80] old school death metal[81] and speed metal.[82]

Performance in Washington, D.C. in 2007

The band's sound is characterized by what is described as a "wall of sound", and its songwriting is described as "brutally aggressive but melodic." Guitarist Rob Barrett said "You can be melodic without having it sound happy or triumphant. We try to go for the more uglier sounding stuff." Many of the band's melodies make use of atonality. Guitarist Pat O'Brien said, “alot of stuff that we have to put solos over is not in a particular key, or doesn’t fit in a particular scale pattern. [...] It’s totally free, it’s almost like jazz in a lot of ways, because you can get as crazy and as out there as you want. [...] That’s why I like it. It’s not limited.” He also stated the band uses scales that "sound evil," such as the diminished and Hungarian minor scales.[83][84] The band's early releases are recognized for their rawness, and have been described as being "live sounding." Bassist Alex Webster commented, "I guess there’s little things I’d consider mistakes on [the early albums], but that captures something -- It gives them that live feel." A great deal of the band's early material was composed by original guitarist Bob Rusay, including tracks such as "Skull Full of Maggots," "Post-Mortal Ejaculaton," and "Beyond the Cemetery." His musical background was in punk rock, and his writing style was described by his bandmates as abrasive, unorthodox, and "offbeat." The guitar tone on early Cannibal Corpse releases, such as Butchered at Birth, has been characterized as a "beehive-wall of white noise." The band's later releases are generally considered to be more rhythmically and melodically complex, which was partially the result of Alex Webster's desire to explore the "technical side of music," beginning with Tomb of the Mutilated. According to Joel McIver of MusicRadar, "behind the horrible song titles, lyrics and artwork lies a band of unexpected subtlety and skill."[85][12][86][87][18][88]

Alex Webster and George Fisher performing in São Paulo, Brazil

The band's early releases are described as "a progressively over-the-top approach to gore-themed death metal that pushed the envelope in every imaginable way, from cover art to song titles to the music itself." In reviews of early albums, critics have made note of the unintelligible, "thundering," "grunting" death growls of vocalist Chris Barnes, who was called "one of the best growlers in the business".[89][15][90] Founding guitarist Jack Owen described the band's first four albums: "Eaten is thrashy, Butchered is overwritten but in a good way, Tomb is abrasive and violent, and then The Bleeding was like 'okay slow it down and concentrate." He also said, "You can hear everyone’s writing style in their own songs."[91][92] The writing process for the band's early releases were largely collaborative efforts. However, by the time of the writing for Tomb of the Mutilated, the band members began composing more material on their own, and beginning with Vile, songwriting credits began being attributed to individual band members.

Cannibal Corpse performing in 2004

Despite the increasing technical proficiency and polish on the band's studio releases throughout its career, the overall style has remained relatively unchanged, "in other words, zero chance of [any] stylistic experimentation," according to Greg Prato of AllMusic.[93] According to former guitarist Pat O'Brien: "There are certain areas where we're not going to be able to go where other bands have gone. But we don't want to; we're Cannibal Corpse and we're just gonna do what we do."[9] In an interview with Invisible Oranges, Webster explained, "Unless you’re an experimental metal band by nature, people don’t really want that experimentation, I don’t think. They want us to try and out-do what we’ve done – I don’t think people want us to stand still and put out the same album again and again but I think what they want is something stylistically consistent and hopefully even a little better than the last album. When bands go too far away from their style it’s generally not well received in the metal community. Consistency is a big part of our genre."[94] In an interview with Guitar World, he said, "Some of the side projects I’ve done have allowed me to stretch out a little bit more [in terms of style], but Cannibal is really about being a big, heavy rhythm machine, and stepping out too much might detract from that."[95] Mazurkiewicz is quoted saying: “A key to our longevity, you know, [is probably] the fact that the fans know what they’re going to get, we’re a band that the fans can count on. [...] I always hated when bands [...] changed their style, something happened. You’re so into the sound of a band and then all of a sudden – ‘wait, what happened? Why did they have to go in that direction? What’d they do?’ And you were let down big time. We never wanted to be that band, you know?”[96]

Drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz at Full Force 2019 at Ferropolis in Germany.

The band's songwriting incorporates hooks into its lyrics, and vocal cadences and guitar riffs. VICE News assessed that the band's third album, Tomb of the Mutilated "sounds like death metal as pop – the genre stripped to its basics."[97] Webster explained: "We want the songs to be memorable, as long as there is no sacrifice in the level of heaviness. [...] Those two things should not have to be exclusive. I think you can have really catchy things that are all really heavy. I mean if we can manage to write some lyrics that are going to make you want to remember them and sing along to them each time they come around, then mission accomplished I think right?"[98]

Chris Barnes' vocals on early Cannibal Corpse albums have been described as "indecipherable growls," while opting for a more intelligible style on The Bleeding.[99] Barnes' vocals were generally characterized by a slower, groovier delivery style, while current vocalist George Fisher is noted for his highly intelligible, rapid-fire vocal delivery on later Cannibal Corpse releases, such as Vile and Kill.[100][additional citation(s) needed]

According to Guitar World, "Webster’s galloping three-finger technique unlocks speed and accuracy that other bassists can only dream of; remarkably, he achieves great attack and clarity without the need for a pick."[85]

### Lyrical themes

[edit]

> [Barnes] was never writing any of these lyrics from the point of view that the characters in the songs were cool [...] or were people that he related to. [...] It’s just interesting stuff to write about. If you have a movie with evil characters, people understand that the guy who made the movie doesn’t relate to those characters. If you have a horror novel with evil characters in it – like a horror novel that features a rapist or a killer or a molester – you understand that the author doesn’t relate to those characters, and isn’t espousing that type of behavior. Neither are we. [...] Death metal is a type of horror music, and we’re not saying that any of the characters in our songs are people that we admire.

Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse, [101]

The band's lyrics and song titles draw heavily on horror fiction, horror films and true crime. In the early years of the Florida death metal scene, the group was considered one of the most shocking and "least subtle" for its transgression of taste with its depiction of torture, murder, and mutilation, often in highly sexual, misogynistic and sadistic terms.[102][86][103] According to Alex Webster, "We saw that a lot of bands in Florida seemed to have more of a darker, anti-religion thing going on, so we decided to do the gore thing with the art and lyrics."[104] The band's lyrics have been characterized as "parading a revolting fascination with the human body," drawing comparisons to British extreme metal band Carcass, albeit "with a vividly cinematic perspective."[105] Loudwire wrote that "it's hard to think of any other band so hyper-focused on tales of people getting killed in gruesome ways."[106] George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher stated that the band does not sing about religion or politics, and described the band's songs as "short stories" that could be converted into horror films. He said, "We like gruesome, scary movies, and we want the lyrics to be like that."[107] According to Webster: "Just by watching the news you can find plenty of inspiration – and then on top of that, you’ve got all the great horror movies and novels out there. There’s an unlimited amount of bad things happening in the world, real and imagined, so it’s not too hard for us to come up with stuff."[36] Guitarist Rob Barrett has expressed his belief that the lyrical possibilities in death metal are "endless," and that limitations within the artform are nonexistent. He joked that "there's all [sorts of] new ways to talk about maming and killing and torturing."[108]

Following the dismissal of Chris Barnes, drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz assumed many duties related to composing lyrics and vocal cadences.

The lyrics of original vocalist Chris Barnes have been described as "ludicrously over the top."[109] Examples of macabre song titles from the band's early releases include “Entrails Ripped From a Virgin’s Cunt,” “Fucked With a Knife,” "Addicted to Vaginal Skin," "Meat Hook Sodomy" and “Post Mortal Ejaculation.” According to sociologist Natalie J. Purcell: "the lyrics of these songs contain terrifying lines describing morbid urges to slaughter and sexually exploit others, particularly the weak. Perhaps these songs are especially disturbing because they relate such tales from the perspective of the perpetrator."[110] In his review of The Bleeding, Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic explained that "it's worth noting for novices that this stuff isn't for the lighthearted and shouldn't be taken too seriously, even if songs titles like 'She Was Asking for It' perhaps go too far, even for this genre."[111] Webster explained: "We’re not trying to make a happy story; we’re trying to make a negative, frightening story, and that requires sometimes very disturbing imagery. Chris never wanted to limit [himself], and he didn’t. You can see it in the lyrics that he wrote. He had no limits and some of it is really disturbing for that reason, but it’s what he felt he needed to do."[112]

The band has stated that many of their song titles are made first, with the lyrical pieces being written around them.[83][113]

### Influences

[edit]

The members of the band were originally inspired by thrash metal bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Testament,[114] Dark Angel,[115] S.O.D., Sadus, Sodom, Kreator, D.R.I. and Sacrifice, and early death metal bands such as Deicide,[5] Possessed, Autopsy, Napalm Death,[115] Morbid Angel and Death.[116][117][118] Both former vocalist Chris Barnes and current vocalist George Fisher have cited late Death vocalist Chuck Schuldiner as a major influence in their development as vocalists.[119] Jack Owen also stated that he was influenced by Bay Area thrash bands such as Exodus in the beginning, and also stated that the band was influenced by Napalm Death and Sepultura.[120][121] Webster has stated that the band was fond of early black metal bands such as Venom and Bathory in its early days as well, and Owen cited Celtic Frost as an early influence.[4][121] Drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz said, "Nothing inspired me other than what we were doing. We were narrow-minded in those days. If it wasn't death metal, we weren't listening to it."[122] On Tomb of the Mutilated, the band began drawing more technical and progressive influences from Florida death metal acts such as Atheist and Cynic.[123] On the Hammer Smashed Face EP, the band paid tribute to English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, covering the song "Zero the Hero" from their 1983 album Born Again.

## Impact and legacy

[edit]

Alex Distefano of OC Weekly said Cannibal Corpse are "hands down, the undisputed kings of death metal."[124] Quentin Thane Singer of Forbes said Cannibal Corpse are "by and large the face of the death metal sub-genre" and "one of metal’s most notorious and celebrated bands."[125] Cannibal Corpse has been called "one of metal's goriest, most vile outfits."[126] MusicRadar included the band on the site's list of the "scariest" bands or artists.[127] Greg Prato of AllMusic said, "For the most part, as far as the genre of death metal goes, there is Cannibal Corpse, and there is a bunch of copycats."[93] Bands known for emulating the band's sound during the 1990s have been dubbed "Cannibal Clones" by some publications. According to Chris Dick of Decibel, "I used to get alot of demos back then and 9 out of 10 bands clearly had listened to Tomb of the Mutilated."[120] Cannibal Corpse has been cited as an influence by extreme metal and heavy metal bands of numerous subgenres, including The Black Dahlia Murder, Disgorge, Whitechapel, All Shall Perish, Suicide Silence, Carnifex, Slipknot, As I Lay Dying, All That Remains[128] and Escape the Fate.

Jordan Blum of Loudwire named Cannibal Corpse as one of the "Big Four" of death metal along with Death, Morbid Angel and The Black Dahlia Murder, and said the band were "perhaps the most widely memed group in [the genre]."[129]

According to Jon Weiderhorn of Loudwire, Cannibal Corpse was influential in the development of the "even more extreme" style of death metal, goregrind.[130]

## Controversy and censorship

[edit]

> "[The controversy] actually almost got me killed at gunpoint in 1994 before a show in East L.A. Some gang members came on the bus and told me they didn't like my lyrics. One of them had just got out of San Quentin, and he had a .38 [caliber] stuffed into his belt lining. He said, 'We're gonna kill you if you keep writing about this stuff.' I just tried to talk to him calmly and say, 'Hey, I respect your opinion,' but it was pretty scary. Luckily, we had a really good tour manager, who somehow got those guys off the bus."

\- Chris Barnes interviewed by Revolver [131]

Cannibal Corpse's lyrics, song titles, album covers and merchandise artwork frequently feature transgressive and macabre imagery, including depictions of extreme violence. Throughout their career, the band has consistently defended the violent imagery in their work as simply artistic expression that is clearly fictional. Joel McIver of The Quietus wrote, "Almost as depressing as the song themes is the regularity with which the members of Cannibal Corpse have been forced to explain that a) no, they don’t take their violent lyrics seriously, b) no, they don’t advise that anyone tries these things at home and c) no, they themselves are not violent or in any way generally extreme as human beings."[132] Bassist Alex Webster commented, "most Western music is people singing from the heart — singing to a girlfriend, so a lot of people are freaked out by our songs".[133] The band's album covers are watercolor paintings (most often done by comic book artist Vincent Locke) that draw heavily on horror fiction and horror films, and are highly controversial. At various points in the band's career, several countries, such as Germany and Russia, have banned the group from performing within their borders, or have banned the sale and display of original Cannibal Corpse album covers.[134][135]

Webster recalled, "It got to the point where it entered global politics. That's something I never imagined, and I never heard [Senator] Joe Lieberman actually say these words, but he said this about us: "[Cannibal Corpse] is deplorable. They have a song about having sex with a severed head." I wish I could have heard him say that shit. I'd love that sound bite."[104] Vocalist George Fisher recalled, "people were bitching us out on TV but it was like ‘cool, you’re not hurting us and you’re telling millions of people who we are’ – good job."[citation needed] Original vocalist Chris Barnes, who wrote the lyrics to the band's first four albums, said: "I never did anything for controversy. That was more a nuisance. I wanted to just write something that was exciting to me. Controversy was secondary."[136] According to Metal Blade Records president Brian Slagel, "there were times in Europe that were really scary, to the point where the local government said if they played their songs then [they] would arrest them immediately."[137] Webster stated: "I think for our band in particular, a lot of the reason we have so much trouble is [because] we're so visible. I mean, there's a lot of great gore death metal bands out there that have lyrics that are even worse than what we do – which therefore means they're better – but they're just not as well known as us, so we catch a lot more heat."[138]

> The things we sing about in this band are incredibly brutal and negative -- we want everything in this band to be brutal and negative. Really. And that might sound strange to the average person, but it's what we want. You know, that's the way to make it effective death metal and to effectively capture the emotion we're going for. If you're gonna make music that sounds aggressive and hateful, then [obviously] the lyrics should also be aggressive and hateful. It makes complete sense to me. And if it's something that is about something negative, but it makes you feel good when you're done listening to it, and no one's been harmed by doing that, then there's nothing wrong with it at all. [...] I mean, we're not too surprised that people want to censor us, because most of the people who are in political offices [...] they were teenagers when Elvis was being censored for moving his hips around on Sullivan's Show. So people who grew up with that -- what are they going to think of a band that sings about eating people?

Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse in the Making of the Wretched Spawn documentary [139]

Current vocalist George Fisher has explained that death metal is best understood as "art" and claims that far more violent art can be found at the Vatican; he expressed his belief that such depictions of violence are arguably more transgressive – as they actually happened.[140] On the same topic, George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher stated the band does not sing about religion or politics, and that the band's songs are simply "short stories" that could be converted into horror films: "Really, that's all it is. We like gruesome, scary movies, and we want the lyrics to be like that. Yeah, it's about killing people, but it's not promoting it at all. Basically these are fictional stories, and that's it. And anyone who gets upset about it is ridiculous."[141] Webster also said, "It's not like we're maniacs. People from outside the death metal scene get a little spooked sometimes because they just don't understand we're just doing this for entertainment. It's really ugly entertainment, but if we enjoy it, and it's harmless, why not?"[142]

In response to accusations that his band's lyrics desensitize people to violence, Alex Webster argued death metal fans enjoy the music only because they know the violence depicted in its lyrics is not real: "If you really saw someone get their brains bashed in right in front of you, I think it would have a pretty dramatic impact [...] you'd react to it, no matter how many movies you've watched or how much gore metal you've listened to [...] even though we've got crazy entertainment now, our social realities are actually a bit more civilized than they were back then [...] we're not hanging people or whipping them in the street and I think that's positive improvement for any society".[143] He also believes the violent lyrics can have positive value, saying "it's good to have anger music as a release."[144]

George Fisher has dismissed the notion that extreme music "[undermines] the youth," sarcastically saying, "yeah, because we want people to get arrested and not come to our shows. We want regular jobs – great plan!”[citation needed] He further explained, "there's nothing ever serious. We're not thinking of anybody in particular that we're trying to kill, or harm or anything."[145] When pressed on his personal feelings in regard to performing some of Barnes' more extreme lyrics, being the father of two daughters, he assessed, "If one of my daughters went to college and was raped or something [...] would I then want to play those songs on stage? I don’t know. I’d have to cross that bridge. I can understand how some people would be like, “If it’s happening with you and your daughters, you should feel that uncomfortable with everybody,” and I don't have a problem with at least listening to people's opinions about it."[146]

### United States

[edit]

Cannibal Corpse have been subject to obscenity controversy since virtually the beginning of their career.

In May 1995, then-US Senator Bob Dole accused Cannibal Corpse—along with hip hop acts including the Geto Boys and 2 Live Crew—of undermining the national character of the United States.[147] A year later, the band came under fire again, this time as part of a campaign by William Bennett, Senator Joe Lieberman, then-Senator Sam Nunn, and National Congress of Black Women chair C. Delores Tucker to get major record labels—including Time Warner, Sony, Thorn-EMI, PolyGram and Bertelsmann—to "dump 20 recording groups [...] responsible for the most offensive lyrics".[148]

### Australia

[edit]

Further information: Censorship in Australia

As of October 23, 1996, the sale of any Cannibal Corpse audio recording then available was banned in Australia and all copies of such had been removed from music shops.[149] At the time, the Australian Recording Industry Association and the Australian Music Retailers Association were implementing a system for identifying potentially offensive records, known as the "labelling code of practice".[150][151]

All ten of Cannibal Corpse's albums, the live album Live Cannibalism, the boxed set 15 Year Killing Spree, the EP Worm Infested, and the single "Hammer Smashed Face" were re-released in Australia between 2006 and 2007, finally classified by ARIA and allowed for sale in Australia. However, they are all "restricted" and only sold to those over 18 years of age. Some are sold in "censored" and "uncensored" editions, which denotes the change of cover art.[152] Despite this, when displayed in some stores, even the "uncensored" editions are censored manually.[citation needed]

After discussion of banning them from touring, Australian comedy act The Chaser did a lounge music version of their song "Rancid Amputation" on their show The Chaser's War on Everything, arguing that being able to perform the same song as lounge music on television proves that the music, and not the lyrics, is the problem.[153]

### Germany

[edit]

In Germany, numerous albums have been indexed by the Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media, which means that these albums may only be offered and sold to adults and must disappear from regular retail outlets.[154]

* Eaten Back to Life (1990), on the index since August 1995[155]
* Tomb of the Mutilated (1992), on the index since November 1995[155]
* Hammer Smashed Face EP (1993), on the index since November 1995[155]
* Worm Infested EP (2003), on the index since January 2005[155]
* Evisceration Plague (2009), on the index since April 2010[155]

The indexed songs may only be played in front of an adult audience and the organizer must ensure that no minors attend the event by means of an age check.

Some albums have even been confiscated by the courts and may no longer even be sold to adults.[156][157]

* Butchered at Birth (1991), on the index since October 1991,[155][158] confiscated since 1994[159]
* Created to Kill (2000, a bootleg release consisting of demo recordings), on the index since August 2011,[160] confiscated since November 2012[161]
* Torture (2012), on the index since December 2012,[162] confiscated since December 2013[163]
* Vile (1996), on the index since September 2015,[164] confiscated since July 2017[165]

In a 2004 interview, George Fisher attempted to recall what originally provoked the ban: "A woman saw someone wearing one of our shirts, I think she is a schoolteacher, and she just caused this big stink about it. So [now] we can't play anything from the first three records. And it really sucks because kids come up and they want us to play all the old songs — and we would — but they know the deal. We can't play 'Born in a Casket' but can play 'Dismembered and Molested'."[166]

In a 2019 interview with Christa Jenal, the teacher behind the numerous banning proceedings, spoke about the band: "I have been dealing with the potential for brutalization in society for decades. In this context, I came across the band around 25 years ago because, as a teacher, I saw pupils wearing T-shirts depicting babies on grappling hooks. They were freely available on the market at the time. I've been educating people ever since. Cannibal Corpse is not the only band, but I see it as symptomatic of how far things can go when state institutions turn a blind eye.[167]

### Russia

[edit]

Six of the eight planned shows from the band's 2014 Russian tour were canceled after protests from local Orthodox activists. A month before the tour, religious activist Dimitry Tsorionov said Cannibal Corpse's music was punishable under Russian law because it "incites religious division." He commented unfavorably on the lyrics, saying they promoted "death, violence, as well as various kinds of sexual perversion."[168] The gig in Nizhny Novgorod was stopped halfway through the set, after police conducted a search for drugs at the venue.[169] The concert in Saint Petersburg was canceled at the last minute because of unspecified "technical reasons", OMON arrived shortly after and arrested eighteen concertgoers.[170] Cannibal Corpse members stated that Russian authorities threatened to detain the members if they performed because they did not have the correct work visas.[169]

## Band members

[edit]

* Cannibal Corpse at Rockharz Open Air 2018
* Alex Webster

* Paul Mazurkiewicz

* George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher

* Pat O'Brien

* Rob Barrett

Current members[102][171][172]

* Alex Webster – bass (1988–present)
* Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums (1988–present)
* Rob Barrett – guitar (1993–1997, 2005–present)
* George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher – vocals (1995–present)
* Erik Rutan – guitar, backing vocals (2021–present; touring 2019–2021)

Former members

* Jack Owen – guitar (1988–2004)
* Chris Barnes – vocals (1988–1995)
* Bob Rusay – guitar (1988–1993)
* Pat O'Brien – guitar (1997–2021; inactive 2018–2021)
* Jeremy Turner – guitar (2004–2005; touring)

|

Timeline

Recording timeline

Role  | Album

|

Eaten Back to Life
(1990) | Butchered at Birth
(1991) | Tomb of the Mutilated
(1992) | The Bleeding
(1994) | Vile
(1996) | Gallery of Suicide
(1998) | Bloodthirst
(1999) | Gore Obsessed
(2002) | The Wretched Spawn
(2004) | Kill
(2006) | Evisceration Plague
(2009) | Torture
(2012) | A Skeletal Domain
(2014) | Red Before Black
(2017) | Violence Unimagined
(2021) | Chaos Horrific
(2023)
Vocals  | Chris Barnes | George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher
Guitar  | Bob Rusay  | Rob Barrett | Pat O'Brien | Erik Rutan
Guitar  | Jack Owen | Rob Barrett
Bass  | Alex Webster
Drums  | Paul Mazurkiewicz

## Discography

[edit]

Main article: Cannibal Corpse discography

Studio albums

* Eaten Back to Life (1990)
* Butchered at Birth (1991)
* Tomb of the Mutilated (1992)
* The Bleeding (1994)
* Vile (1996)
* Gallery of Suicide (1998)
* Bloodthirst (1999)
* Gore Obsessed (2002)
* The Wretched Spawn (2004)
* Kill (2006)
* Evisceration Plague (2009)
* Torture (2012)
* A Skeletal Domain (2014)
* Red Before Black (2017)
* Violence Unimagined (2021)
* Chaos Horrific (2023)

## See also

[edit]

* Rock music portal
* United States portal
* New York (state) portal
* Florida portal

* Cannabis Corpse

## References

[edit]

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## External links

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Wikiquote has quotations related to Cannibal Corpse.

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* Official website
* Cannibal Corpse discography at Discogs

* v
* t
* e

Cannibal Corpse

* Alex Webster
* Paul Mazurkiewicz
* Rob Barrett
* George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher
* Erik Rutan

* Bob Rusay
* Chris Barnes
* Jack Owen
* Pat O'Brien

Studio albums|

* Eaten Back to Life
* Butchered at Birth
* Tomb of the Mutilated
* The Bleeding
* Vile
* Gallery of Suicide
* Bloodthirst
* Gore Obsessed
* The Wretched Spawn
* Kill
* Evisceration Plague
* Torture
* A Skeletal Domain
* Red Before Black
* Violence Unimagined
* Chaos Horrific

Live albums|

* Live Cannibalism

EPs|

* Hammer Smashed Face

Box sets|

* 15 Year Killing Spree

Video albums|

* Monolith of Death Tour '96–'97
* Live Cannibalism
* Centuries of Torment: The First 20 Years
* Global Evisceration

Related articles|

* Discography
* Six Feet Under
* Monstrosity
* Malevolent Creation
* Deicide
* Paths of Possession
* Serpentine Dominion
* Vince Locke

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International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Czech Republic

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

Other|

* IdRef

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