View source for Cannibal Corpse

{{Short description|American death metal band}}
{{protection padlock|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Cannibal Corpse
| image             = Cannibal Corpse - 2024275215746 2024-10-01 Cannibal Corpse - Sven - 1D X MK II - 1306 - B70I6884.jpg
| image_size        = 
| landscape         = yes
| alt               = 
| caption           = Cannibal Corpse performing at [[Heidelberg]], [[Baden-Württemberg]], Germany in October 2024
| origin            = [[Buffalo, New York]], U.S.
| genre             = {{flatlist|
* [[Death metal]]
* [[brutal death metal]]
}}
| discography       = [[Cannibal Corpse discography]]
| years_active      = 1988–present
| label             = [[Metal Blade Records|Metal Blade]]
| spinoffs          = {{flatlist|
* [[Six Feet Under (band)|Six Feet Under]]
* [[Paths of Possession]]
* [[Voodoo Gods]]
* [[Serpentine Dominion]]
* [[Blotted Science]]
* [[Conquering Dystopia]]
}}
| website           = {{URL|cannibalcorpse.net}}
| current_members   = * [[Alex Webster]]
* [[Paul Mazurkiewicz]]
* [[Rob Barrett]]
* [[George Fisher (musician)|George Fisher]]
* [[Erik Rutan]]
| past_members      = * [[Chris Barnes (musician)|Chris Barnes]]
* [[Jack Owen]]
* Bob Rusay
* [[Pat O'Brien (guitarist)|Pat O'Brien]]
}}

'''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.<ref name="2 Million Mark">{{cite web|title=Cannibal Corpse Awarded With Plaque Signifying Sales of More Than Two Million|date=February 12, 2015|publisher=[[Ultimate Guitar Archive]]|url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/cannibal_corpse_awarded_with_plaque_signifying_sales_of_more_than_two_million.html|access-date=February 13, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/it-s-official-cannibal-corpse-are-the-top-selling-death-metal-band-of-the-soundscan-era/|title=It's Official: CANNIBAL CORPSE Are The Top-Selling Death Metal Band Of The SoundScan Era|date=2003-11-17|website=Blabbermouth.net|access-date=2018-01-22|language=en-US}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cannibal Corpse enter Top 10 at no. 6 |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9564150/eric-church-third-no-1-billboard-top-album-sales-chart-heart |website=Billboard.com |access-date=29 April 2021}}</ref>

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 (musician)|George Fisher]], and guitarists [[Rob Barrett]] and [[Erik Rutan]].

==History==
===Formation and self-titled demo (1988–1989)===
[[File:Chris Barnes.jpg|left|thumb|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.|300x300px]]
Cannibal Corpse was formed in December 1988 when members from recently disbanded [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]]-area death metal bands Beyond Death ([[Alex Webster]] and [[Jack Owen]]) and Tirant Sin ([[Paul Mazurkiewicz]], [[Chris Barnes (musician)|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".<ref name="loudersound.com" /><ref name="disposableunderground.com">{{cite web | url=https://disposableunderground.com/cannibal-corpse-interview-with-chris-barnes-from-the-vault/ | title=Go back in time with Chris Barnes to the "Eaten Back to Life" album | date=October 28, 2020 }}</ref>

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 (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 [[Blood Feast (band)|Bloodfeast]], [[The Accüsed]], [[Death (metal band)|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."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim! |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/cannibal_corpse-staring_through_eyes_of_banned |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim! |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Talk Today: Cannibal Corpse: Jack Owen|work=[[USA Today]]|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|date=March 22, 2001|url=https://www.usatoday.com/community/chat/2001-03-22-cannibal.htm|access-date=February 5, 2009}}</ref><ref name="loudersound.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/cannibal-corpse-death-metal-history-interview-2012 | title=Blood, guts and Jim Carrey: How Cannibal Corpse became death metal's first million selling band | date=March 13, 2024 }}</ref><ref name="Metal Blade Records">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGPot3rP53o&t=3153s |title=Cannibal Corpse - Centuries of Torment - DVD 1 - History (OFFICIAL) |date=2013-11-20 |access-date=2025-01-23 |via=YouTube}}</ref> 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."<ref name="Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim!">{{Cite web |title=Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim! |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/cannibal_corpse-staring_through_eyes_of_banned |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim! |language=en}}</ref>

===''Eaten Back to Life'' and ''Butchered at Birth'' (1990–1991)===
{{main|Eaten Back to Life|Butchered at Birth}}
[[File:Cannibal_Corpse_1.png|thumb|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.<ref name="Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim!" /> Inspired by and seeking the new commercial and recording opportunities of the then-emerging [[Florida death metal]] scene, the band relocated to Tampa.<ref name=":02">{{cite web|last1=Stevenson|first1=Arielle|date=October 22, 2009|title=The way the music died: The earliest days of Tampa Death Metal|url=http://www.tampabay.com/features/music/the-way-the-music-died-the-earliest-days-of-tampa-death-metal/1046088|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027025354/https://www.tampabay.com/features/music/the-way-the-music-died-the-earliest-days-of-tampa-death-metal/1046088/|archive-date=October 27, 2009|website=[[Tampa Bay Times]]|publisher=[[Times Publishing Company]]|access-date=April 26, 2016}}</ref> 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."<ref name="loudersound.com" /> The band members quit their day jobs and dropped out of college during this time.<ref name="Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim!" /><ref name="Metal Blade Records" />

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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dick |first1=Chris |title=Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces |publisher=McFarland |pages=154–155}}</ref>

Cannibal Corpse soon reformed and toured Europe with [[Atheist (band)|Atheist]] and [[Gorguts]] in early 1992. That same year, the band toured with [[Obituary (band)|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. Barrett said: "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."<ref name="nysmusic.com">{{Cite web |date=2014-08-04 |title=Interview: Rob Barrett of Death Metal Legends, Cannibal Corpse |url=https://nysmusic.com/2014/08/04/interview-rob-barrett-of-death-metal-legends-cannibal-corpse/ |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=NYS Music |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pratt |first=Greg |date=2019-01-31 |title=That Tour Was Awesome: Complete Control (1992) |url=https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2019/01/31/that-tour-was-awesome-complete-control-1992/ |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=Decibel Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

===''Tomb of the Mutilated'' and dismissal of Bob Rusay (1992–1993)===
{{Main|Tomb of the Mutilated}}
{{Quote box
| quote = 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.
| source = Original Cannibal Corpse guitarist Bob Rusay recounting his dismissal in the book ''Precious Metal'', as quoted by Chris Dick of ''[[Decibel (magazine)|Decibel]]'' (2008) <ref>Dick, Chris. ''Precious Metal'' (2008). Da Capo Press. page 160-161</ref>
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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."<ref name="allmusic.com">{{Citation |title=Tomb of the Mutilated - Cannibal Corpse {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/tomb-of-the-mutilated-mw0000119495 |access-date=2025-01-03 |language=en}}</ref>

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."<ref>{{cite web|last=Pratt|first=Greg|title=Cannibal Corpse Staring through the Eyes of the Banned|publisher=exclaim.ca|year=2012|url=http://exclaim.ca/Features/Timeline/cannibal_corpse-staring_through_eyes_of_banned/Page/2|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130719192214/http://exclaim.ca/Features/Timeline/cannibal_corpse-staring_through_eyes_of_banned/Page/2|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-07-19}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjdjCFoudGs&t=212s |title=an interview with CANNIBAL CORPSE at Milwaukee Metalfest from July 31, 1993 |date=2025-02-22 |access-date=2025-03-14 |via=YouTube}}</ref>[[File:Cannibal_Corpse_Full_Force_2019_05.jpg|thumb|300x300px|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 (guitarist)|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 [[Violence|that way]] instead of talking it out. That was something to think about. He could have found us if he wanted."<ref name=":1" />

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.<ref name=":1" />

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: The First 20 Years|''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 instruction|golf instructor]].<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LoeWc41ios |title=Chris Barnes explains his vocal change on The Bleeding by Cannibal Corpse |date=2025-01-06  |access-date=2025-01-20 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Dick |first=Chris |title=Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces |publisher=Da Capo Press |publication-date=July 14, 2009 |pages=161–162}}</ref><ref>Cannibal Corpse: Centuries of Torment</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGPot3rP53o&t=3153s |title=Cannibal Corpse - Centuries of Torment - DVD 1 - History (OFFICIAL) |date=2013-11-20 |access-date=2025-01-20 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pasbani |first=Robert |date=2013-08-21 |title=Did You Know That Founding CANNIBAL CORPSE Guitarist Bob Rusay Is A Golf Instructor Now? |url=https://metalinjection.net/shocking-revelations/did-you-know-that-founding-cannibal-corpse-guitarist-bob-rusay-is-a-golf-instructor-now |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Metal Injection |language=en-US}}</ref>

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.<ref name="nysmusic.com"/> In an interview at Milwaukee Metalfest in 1993, Barrett said: "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?"<ref name="auto1"/>

===''Ace Ventura'' cameo and ''The Bleeding'' (1994)===
{{Expand section|date=August 2025}}{{Main|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]]".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pasbani |first1=Robert |title=CANNIBAL CORPSE Almost Turned Down Working with Jim Carrey on Ace Ventura |date=February 11, 2015 |url=https://metalinjection.net/at-the-movies/cannibal-corpse-almost-turned-down-working-with-jim-carrey-on-ace-ventura#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20all%20time,greats%20through%20the%20wacky%20comedy. |publisher=Metal Injection |access-date=17 January 2025}}</ref>

The band released their fourth studio album ''[[The Bleeding (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.”<ref name="Domepublished">{{Cite web |last=Dome |first=Malcolm |date=2024-08-16 |title="We knew Chris Barnes had to go. We phoned him on the road and said, 'Dude, you're out.' It was as simple as that": How Cannibal Corpse made 90s death metal classic Vile and ended up in the US charts |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/cannibal-corpse-vile-story-behind-album |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=louder |language=en}}</ref>

After ''The Bleeding's'' touring cycle had concluded, Barrett convinced the rest of the band to relocate to Florida.<ref>{{Cite web  |date=2023-11-07 |title=Inside CANNIBAL CORPSE's 1995 Decision To Fire CHRIS BARNES |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/inside-cannibal-corpses-1995-decision-to-fire-chris-barnes |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=Blabbermouth.net |language=en}}</ref> Barnes stated in a 2025 interview that he was not given a say in this decision.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW7d4ilEy30&t=4379s |title=SIX FEET UNDER {{!}} Chris Barnes: Cannibal Corpse, Horror & Death Metal Legacy {{!}} Garza Podcast 164 |date=2025-02-17 |access-date=2025-03-14 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

===Dismissal of Chris Barnes ''and Vile'' (1995–1996)===
{{Main|Vile (album)|Six Feet Under (band)}}
[[Image:Cannibal Corpse 2.png|thumb|The band's current logo, in use since 1995.|300x300px]]
[[File:George Fisher 02.jpg|left|thumb|Former [[Monstrosity (band)|Monstrosity]] vocalist [[George Fisher (musician)|George Fisher]] replaced original vocalist [[Chris Barnes (musician)|Chris Barnes]] in 1995]]
In 1995, during recording sessions for their fifth album [[Vile (album)|''Vile'']], singer [[Chris Barnes (musician)|Chris Barnes]] was dismissed from the band while on tour with [[Six Feet Under (band)|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roughedge.com/features/sixfeetunder0701a.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080316020336/http://www.roughedge.com/features/sixfeetunder0701a.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 16, 2008|title=Six Feet Under Interview with Chris Barnes|date=March 16, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGPot3rP53o&t=3153s |title=Cannibal Corpse - Centuries of Torment - DVD 1 - History (OFFICIAL) |date=2013-11-20 |access-date=2025-01-21 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref name="Domepublished"/>

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."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-11 |title=CHRIS BARNES Admits He Was Responsible For Most Of The Tension In CANNIBAL CORPSE During His Time With The Band |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/chris-barnes-admits-he-was-responsible-for-most-of-the-tension-in-cannibal-corpse-during-his-time-with-the-band |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Blabbermouth.net|language=en}}</ref>
Barnes was replaced by [[Monstrosity (band)|Monstrosity]] singer [[George Fisher (musician)|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 [<nowiki/>[[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."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-04-01 |title=The Moshville Times - Interview Archive: Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse) |url=https://www.moshville.co.uk/interview/2013/04/interview-archive-alex-webster-cannibal-corpse/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=The Moshville Times |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="Domepublished" />[[File:Deicide band 010.jpg|thumb|275x275px|Original guitarist [[Jack Owen]] left the band in 2004, and was replaced by former guitarist Rob Barrett. Owen would go on to join [[Deicide (band)|Deicide]] and later [[Six Feet Under (band)|Six Feet Under]].]]According to producer [[Scott Burns (record 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."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kennelty |first=Greg |date=2023-11-07 |title=CANNIBAL CORPSE & SCOTT BURNS Dive Deep Into The Failed 1995 Album Created To Kill |url=https://metalinjection.net/news/cannibal-corpse-scott-burns-dive-deep-into-the-failed-1995-album-created-to-kill |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=Metal Injection |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Pat O'Brien.jpg|left|thumb|[[Pat O'Brien (guitarist)|Pat O'Brien]], formerly of [[Nevermore]], replaced [[Rob Barrett]] on guitar following his departure from the band in 1997.]]
The band released their fifth album [[Vile (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."<ref name="Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim!" />

The band toured North America with [[Misfits (band)|Misfits]], [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]] and [[Life of Agony]] in 1996.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-Vq68ShfTw |title=Cannibal Corpse on Tour with Misfits, Anthrax and Life of Agony in 1996 |date=2025-03-19 |access-date=2025-05-20 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

Barnes went on to perform with the band [[Six Feet Under (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. 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."<ref name="Domepublished" />

===''Gallery of Suicide, Bloodthirst and Gore Obsessed'' (1997–2003)===
{{Main|Gallery of Suicide|The Wretched Spawn}}
In February 1997, Rob Barrett left Cannibal Corpse due to musical differences and rejoined his previous bands [[Malevolent Creation]], [[Solstice (US band)|Solstice]], and HatePlow. Pat O'Brien replaced Barrett on guitar.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /> He had been recommended to the band by their soundperson, as well as by [[Steve Tucker (musician)|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 [[party]]ing!"<ref name="McIverpublished">{{Cite web |last=McIver |first=Joel |date=2024-12-28 |title="There's an unlimited amount of bad things happening in the world, real and imagined. It's not hard for us to come up with stuff": The story of Cannibal Corpse's Gallery Of Suicide, the album that helped keep 90s death metal alive |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/cannibal-corpse-gallery-of-suicide-story-behind-album |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Louder |language=en}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Citation |title=Gallery of Suicide - Cannibal Corpse {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/gallery-of-suicide-mw0000036144 |access-date=2025-05-14 |language=en}}</ref> The album proved popular with fans of [[black metal]], and Cannibal Corpse would ultimately tour with Swedish bands [[Marduk (band)|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 (band)|Sodom]], [[Kreator]], [[Celtic Frost]] and [[Possessed (band)|Possessed]], so there was no reason why they couldn’t tour together, and that worked out really well."<ref name="McIverpublished"/>

The band's seventh studio album, ''[[Bloodthirst (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."<ref>{{Citation |title=Bloodthirst - Cannibal Corpse {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/bloodthirst-mw0000256178 |access-date=2025-05-14 |language=en}}</ref>

The band's first live album, ''[[Live Cannibalism]]'', was released on September 26, 2000.<ref>{{Citation |title=Live Cannibalism - Cannibal Corpse {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-cannibalism-mw0000618881 |access-date=2025-05-14 |language=en}}</ref>

The band's eighth studio album, ''[[Gore Obsessed]]'', was released on February 26, 2002.<ref>{{Citation |title=Gore Obsessed - Cannibal Corpse {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/gore-obsessed-mw0000218220 |access-date=2025-05-14 |language=en}}</ref>

The band toured the US during the winter of 2004 with [[Hypocrisy (band)|Hypocrisy]], [[Exhumed (band)|Exhumed]] and [[Vile (band)|Vile]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2003-12-18 |title=CANNIBAL CORPSE, HYPOCRISY: U.S. Tour Dates Announced |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/cannibal-corpse-hypocrisy-u-s-tour-dates-announced#google_vignette |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Blabbermouth.net|language=en}}</ref>

===''The Wretched Spawn'', departure of Jack Owen and return of Rob Barrett (2004–2005)===
The band's ninth studio album ''[[The Wretched Spawn]]'' was released on February 24, 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Wretched Spawn - Cannibal Corpse {{!}} Album |website=[[AllMusic]] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000324069 |access-date=2025-05-21 |language=en}}</ref>

Founding guitarist [[Jack Owen]] left Cannibal Corpse in 2004 to spend more time on his second band, [[Adrift (band)|Adrift]], and also joined [[Deicide (band)|Deicide]] in late 2004. [[Jeremy Turner (guitarist)|Jeremy Turner]] of [[Origin (metal band)|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: The First 20 Years|Centuries of Torment]]'' documentary that she discouraged his decision to leave the band in the first place.<ref name=":4">{{cite web|url=https://www.metallian.com/cannibalcorpse.php|title=Cannibal Corpse Biography|website=metallian|access-date=August 1, 2022|date=August 1, 2022}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Cannibal Corpse Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & ... |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cannibal-corpse-mn0000545534#biography |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGPot3rP53o&t=2413s |title=Cannibal Corpse - Centuries of Torment - DVD 1 - History (OFFICIAL) |date=2013-11-20 |access-date=2025-05-20 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

===''Kill'' and ''Evisceration Plague'' (2006–2011)===
{{main|Kill (Cannibal Corpse album)|Evisceration Plague}}
The band's tenth studio album ''[[Kill (Cannibal Corpse album)|Kill]]'' was released on March 21, 2006,<ref>{{Citation |title=Kill - Cannibal Corpse {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/kill-mw0000508370 |access-date=2025-05-14 |language=en}}</ref> 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 (band)|Behemoth]] and [[In Flames]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-02-17 |title=Sounds of the Underground 2006 to feature As I Lay Dying, In Flames, The Chariot, Terror |url=https://www.punknews.org/article/15807/sounds-of-the-underground-2006-to-feature-as-i-lay-dying-in-flames-the-chariot-terror |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=Punknews.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web  |date=2006-04-04 |title=SOUNDS OF THE UNDERGROUND: Tour Dates Announced |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/sounds-of-the-underground-tour-dates-announced |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Blabbermouth.net |language=en}}</ref> The band also embarked on a headlining tour alongside [[Necrophagist]] and [[Dying Fetus]] in late 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=23209|title=Interview with Paul Mazurkiewicz of Cannibal Corpse|website=Metalunderground.com|access-date=August 27, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web  |date=2006-08-23 |title=CANNIBAL CORPSE, DYING FETUS, NECROPHAGIST: More North American Tour Dates Announced |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/cannibal-corpse-dying-fetus-necrophagist-more-north-american-tour-dates-announced |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Blabbermouth.net|language=en}}</ref>

Writing for the follow-up to ''[[Kill (Cannibal Corpse album)|Kill]]'' began in November 2007, as indicated in an interview with bassist [[Alex Webster]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Cannibal Corpse to begin writing new album in November|date=March 8, 2007|website=Blabbermouth.net|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=68428|access-date=March 8, 2007}}</ref>  ''[[Evisceration Plague]]'', Cannibal Corpse's eleventh studio album, was released on February 3, 2009,<ref name="prefix">{{cite web|last=Rosenbloom|first=Etan|title=Cannibal Corpse: Evisceration Plague (New Album)|work=Prefix|publisher=Prefix Media, LLC|date=January 2009|url=http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/cannibal-corpse/evisceration-plague/24260/|access-date=February 6, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123075824/http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/cannibal-corpse/evisceration-plague/24260/|archive-date=January 23, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> 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 (band)|Behemoth]], [[Job for a Cowboy|Job For a Cowboy]] and [[The Black Dahlia Murder (band)|The Black Dahlia Murder]].<ref name=":6" /> The band then toured on the Decimation Of The Nation 2 tour along with [[Hatebreed]], [[Unearth]], [[Born of Osiris]] and [[Hate Eternal]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-09-09 |title=HATEBREED, CANNIBAL CORPSE, UNEARTH: Tour announced |url=https://metalinjection.net/tour-dates/hatebreed-cannibal-corpse-unearth-tour-announced |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Metal Injection |language=en-US}}</ref> Throughout 2010, the band played various festivals in Europe such as [[Wacken Open Air]], [[Full Force (music festival)|Full Force]] and [[Bloodstock Open Air|Bloodstock Festival]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Gavin |date=2024-03-03 |title=HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Evisceration Plague - Cannibal Corpse |url=https://distortedsoundmag.com/heavy-music-history-evisceration-plague-cannibal-corpse/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Distorted Sound Magazine |language=en-GB}}</ref> Following these festival appearances, the band toured the US during the spring of 2010 with Norwegian black metal band [[1349 (band)|1349]] and thrash metal band [[Skeletonwitch]].<ref>{{Cite web  |date=2010-02-15 |title=CANNIBAL CORPSE announce tour with 1349, SKELETONWITCH |url=https://metalinjection.net/tour-dates/cannibal-corpse-announce-tour-1349-skeletonwitch |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Metal Injection |language=en-US}}</ref> The band toured the US during the fall of 2010 with [[Dying Fetus]], [[Vital Remains]], and [[Devourment]].<ref>{{Cite web  |date=2010-08-10 |title=CANNIBAL CORPSE, DYING FETUS, VITAL REMAINS, DEVOURMENT join forces for most vulgar sounding tour package ever |url=https://metalinjection.net/news/cannibal-corpse-dying-fetus-vital-remains-devourment-join-forces-vulgar-sounding-tour-package |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Metal Injection |language=en-US}}</ref>

===''Torture'', ''A Skeletal Domain'' and ''Red Before Black'' (2012–2019)===
{{Main|Torture (album)|A Skeletal Domain|Red Before Black}}
[[File:Alex Webster mit Cannibal Corpse in Rostock, 2012.jpg|thumb|Bassist Alex Webster performing in [[Rostock]] in 2012|300x300px]]Cannibal Corpse released its twelfth studio album, ''[[Torture (album)|Torture]]'', in March 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=162880|title=Cannibal Corpse begins recording new album|date=September 6, 2011|website=Blabbermouth.net|access-date=September 6, 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metallian.com/cannibalcorpse.php|title=Cannibal Corpse History|website=metallian|access-date=August 1, 2022|date=August 1, 2022}}</ref> The band toured the US from late 2012 into early 2013 with [[Misery Index (band)|Misery Index]] and [[Hour of Penance]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=CANNIBAL CORPSE announces Fall headlining U.S. tour {{!}} Metal Blade Records |url=https://www.metalblade.com/us/news/cannibal-corpse-announces-fall-headlining-u-s-tour/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |language=en-US}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/cannibal-corpse-to-begin-recording-new-album-this-weekend/|title=Cannibal Corpse to begin recording new album this weekend|date=February 13, 2014|website=Blabbermouth.net|access-date=February 14, 2014}}</ref> The same month, Metal Blade announced the publication of the band's authorized biography ''Bible Of Butchery'', written by the British author [[Joel McIver]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Cannibal Corpse: Authorized Biography 'Bible Of Butchery' Due In September|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/cannibal-corpse-official-authorized-biography-bible-of-butchery-due-in-september/|website=Blabbermouth.net|date=July 3, 2014|access-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Cannibal Corpse 2019 Hellfest 007.jpg|left|thumb|George Fisher performing at Hellfest in 2019|300x300px]]

In an August 2016 interview, drummer [[Paul Mazurkiewicz]] stated that Cannibal Corpse would likely begin recording a new album in 2017.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cannibal Corpse Has No Problems Coming Up With New Material|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/cannibal-corpse-has-no-problems-coming-up-with-new-material/|website=Blabbermouth.net|date=August 13, 2016|access-date=August 13, 2016}}</ref> In September 2017, the band announced their fourteenth studio album ''[[Red Before Black]]'', which was released on November 3.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/cannibal-corpse-to-release-red-before-black-album-in-november-track-listing-artwork-unveiled/|title=CANNIBAL CORPSE To Release 'Red Before Black' Album In November; Track Listing, Artwork Unveiled|website=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|access-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref>

On December 10, 2018, guitarist Pat O'Brien was arrested for assault and battery; his bail was set at $50,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://metalinjection.net/metal-crimes/cannibal-corpse-guitarist-appears-in-court-wearing-anti-suicide-vest-bail-set-at-50000-pending-drug-test|title=CANNIBAL CORPSE Guitarist Appears In Court Wearing Anti-Suicide Vest, Bail Set At $50,000 Pending Drug Test|date=December 11, 2018|website=Metalinjection.net|access-date=November 13, 2019}}</ref> On the eve of the news of his arrest, Cannibal Corpse was announced as one of the supporting acts for [[Slayer]]'s [[Slayer Farewell Tour|final North American tour]], which would take place in the spring of 2019 and also be supported by [[Lamb of God (band)|Lamb of God]] and [[Amon Amarth]].<ref>{{cite news|title=SLAYER Announces North American Tour With LAMB OF GOD, AMON AMARTH, CANNIBAL CORPSE; |url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/slayer-announces-north-american-tour-with-lamb-of-god-amon-amarth-cannibal-corpse-blabbermouth-net-presale/|website=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|access-date=December 13, 2018|date=December 10, 2018}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/cannibal-corpse-recruits-guitarist-erik-rutan-for-upcoming-tours/|title=CANNIBAL CORPSE Recruits Guitarist ERIK RUTAN For Upcoming Tours|website=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|access-date=January 18, 2019}}</ref> The band toured the US with [[Thy Art Is Murder|Thy Art is Murder]] in the fall of 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hartmann |first=Graham|date=2019-08-05 |title=Cannibal Corpse Announce 2019 Tour With Thy Art Is Murder |url=https://loudwire.com/cannibal-corpse-2019-tour-thy-art-is-murder/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Loudwire |language=en}}</ref>

===''Violence Unimagined'' and ''Chaos Horrific'' (2020–present)===
{{main|Violence Unimagined|Chaos Horrific}}
Cannibal Corpse entered the studio in June 2020 to begin recording their fifteenth studio album.<ref>{{cite web|date=2020-06-02|title=CANNIBAL CORPSE Is In Studio Recording New Album|url=https://search.blabbermouth.net/news/cannibal-corpse-is-in-studio-recording-new-album/|access-date=2020-08-28|website=Blabbermouth.net|archive-date=October 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001171628/http://search.blabbermouth.net/news/cannibal-corpse-is-in-studio-recording-new-album/|url-status=dead}}</ref> On February 1, 2021, the band announced that the album, ''[[Violence Unimagined]]'', would be released on April 16.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theprp.com/2021/02/01/news/cannibal-corpse-to-release-new-album-violence-unimagined-in-april/|title=Cannibal Corpse To Release New Album "Violence Unimagined" In April|website=ThePRP|access-date=February 1, 2021|date=February 1, 2021}}</ref> They released a music video for the song "Inhumane Harvest" from the album in February. The music video was largely inspired by the [[Saw (franchise)|''Saw'' movie franchise]].<ref>{{cite web|date=2021-02-24|title=Cannibal Corpse Releases NSFW Gorefest Video for New Song "Inhumane Harvest"|url=https://music.mxdwn.com/2021/02/24/news/cannibal-corpse-releases-nsfw-gorefest-video-for-new-song-inhuman-harvest/|access-date=2021-03-11|website=mxdwn Music|language=en-US}}</ref> The band also announced that live guitarist [[Erik Rutan]] has officially joined the band full-time.<ref>{{cite web|date=February 2, 2021|title=CANNIBAL CORPSE Announces 'Violence Unimagined' Album, Officially Recruits Guitarist ERIK RUTAN|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/cannibal-corpse-announces-violence-unimagined-album-officially-recruits-guitarist-erik-rutan/|access-date=February 2, 2021|website=[[Blabbermouth.net]]}}</ref> 

In early 2022, the band toured the US with [[Whitechapel (band)|Whitechapel]] and [[Revocation (band)|Revocation]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |title=Cannibal Corpse announce 2022 tour with Whitechapel and Revocation |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/cannibal-corpse-announce-2022-tour-with-whitechapel-and-revocation/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=BrooklynVegan |language=en-US}}</ref> In fall of 2022, the band toured the US with [[Dark Funeral]], [[Immolation (band)|Immolation]] and [[Black Anvil]]'''.'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-23 |title=A Security Guard's Reaction To Cannibal Corpse Introducing One Of Their Most Infamous Tracks Has Gone Viral |url=https://www.theprp.com/2022/11/23/news/a-security-guards-reaction-to-cannibal-corpse-introducing-one-of-their-most-infamous-tracks-has-gone-viral/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Theprp.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

By January 2023, Cannibal Corpse had begun working on their sixteenth studio album, which was listed by ''[[Revolver (magazine)|Revolver]]'' magazine as one of the "55 Most Anticipated Albums" of the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/55-most-anticipated-albums-2023#cannibal-corpse|title=55 Most Anticipated Albums of 2023|website=[[Revolver (magazine)|Revolver]]|date=January 1, 2023|access-date=January 5, 2023}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Keenan |first1=Hesher |title=New Cannibal Corpse Album Chaos Horrific Announced with New Single "Blood Blind |url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2023/06/22/new-cannibal-corpse-album-chaos-horrific-announced-with-new-single-blood-blind/ |website=MetalSucks |date=June 22, 2023 |access-date=23 June 2023}}</ref>

In 2023, the band toured the US on a co-headlining tour with [[Mayhem (band)|Mayhem]], along with [[Gorguts]] and [[Blood Incantation]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enis |first=Eli |title=CANNIBAL CORPSE and MAYHEM announce co-headlining tour |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/events/cannibal-corpse-and-mayhem-announce-co-headlining-tour/ |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=Revolver |language=en-US}}</ref> The band toured Europe in the fall of 2024 with [[Municipal Waste (band)|Municipal Waste]] and [[Immolation (band)|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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-28 |title=CANNIBAL CORPSE Guitarist ERIK RUTAN's Florida Home Sustains 'Catastrophic Damage' From Hurricane Helene |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/cannibal-corpse-guitarist-erik-rutans-florida-home-sustains-catastrophic-damage-from-hurricane-helene |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Blabbermouth.net |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=DiVita |first=Joe|date=2024-09-30 |title=Cannibal Corpse Guitarist's Home Has 'Catastrophic' Hurricane Damage |url=https://loudwire.com/cannibal-corpse-erik-rutan-house-damage-hurrican-helene/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Loudwire |language=en}}</ref>

The band toured the US with [[Meshuggah]] and [[Carcass (band)|Carcass]] during the spring of 2025. In April, a couple made headlines after getting married during Cannibal Corpse's set on the Pittsburg stop of this tour.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-24 |title=Couple Gets Married In Cannibal Corpse Pit |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2305584/couple-gets-married-in-cannibal-corpse-pit/news/ |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=Stereogum |language=en}}</ref>

The band announced a headlining tour of the US for the fall of 2025 with support from [[Municipal Waste (band)|Municipal Waste]] and [[Fulci (band)|Fulci]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Theron |date=2025-05-12 |title=News: Cannibal Corpse Announce North American Headlining Tour |url=https://newnoisemagazine.com/news-cannibal-corpse-announce-north-american-headlining-tour/ |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=New Noise Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Full of Hell (band)|Full of Hell]] was later added to the tour.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kennelty |first=Greg |date=2025-06-06 |title=FULL OF HELL Added To CANNIBAL CORPSE, MUNICIPAL WASTE & FULCI US Tour |url=https://metalinjection.net/tour-dates/full-of-hell-added-to-cannibal-corpse-municipal-waste-fulci-us-tour |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=Metal Injection |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Artistry==
===Musical style and instrumentation===
Cannibal Corpse is a [[death metal]] band.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Eli|last=Enis|url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/fan-poll-top-5-cannibal-corpse-songs/|title=Fan poll: Top 5 Cannibal Corpse songs|magazine=[[Revolver (magazine)|Revolver]]|date=September 27, 2023|access-date=December 15, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|first=Dom|last=Lawson|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/cannibal-corpse-death-metal-history-interview-2012|title="I shouldn't speculate why we were singled out, other than because we were massively offensive": how Cannibal Corpse became death metal's first million selling band|magazine=[[Metal Hammer]]|date=March 13, 2024|access-date=December 15, 2024}}</ref> Various publications have also classified the band as [[brutal death metal]]<ref>{{cite web|first=Nicholas|last=Kobe|url=https://woub.org/2023/10/17/paul-mazurkiewicz-discusses-cannibal-corpses-new-album-the-endurance-of-death-metal-and-the-creative-brutality-of-the-band/|title=Paul Mazurkiewicz discusses Cannibal Corpse's new album, the endurance of death metal, and the creative brutality of the band|work=[[WOUB-TV]]|date=October 17, 2023|access-date=December 15, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Stephen |date=2016-12-05 |title=The 10 Best Metal Bands From New York |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-best-metal-bands-from-new-york |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=Louder |language=en}}</ref> and [[old school death metal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://toiletovhell.com/beginners-guide-to-old-school-death-metal/|title=Beginner's Guide to Old School Death Metal|website=The Toilet Ov Hell|date=February 19, 2015|access-date=October 30, 2024}}</ref> [[image:CannibalCorpse.jpg|thumb|left|Performance in [[Washington, D.C.]] in 2007|300x300px]]The band's sound is characterized by what is described as a "[[Wall of Sound|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 (guitarist)|Pat O'Brien]] said, “a lot of stuff that we have to put [[Guitar solo|solos]] over is not in a particular [[Key (music)|key]], or doesn’t fit in a particular [[Scale (music)|scale]] pattern. [...] It’s totally free, it’s almost like [[jazz]] in a lot of ways, because you can get as crazy and as '[[Outside (jazz)|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 scale|diminished]] and [[Hungarian minor scale|Hungarian minor]] scales.<ref name="auto">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBsc91YBG78 |title=Cannibal Corpse - The Making Of The Wretched Spawn (2004) |date=2017-12-05 |access-date=2025-03-06 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author1=Kory Grow |date=2009-07-21 |title=Cannibal Corpse: Gory Details |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/cannibal-corpse-gory-details |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=guitarworld |language=en}}</ref> The band's early releases are recognized for their rawness, and have been described as being "[[Live music|live sounding]]." Bassist Alex Webster said: "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 [[Future plc|MusicRadar]]: "Behind the horrible song titles, lyrics and artwork lies a band of unexpected subtlety and skill."<ref name="Staffpublished">{{Cite web |date=2022-05-24 |title=Cannibal Corpse bassist Alex Webster on his 5 best bass albums |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/cannibal-corpse-alex-webster-5-best-bass-albums |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=guitarworld |language=en}}</ref><ref name="nysmusic.com"/><ref name="Wiederhorn">{{Cite web |last=Wiederhorn |first=Jon|date=2023-08-17 |title=33 Years Ago: Cannibal Corpse Release 'Eaten Back to Life' |url=https://loudwire.com/cannibal-corpse-eaten-back-to-life-album-anniversary/ |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=Loudwire |language=en}}</ref><ref>Cannibal Corpse -- Centuries of Torment: The First 20 Years</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |author1=Joel McIver |date=2021-12-02 |title=The 10 best bassists in the world right now, as decided by you |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/best-bassists-2021 |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=MusicRadar |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Alex Webster and George Fisher.jpg|thumb|300x300px|Alex Webster and George Fisher performing in [[São Paulo|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 growl]]s of vocalist [[Chris Barnes (musician)|Chris Barnes]], who was called "one of the best growlers in the business".<ref>{{Citation |title=Butchered at Birth - Cannibal Corpse {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/butchered-at-birth-mw0000618690 |access-date=2025-01-03 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="allmusic.com"/><ref>{{Citation |title=The Bleeding - Cannibal Corpse {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-bleeding-mw0000112632 |access-date=2025-01-03 |language=en}}</ref> Founding guitarist [[Jack Owen]] described the band's first four albums: "''[[Eaten Back to Life|Eaten]]'' is thrashy, ''[[Butchered at Birth|Butchered]]'' is overwritten but in a good way, ''[[Tomb of the Mutilated|Tomb]]'' is abrasive and violent, and then ''[[The Bleeding (album)|The Bleeding]]'' was like 'okay slow it down and concentrate." He also said,:"You can hear everyone’s writing style in their own songs."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://metalinjection.net/news/jack-owen-on-cannibal-corpses-the-bleeding-its-my-favorite-album | title=JACK OWEN on CANNIBAL CORPSE's the Bleeding: "It's My Favorite Album" | date=April 27, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=JACK OWEN- CANNIBAL CORPSE (08.02.04) |url=https://rockumweb.com/entrevista/13/jack-owen-cannibal-corpse-080204- |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=rockumweb.com |language=en-US}}</ref> 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.{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}}
[[File:Cannibal_Corpse.jpg|left|thumb|300x300px|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]].<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Citation |title=Evisceration Plague - Cannibal Corpse {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000804292 |access-date=2025-01-21 |language=en}}</ref> According to former guitarist [[Pat O'Brien (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."<ref name="Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim!" /> In an interview with ''[[Invisible Oranges]]'', Webster stated: "Unless you’re an [[Avant-garde metal|experimental metal]] band by nature, people don’t really want that [[Experimental music|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 [[Heavy metal subculture|metal community]]. Consistency is a big part of our genre."<ref>{{Cite web  |title=Interview: Cannibal Corpse's Alex Webster |url=https://www.invisibleoranges.com/interview-cannibal-corpses-alex-webster/ |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=Invisible Oranges - The Metal Blog |language=en-US}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{Cite web |last=McIver |first=Joel |date=2021-07-22 |title=Alex Webster: "Cannibal Corpse is always a 'song first' kind of thing... a big, heavy rhythm machine" |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/cannibal-corpse-alex-webster |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=guitarworld |language=en}}</ref> Mazurkiewicz is quoted saying: “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?”<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81vjL8Ytti0 |title=Paul Mazurkiewicz (Cannibal Corpse) On 20 Questions With Scooter |date=2021-06-16 |access-date=2025-03-06 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
[[File:Cannibal Corpse Full Force 2019 02.jpg|thumb|275x275px|Drummer [[Paul Mazurkiewicz]] at Full Force 2019 at [[Ferropolis]] in Germany.]]

The band's songwriting incorporates [[hook (music)|hooks]] into its lyrics, and vocal [[cadences]] and [[guitar riffs]]. [[Vice Media|''VICE News'']] assessed that the band's third album, ''[[Tomb of the Mutilated]]'' "sounds like death metal as [[Pop music|pop]] – the genre stripped to its basics."<ref name="Adams">{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Mason |date=2016-09-13 |title=How Cannibal Corpse's 'Tomb of the Mutilated' Got Me into Young Thug |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-cannibal-corpses-tomb-of-the-mutilated-got-me-into-young-thug/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=VICE |language=en-US}}</ref> Webster said: "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?"<ref>{{Cite web  |date=2021-04-07 |title=Alex Webster / "We want the Cannibal Corpse songs to be memorable" |url=https://www.metaltalk.net/alex-webster-we-want-the-cannibal-corpse-songs-to-be-memorable.php |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=Metaltalk.net |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Chris Barnes' vocals on early Cannibal Corpse albums have been described as "indecipherable [[Growling|growls]]," while opting for a more intelligible style on ''The Bleeding''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bowles |first=Amy |date=2024-04-15 |title=HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: The Bleeding - Cannibal Corpse |url=https://distortedsoundmag.com/heavy-music-history-the-bleeding-cannibal-corpse/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Distorted Sound Magazine |language=en-GB}}</ref> Barnes' vocals were generally characterized by a slower, groovier delivery style, while current vocalist [[George Fisher (musician)|George Fisher]] is noted for his highly intelligible, rapid-fire vocal delivery on later Cannibal Corpse releases, such as ''Vile'' and ''Kill''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=DiVita |first=Joe|date=2017-12-15 |title=How Cannibal Corpse's Corpsegrinder Fisher Learned to Scream |url=https://loudwire.com/how-cannibal-corpse-george-corpsegrinder-fisher-learned-scream/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=Loudwire |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brennanpublished |first=Adam |date=2019-03-11 |title=Every Cannibal Corpse album ranked from worst to best |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/every-cannibal-corpse-album-ranked-from-worst-to-best |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=Louder |language=en}}</ref>{{Additional citation needed|date=January 2025}}

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."<ref name="Staffpublished"/>

===Lyrical themes===
{{quote box
| align = left
| width = 28%
| border = 2px
| bgcolor = #fdfaff
| quote = [Barnes] was never writing any of these lyrics from the point of view that the characters in the songs were [[coolness|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.
| author = [[Alex Webster]] of Cannibal Corpse
| source = <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.metalforcesmagazine.com/site/feature-cannibal-corpse-03-13-pt2/ | title=CANNIBAL CORPSE – 1988-2013: 25 Years of Metal, Part Two (March 2013) &#124; Features / Interviews |website=Metalforcesmagazine.com }}</ref>
}}

The band's [[Heavy metal lyrics|lyrics]] and song titles draw heavily on [[horror fiction]], [[horror films]] and [[true crime]]. In the early years of the [[Florida death metal|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 intercourse|sexual]], [[Misogyny|misogynistic]] and [[Everyday sadism|sadistic]] terms.<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |title=Cannibal Corpse &#124; Biography & History |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cannibal-corpse-mn0000545534/biography |access-date=October 8, 2020 |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref><ref name="Wiederhorn" /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Coles |first1=T |title=Death Metal |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |pages=56}}</ref> According to [[Alex Webster]]: "We saw that a lot of [[Florida death metal|bands in Florida]] seemed to have more of a darker, [[Antireligion|anti-religion]] thing going on, so we decided to do the gore thing with the art and lyrics."<ref name="revolvermag.com">{{Cite web |last=Wiederhorn |first=Jon |title=Florida Death Metal's Gory Rise, Groundbreaking Reign: The Definitive Oral History |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/florida-death-metals-gory-rise-groundbreaking-reign-definitive-oral-history/ |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=Revolver |language=en-US}}</ref> The band's lyrics have been characterized as "parading a revolting fascination with the [[human body]]," drawing comparisons to British extreme metal band [[Carcass (band)|Carcass]], albeit "with a vividly [[Film|cinematic]] perspective."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Coles |first1=T |title=Death Metal |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |page=57}}</ref> ''[[Loudwire]]'' wrote that "it's hard to think of any other band so hyper-focused on tales of people getting killed in gruesome ways."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trapp |first=Philip|date=2023-10-02 |title=10 Bands Who Only Write Songs About One Specific Thing |url=https://loudwire.com/bands-only-write-about-one-thing-rock-metal/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Loudwire |language=en}}</ref> 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."<ref name="markprindle2">{{cite web |last=Fisher |first=Mark |date=January 2004 |title=Interview: George 'Corpsegrinder' Fisher |url=http://www.markprindle.com/fisher-i.htm |access-date=February 5, 2009 |work=Mark's Record Reviews}}</ref> According to Webster: "Just by watching [[News media|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."<ref name="McIverpublished"/> 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."<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAGd6aqIdXQ |title=Cannibal Corpse - Centuries of Torment - DVD 3 - Bonus Chunks (OFFICIAL) |date=2013-11-20 |access-date=2025-03-25 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
[[File:Cannibal Corpse - 2024275214348 2024-10-01 Cannibal Corpse - Sven - 1D X MK II - 1318 - AK8I0142.jpg|thumb|Following the dismissal of [[Chris Barnes (musician)|Chris Barnes]], drummer [[Paul Mazurkiewicz]] assumed many duties related to composing lyrics and vocal [[cadence]]s.]]

The lyrics of original vocalist [[Chris Barnes (musician)|Chris Barnes]] have been described as "ludicrously over the top."<ref>{{Citation |title=Eaten Back to Life - Cannibal Corpse {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/eaten-back-to-life-mw0000309728 |access-date=2025-01-03 |language=en}}</ref> 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 [[Massacre|slaughter]] and [[sexual exploitation|sexually exploit]] others, particularly [[Darwinism|the weak]]. Perhaps these songs are especially disturbing because they relate such tales [[First-person perspective|from the perspective of the perpetrator]]."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Purcell |first1=Natalie J. |title=Death Metal |publisher=McFarland |page=44}}</ref> In his review of [[The Bleeding (album)|''The Bleeding'']], Jason Birchmeier of [[Allmusic|AllMusic]] said 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."<ref>{{cite web |title=The Bleeding – Cannibal Corpse &#124; Album &#124; AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-bleeding-mw0000112632 |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> Webster stated: "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."<ref>{{Cite web |title=CANNIBAL CORPSE – 1988-2013: 25 Years Of Metal, Part Two (March 2013) {{!}} Features / Interviews |website=Metalforcesmagazine.com |url=https://www.metalforcesmagazine.com/site/feature-cannibal-corpse-03-13-pt2/ |access-date=2025-01-20}}</ref>

The lyrics on later releases by the band are considered to be less extreme and more mature than those written by Barnes. According to Joel McIver of ''[[The Quietus]]'': "The band have evolved away from the blunt shock/splatter approach that they took in their earlier years. Nowadays the horrors that they write about are more streamlined and precise, the equivalent of graduating from whacking a person on the head with a stick to dissecting someone with a scalpel."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-03-13 |title=The Horror! The Horror! In Defence Of Cannibal Corpse |url=https://thequietus.com/opinion-and-essays/black-sky-thinking/cannibal-corpse-lyrics/ |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=The Quietus |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The band has stated that many of their song titles are made first, with the lyrical pieces being written around them.<ref name="auto" /><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAGd6aqIdXQ&t=5872s |title=Cannibal Corpse - Centuries of Torment - DVD 3 - Bonus Chunks (OFFICIAL) |date=2013-11-20 |access-date=2025-03-06 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

===Influences===
The members of the band were originally inspired by [[thrash metal]] bands such as [[Metallica]], [[Slayer]], [[Testament (band)|Testament]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/download-festival-sideshows-2020/|title=Your guide to the best Download Festival sideshows coming in 2020|website=tonedeaf.thebrag.com|date=December 17, 2019|access-date=September 28, 2024}}</ref> [[Dark Angel (band)|Dark Angel]],<ref name="youtube.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuky7k6Ajmg | title=RichardMetalFan Interviews! Ep. 240: Jack Owen of Six Feet Under | website=[[YouTube]] | date=March 27, 2024 }}</ref> [[Stormtroopers of Death|S.O.D.]], [[Sadus]], [[Sodom (band)|Sodom]], [[Kreator]], [[Dirty Rotten Imbeciles|D.R.I.]] and [[Sacrifice (band)|Sacrifice]], and early [[death metal]] bands such as [[Deicide (band)|Deicide]],<ref name="disposableunderground.com"/> [[Possessed (band)|Possessed]], [[Autopsy (band)|Autopsy]], [[Napalm Death]],<ref name="youtube.com"/> [[Obituary (band)|Obituary]], [[Morbid Angel]] and [[Death (metal band)|Death]].<ref name=metalweb>{{cite web|title=Dawn with Alex Webster|year=2006|publisher=The Metal Web!|url=http://www.themetalweb.com/cannibalcorpseinterview2|access-date=February 5, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827220023/http://www.themetalweb.com/cannibalcorpseinterview2|archive-date=August 27, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="givememetal">{{cite web|title=Cannibal Corpse Family Tree — The Metal|url=https://www.givememetal.com/deathmetaltrees/cannibal-corpse-family-tree|website=givememetal.com|date=April 19, 2021 |access-date=August 4, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eternitymagazin.de/cannibal-corpse-interview/|title=Cannibal Corpse Interview – ETERNITY Magazin|website=deadline-magazin.de|date=March 2000 |language=de|access-date=August 4, 2022}}</ref>  Both former vocalist [[Chris Barnes (musician)|Chris Barnes]] and current vocalist [[George Fisher (musician)|George Fisher]] have cited late Death vocalist [[Chuck Schuldiner]] as a major influence in their development as vocalists.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-orBIdwaD-8 |title=Remembering Chuck: A Tribute To Chuck Schuldiner |date=2013-03-20|access-date=2025-01-23 |via=YouTube}}</ref> [[Jack Owen]] also stated that he was influenced by [[Bay Area thrash metal|Bay Area thrash]] bands such as [[Exodus (band)|Exodus]] in the beginning, and also stated that the band was influenced by [[Napalm Death]] and [[Sepultura]].<ref name=":2">{{cite book |last1=Dick |first1=Chris |title=Precious Metal |publisher=Da Capo |page=163}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuky7k6Ajmg |title=RichardMetalFan Interviews! Ep. 240: Jack Owen of Six Feet Under |date=2024-03-27 |access-date=2025-01-23 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Webster has stated that the band was fond of [[Black metal#First wave|early black metal]] bands such as [[Venom (band)|Venom]] and [[Bathory (band)|Bathory]] in its early days as well, and Owen cited [[Celtic Frost]] as an early influence.<ref name="loudersound.com"/><ref name=":3" /> 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."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dick |first1=Chris |title=Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces |publisher=Da Capo Press |page=148}}</ref> On ''Tomb of the Mutilated'', the band began drawing more technical and [[Progressive music|progressive]] influences from [[Florida death metal]] acts such as [[Atheist (band)|Atheist]] and [[Cynic (band)|Cynic]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Purcell |first1=Natalie J. |title=Death Metal Music: The Passion and Politics of a Subculture |publisher=McFarland |page=148}}</ref> On the ''[[Hammer Smashed Face]]'' EP, the band paid tribute to English [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Black Sabbath]], covering the song "Zero the Hero" from their 1983 album [[Born Again (Black Sabbath album)|''Born Again'']]. In addition to Black Sabbath, the members of Cannibal Corpse have cited [[hard rock]] and metal bands such as [[AC/DC]], [[Accept (band)|Accept]], [[Deep Purple]], [[Iron Maiden]], [[Judas Priest]], [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]], [[Mercyful Fate]], [[Motörhead]], [[Rush (band)|Rush]] and [[Van Halen]] as their influences and inspirations.<ref name="givememetal" />

==Impact and legacy==
Alex Distefano of ''[[OC Weekly]]'' said Cannibal Corpse are "hands down, the undisputed kings of death metal."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-10-01 |title=The 10 Best Death Metal Bands – OC Weekly |url=https://www.ocweekly.com/the-10-best-death-metal-bands-6585015/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |language=en-US}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singer |first=Quentin Thane |title=The 38 Greatest Heavy Metal Bands |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/entertainment/article/metal-bands/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> Cannibal Corpse has been called "one of metal's goriest, most vile outfits."<ref>{{Citation |title=Tomb of the Mutilated - Cannibal Corpse {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/tomb-of-the-mutilated-mw0000119495 |access-date=2025-01-02 |language=en}}</ref> [[Future plc|MusicRadar]] included the band on the site's list of the "scariest" bands or artists.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=MusicRadar Team |date=2013-10-31 |title=21 scariest musicians and bands |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/21-scariest-musicians-and-bands-566363 |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=MusicRadar |language=en}}</ref> 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."<ref name="ReferenceA"/> 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 (magazine)|''Decibel'']]: "I used to get a lot of demos back then and 9 out of 10 bands clearly had listened to ''[[Tomb of the Mutilated]]''."<ref name=":2" /> Cannibal Corpse has been cited as an influence by [[extreme metal]] and [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] bands of numerous subgenres, including [[The Black Dahlia Murder (band)|The Black Dahlia Murder]], [[Disgorge (American band)|Disgorge]], [[Whitechapel (band)|Whitechapel]], [[All Shall Perish]], [[Suicide Silence]], [[Carnifex (band)|Carnifex]], [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]], [[As I Lay Dying (band)|As I Lay Dying]], [[All That Remains (band)|All That Remains]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014 |title=All That Remains: Overcoming and Remaining on Top |url=http://hpr1.com/music/article/all_that_remains_overcoming_and_remaining_on_top |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109141520/http://hpr1.com/music/article/all_that_remains_overcoming_and_remaining_on_top |archive-date=2014-01-09 |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=High Plains Reader}}</ref> and [[Escape the Fate]].

Jordan Blum of ''[[Loudwire]]'' named Cannibal Corpse as one of the "Big Four" of death metal along with [[Death (metal band)|Death]], [[Morbid Angel]] and [[The Black Dahlia Murder (band)|The Black Dahlia Murder]], and said the band were "perhaps ''the'' most widely [[meme]]d group in [the genre]."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blum |first=Jordan|date=2021-11-19 |title=The 'Big 4' Bands of 17 Metal Subgenres |url=https://loudwire.com/big-4-bands-metal-subgenres/ |access-date=2025-05-26 |website=Loudwire |language=en}}</ref>

According to Jon Weiderhorn of ''Loudwire'', Cannibal Corpse was influential in the development of the "even more extreme" style of death metal, [[goregrind]].<ref>{{cite web |date=August 31, 2017 |title=Death Metal 101: The History of Death Metal |url=https://loudwire.com/heavy-metal-101-history-of-death-metal/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral |website=[[Loudwire]]}}</ref>

In 2023, readers of ''[[Revolver (magazine)|Revolver]]'' voted Cannibal Corpse the "most brutal band of all time."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enis |first=Eli |title=Fan poll: 5 most brutal bands of all time |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/fan-poll-5-most-brutal-bands-all-time/ |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=Revolver |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Controversy and censorship==
{{quote box
| quote = "[The controversy] actually almost got me killed at gunpoint in 1994 before a show in [[East Los Angeles, California|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 Rehabilitation Center|San Quentin]], and he had a [[.38 Special|.38 [caliber]]] stuffed [[Concealed carry|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."
| author = - [[Chris Barnes (musician)|Chris Barnes]] interviewed by ''[[Revolver (magazine)|Revolver]]'' <ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiederhorn |first=Jon |title=Florida Death Metal's Gory Rise, Groundbreaking Reign: The Definitive Oral History |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/florida-death-metals-gory-rise-groundbreaking-reign-definitive-oral-history/ |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=Revolver |language=en-US}}</ref>
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Cannibal Corpse's lyrics, song titles, [[Vincent Locke|album covers]] and merchandise artwork frequently feature [[transgressive art|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."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-03-13 |title=The Horror! The Horror! In Defence Of Cannibal Corpse |url=https://thequietus.com/opinion-and-essays/black-sky-thinking/cannibal-corpse-lyrics/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=The Quietus |language=en-GB}}</ref> Bassist [[Alex Webster]] said: "Most [[Western music (North America)|Western music]] is people singing from the heart — singing to a girlfriend, so a lot of people are freaked out by our songs".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://loudwire.com/heavy-metal-101-history-of-death-metal/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral%22 | title=Death Metal 101: The History of Death Metal | website=[[Loudwire]] | date=August 31, 2017 }}</ref> The band's album covers are [[watercolor painting]]s (most often done by comic book artist [[Vincent Locke]]) that draw heavily on [[horror fiction]] and [[horror film]]s, 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 [[Music censorship|banned the sale and display]] of original Cannibal Corpse album covers.<ref>{{cite web|author=Joe DiVita |url=https://loudwire.com/rock-metal-bands-banned-from-countries/ |title=13 Hard Rock + Metal Bands Who Were Banned From Countries |website=Loudwire.com |date=2020-10-27 |access-date=2022-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=2014-12-02|title=Russian court bans music and artwork of Cannibal Corpse|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/02/russian-court-ban-artwork-lyrics-cannibal-corpse|access-date=2021-11-18|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref>

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."<ref name="revolvermag.com"/> 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|date=March 2025}} Original vocalist [[Chris Barnes (musician)|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."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dick |first1=Chris |title=Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces |publisher=Da Capo Press |page=149}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Coles |first1=T |title=Death Metal |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |page=64}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpvS3SfLdWw |title=CANNIBAL CORPSE'S Alex Webster and Corpsegrinder 2004 interview {{!}} Raw & Uncut |date=2017-10-31  |access-date=2025-05-27 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

{{Quote box
| quote = 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?!
| source = [[Alex Webster]] of Cannibal Corpse in the ''Making of the Wretched Spawn'' documentary <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgs48nbNHKw | title=Why i like death metal HD | website=[[YouTube]] | date=January 29, 2010 }}</ref>
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Current vocalist [[George Fisher (musician)|George Fisher]] has stated that death metal is best understood as "art" and claims that far more violent art can be found at the [[Apostolic Palace|Vatican]]; he expressed his belief that such depictions of violence are arguably more transgressive – as they actually happened.<ref>''Metal: A Headbanger's Journey'' (2005, Sam Dunn, director)</ref> 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."<ref name=markprindle>{{cite web|last=Fisher|first=Mark|title=Interview: George 'Corpsegrinder' Fisher|work=Mark's Record Reviews|date=January 2004|url=http://www.markprindle.com/fisher-i.htm|access-date=February 5, 2009}}</ref> 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?"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Five Noteworthy Facts You May Not Know About Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim! |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/five_noteworthy_facts_you_may_not_know_about_cannibal_corpse |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Five Noteworthy Facts You May Not Know About Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim! |language=en}}</ref>

Some journalists have opined that some of the band's more extreme lyrics have not aged well within the context of a modern political climate. Brad Sanders of ''[[Stereogum|Sterogum]]'' wrote in 2021: "Some of Cannibal Corpse’s lyrics and artwork are, in fact, a little [[wikt:beyond the pale|beyond the pale]]. Every song in the band’s discography depicts extreme violence, but few are interested in excavating its trauma, which means the less cartoonish the lyrics, the ickier they feel. That’s not an argument for censorship, but it is a fair warning that diving deep with Cannibal Corpse’s catalog is going to mean seeing and hearing some things that don’t necessarily hold up in 2021."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-27 |title=Cannibal Corpse Albums Ranked Worst To Best |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2165252/cannibal-corpse-album-rankings/lists/counting-down/ |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=Stereogum |language=en}}</ref>

{{Quote box
| quote = Years ago, we had problems; we’d get a lot of people boycotting us and whatnot, but I think in the end—trust me, I’m married, I have a beautiful wife, I understand where people think we’re being insensitive to rape and things like that, we’re not being insensitive to that. I can understand how people would think that we’re glorifying it, but [same as when] movies have rape scenes in them—there are actual rapes that happen, unfortunately, in this world. We’re not condoning any of that, obviously.
| source = [[George Fisher (musician)|George Fisher]] of Cannibal Corpse, as quoted by Kim Kelly of ''[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]'' (November 3, 2017) [https://www.vice.com/en/article/chewing-the-fat-with-cannibal-corpses-corpsegrinder/]
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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".<ref name=puregrain>{{cite web|last=Wilschick|first=Aaron|title=Cannibal Corpse: Interview with bassist Alex Webster|website=Puregrainaudio.com|publisher=PureGrain Inc|date=February 15, 2007|url=http://www.puregrainaudio.com/interviews/cannibal-corpse2|access-date=February 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111229183023/http://puregrainaudio.com/interviews/cannibal-corpse2|archive-date=December 29, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> He also believes the violent lyrics can have positive value, saying "it's good to have anger music as a release."<ref name=waytooloud>{{cite web|title=Cannibal Corpse&nbsp;— Alex Webster and George 'Corpsegrinder' Fisher |work=Way Too Loud! |publisher=Xtremely Media |date=October 23, 2007 |url=http://www.waytooloud.com/2007/10/23/cannibal-corpse-alex-webster-and-george-%E2%80%9Ccorpsegrinder%E2%80%9D-fisher/ |access-date=June 9, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604092255/http://www.waytooloud.com/2007/10/23/cannibal-corpse-alex-webster-and-george-%E2%80%9Ccorpsegrinder%E2%80%9D-fisher/ |archive-date=June 4, 2008 }}</ref>

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|date=March 2025}} He further stated: "There's nothing ever serious [in the lyrics]. We're not thinking of anybody in particular that we're trying to kill, or harm or anything."<ref name="HM">{{cite web |last=Van Pelt |first=Doug |title=What Cannibal Corpse Says |work=[[HM (magazine)|HM: The Hard Music Magazine]] |publisher=HM Magazine |date=April 2004 |url=http://www.hmmagazine.com/says/archive/what_cannibal_corpse_says200404.php?page=all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220085529/http://www.hmmagazine.com/says/archive/what_cannibal_corpse_says200404.php?page=all |archive-date=February 20, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref> When pressed on his personal feelings in regard to performing some of Barnes' more extreme lyrics, being the father of two daughters, he stated: "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."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Kim |date=2017-11-03 |title=Chewing the Fat with Cannibal Corpse's Corpsegrinder |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/chewing-the-fat-with-cannibal-corpses-corpsegrinder/ |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=VICE |language=en-US}}</ref>

===United States===
[[File:CannibalCorpse@Innsbruck2009.jpg|thumb|Cannibal Corpse have been subject to obscenity controversy since virtually the beginning of their career.]]
In May 1995, then-[[United States Senate|US Senator]] [[Bob Dole]] accused Cannibal Corpse—along with [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] acts including the [[Geto Boys]] and [[2 Live Crew]]—of undermining the national character of the United States.<ref name=doleNYT>{{cite news|last=Weinraub|first=Bernard|title=Films and Recordings Threaten Nation's Character, Dole Says|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 1, 1995|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/01/us/films-and-recordings-threaten-nation-s-character-dole-says.html|access-date=February 6, 2009}} Although the article seems to imply that Cannibal Corpse is a "rap group" rather than a metal band, it is one of the few reliable sources on the Internet for Dole's exact words.</ref> 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 [[Warner Music Group|Time Warner]], [[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony]], [[EMI|Thorn-EMI]], [[PolyGram]] and [[Bertelsmann Music Group|Bertelsmann]]—to "dump 20 recording groups [...] responsible for the most offensive lyrics".<ref name="latimes">{{cite news|last1=Philips|first1=Chuck|last2=Salem-Fitzgerald|first2=D. J.|title=Rap foes put 20 artists on a hit list|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=May 31, 1996|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-tupaclyrics31may3196,0,3035451.story|access-date=February 6, 2009}}</ref>

===Australia===
{{further|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.<ref name=greenleft>{{cite news|last=Sinnet |first=Natasha |date=October 23, 1996 |title=Censorship and heavy metal |newspaper=[[Green Left Weekly]] |url=http://www.greenleft.org.au/1996/251/13234 |access-date=February 6, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081110172945/http://www.greenleft.org.au/1996/251/13234 |archive-date=November 10, 2008 }}</ref> 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".<ref name=ariaconsumer>{{cite web |url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/documents/classification.pdf.pdf.pdf |title=What music is your child listening to? |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not stated--> |publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association]] |type=leaflet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040712061804/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/documents/classification.pdf.pdf.pdf |archive-date=July 12, 2004 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 22, 2024 }}</ref><ref name=amraintro>{{cite web |title=Labelling Guidelines |work=Labelling code of practice for recorded music containing potentially offensive lyrics and/or themes |publisher=Australian Music Retailers Association |date=March 2003 |url=http://www.amra.org.au/pdf/ARIA-AMRA_Code_april2003.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216171929/http://www.amra.org.au/pdf/ARIA-AMRA_Code_april2003.PDF |archive-date=February 16, 2011 |access-date=February 6, 2009 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref>

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.<ref name=labeledtitles5>{{cite web |url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/documents/Level3-010406-310307.pdf |title=AMRA Restricted Warning – 01.4.06 – 30.9.06 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not stated--> |publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association]] |type=table |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719082414/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/documents/Level3-010406-310307.pdf |archive-date=July 19, 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 22, 2024}}</ref> Despite this, when displayed in some stores, even the "uncensored" editions are censored manually.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

After discussion of banning them from touring, Australian comedy act [[The Chaser]] did a [[lounge music]] version of their song "[[Butchered at Birth|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.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryli3byylns |title=Chaser's War On Everything - Cannibal Corpse Parody |date=2010-08-03 |access-date=2024-10-30 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

===Germany===
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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wie wirkt die Indizierung? |url=https://www.bzkj.de/bzkj/indizierung/was-bewirkt-die-indizierung |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=Bundeszentrale für Kinder- und Jugendmedienschutz |language=de}}</ref>

* ''[[Eaten Back to Life]]'' (1990), on the index since August 1995<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Wurm |first=Gerald |title=Indizierung - Cannibal Corpse  |url=https://www.schnittberichte.com/svds.php?Page=IndexDocs&ID=2841&idid=1230 |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=Schnittberichte.com |language=de}}</ref>
* ''[[Tomb of the Mutilated]]'' (1992), on the index since November 1995<ref name=":0" />
* ''[[Hammer Smashed Face]]'' EP (1993), on the index since November 1995<ref name=":0" />
* ''[[Worm Infested]]'' EP (2003), on the index since January 2005<ref name=":0" />
* ''[[Evisceration Plague]]'' (2009), on the index since April 2010<ref name=":0" />

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.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_stgb/englisch_stgb.html#p1392 | title=German Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch – StGB) }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_stgb/englisch_stgb.html#p1793 | title=German Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch – StGB) }}</ref>

* ''[[Butchered at Birth]]'' (1991), on the index since October 1991,<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.schnittberichte.com/svds.php?Page=IndexDocs&ID=2841&idid=1228|title=Indizierung - Cannibal Corpse|first=Gerald|last=Wurm|website=Schnittberichte.com|access-date=March 13, 2025}}</ref> confiscated since 1994<ref>Beschlagnahmebeschluss des Amtsgericht Stuttgart vom 3. September 1994, Az.: 21 Js 58315/94</ref>
* ''[[Vile (album)#Created to Kill|Created to Kill]]'' (2000, a bootleg release consisting of demo recordings), on the index since August 2011,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.schnittberichte.com/svds.php?Page=IndexDocs&ID=2841&idid=1233|title=Indizierung - Cannibal Corpse |first=Gerald|last=Wurm|website=Schnittberichte.com|access-date=March 13, 2025}}</ref> confiscated since November 2012<ref>Beschlagnahmebeschluss des Amtsgericht Saarbrücken vom 25. Juli 2012, Az.: 7Gs 3248/12</ref>
* ''[[Torture (album)|Torture]]'' (2012), on the index since December 2012,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.schnittberichte.com/svds.php?Page=IndexDocs&ID=2841&idid=1236|title=Indizierung - Cannibal Corpse|first=Gerald|last=Wurm|website=Schnittberichte.com|access-date=March 13, 2025}}</ref> confiscated since December 2013<ref>Beschlagnahmebeschluss des Amtsgericht Fulda vom 28. Oktober 2013, Az.: 27 Gs – 51 UJs 50930/13</ref>
* ''[[Vile (album)|Vile]]'' (1996), on the index since September 2015,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.schnittberichte.com/svds.php?Page=IndexDocs&ID=2841&idid=1237|title=Indizierung - Cannibal Corpse|first=Gerald|last=Wurm|website=Schnittberichte.com|access-date=March 13, 2025}}</ref> confiscated since July 2017<ref>Beschlagnahmebeschluss des Amtsgericht Marburg vom 19.08.2016, Az.: 54 Gs – 1 Js 10068/16</ref>

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&nbsp;— and we would&nbsp;— but they know the deal. We can't play 'Born in a Casket' but can play 'Dismembered and Molested'."<ref name=innerview>{{cite web|last=Falina|first=Melanie|title=Cannibal Corpse Just Wants to Sing About Ripping Apart Human Flesh in Peace|work=Chicago Innerview|publisher=Innerview Media, Inc|date=February 2004|url=http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/feb04_cannibal_corpse.htm|access-date=February 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311003400/http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/feb04_cannibal_corpse.htm|archive-date=March 11, 2009}}</ref>

In a 2019 interview with [[:de:Christa Jenal|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.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.kreiszeitung.de/kultur/ausverkauf-moral-12753626.html | title=Cannibal Corpse spielt in Bremen – Lehrerin Christa Jenal hat damit ein Problem | date=July 2019 }}</ref>

===Russia===
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."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Kozlov|first=Vladimir|title=Cannibal Corpse's Russia Tour Under Pressure from Orthodox Protestors|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6281675/cannibal-corpses-russia-tour-under-pressure-from-orthodox-protestors|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=October 14, 2014|access-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref> The gig in [[Nizhny Novgorod]] was stopped halfway through the set, after police conducted a search for drugs at the venue.<ref name="Loudwire">{{cite web|last=Hartmann|first=Graham|title=Cannibal Corpse Concert Stopped Mid-Show by Russian Police|url=http://loudwire.com/cannibal-corpse-concert-stopped-mid-show-russian-police/|website=[[Loudwire.com]]|date=October 16, 2014|access-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref> The concert in Saint Petersburg was canceled at the last minute because of unspecified "technical reasons", [[OMON]] arrived shortly after and arrested eighteen concertgoers.<ref>{{cite web|last=Munro|first=Scott|title=Cannibal Corpse fans arrested in Russia|url=http://metalhammer.teamrock.com/news/2014-10-17/cannibal-corpse-fans-arrested-in-russia|website=Metalhammer.teamrock.com|date=October 17, 2014|access-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref> Cannibal Corpse members stated that Russian authorities threatened to detain the members if they performed because they did not have the correct [[work visa]]s.<ref name="Loudwire"/>

==Band members==
<gallery class="center" perrow="5" caption="Cannibal Corpse at Rockharz Open Air 2018">
File:Cannibal Corpse Rockharz 2018 10.jpg|Alex Webster
File:Cannibal Corpse Rockharz 2018 03.jpg|Paul Mazurkiewicz
File:Cannibal Corpse Rockharz 2018 13.jpg|George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher
File:Cannibal Corpse Rockharz 2018 11.jpg|Pat O'Brien
File:Cannibal Corpse Rockharz 2018 04.jpg|Rob Barrett
</gallery>{{Col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Current'''<ref name="AMG"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rob-barrett-mn0000277698|title=Rob Barrett &#124; Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=October 8, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sfweekly.com/music/we-talked-to-cannibal-corpse-about-what-its-like-to-be-one-of-the-oldest-death-metal-bands-around/|title=We Talked to Cannibal Corpse About What It's Like To Be One of The Oldest Death Metal Bands Around|date=March 3, 2016|newspaper=[[SF Weekly]]|access-date=October 8, 2020}}</ref>
* [[Alex Webster]] – bass (1988–present)
* [[Paul Mazurkiewicz]] – drums (1988–present)
* [[Rob Barrett]] – guitar (1993–1997, 2005–present)
* [[George Fisher (musician)|George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher]] – vocals (1995–present)
* [[Erik Rutan]] – guitar, backing vocals (2021–present; touring 2019–2021)
{{col-2}}
'''Former'''
* [[Jack Owen]] – guitar (1988–2004)
* [[Chris Barnes (musician)|Chris Barnes]] – vocals (1988–1995)
* Bob Rusay – guitar (1988–1993)
* [[Pat O'Brien (guitarist)|Pat O'Brien]] – guitar (1997–2021; inactive 2018–2021)
'''Touring'''
* Jeremy Turner – guitar (2004–2005)
* Brandon Ellis – guitar (2025)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Childers |first=Chad |date=2025-09-03 |title=Cannibal Corpse Announce Fill-In For Longtime Guitarist on Upcoming 2025 U.S. Tour |url=https://loudwire.com/cannibal-corpse-brand-ellis-fill-in-rob-barrett-2025-us-tour/ |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=Loudwire |language=en}}</ref>

{{Col-end}}

'''Timeline'''
{{#tag: timeline |
ImageSize  = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
PlotArea   = left:100 bottom:75 top:0 right:10
Alignbars  = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period     = from:12/01/1988 till:11/20/2025 #it is best not to use auto-updating timelines as it can cause problems when the graphic updates on a daily basis
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1990
ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1989
Legend     = position:bottom  orientation:vertical columns:4

Colors =
 id:vocals   value:red             legend:Vocals
 id:guitar     value:green           legend:Guitar
 id:bass     value:blue            legend:Bass
 id:drums    value:orange          legend:Drums
 id:touring  value:yellow          legend:Touring
 id:album    value:black           legend:Studio_album
 id:other    value:gray(0.7)       legend:Other_release
 id:bars     value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

LineData =
 layer:back
  color:other
   at:03/23/1993
   at:11/25/1997
   at:08/01/2003
   at:09/16/2000
   at:07/08/2008
   at:03/15/2011
   at:04/16/2013
  color:album
   at:08/17/1990
   at:07/01/1991
   at:09/22/1992
   at:04/12/1994
   at:05/21/1996
   at:04/21/1998
   at:10/19/1999
   at:02/26/2002
   at:02/24/2004
   at:03/21/2006
   at:02/03/2009
   at:03/13/2012
   at:09/16/2014
   at:11/03/2017
   at:04/16/2021
   at:09/22/2023

BarData =
 bar:Barnes       text:"Chris Barnes"
 bar:Fisher       text:"George Fisher"
 bar:Owen         text:"Jack Owen"
 bar:Rusay        text:"Bob Rusay"
 bar:Barrett      text:"Rob Barrett"
 bar:O'Brien      text:"Pat O'Brien"
 bar:Rutan        text:"Erik Rutan"
 bar:Webster      text:"Alex Webster"
 bar:Mazurkiewicz text:"Paul Mazurkiewicz"

PlotData =
 width:11
 bar:Barnes       from:12/01/1988 till:03/01/1995    color:vocals
 bar:Fisher       from:03/01/1995 till:end           color:vocals
 bar:Owen         from:12/01/1988 till:07/01/2004    color:guitar
 bar:Rusay        from:12/01/1988 till:04/01/1993    color:guitar
 bar:Barrett      from:04/01/1993 till:02/01/1997    color:guitar
 bar:Barrett      from:01/01/2005 till:end           color:guitar
 bar:O'Brien      from:02/01/1997 till:12/10/2018    color:guitar
 bar:O'Brien      from:12/10/2018 till:02/02/2021    color:guitar width:3
 bar:Rutan        from:01/18/2019 till:02/02/2021    color:touring width:3
 bar:Rutan        from:01/18/2019 till:end           color:guitar
 bar:Webster      from:12/01/1988 till:end           color:bass
 bar:Mazurkiewicz from:12/01/1988 till:end           color:drums
}}

'''Recording timeline'''
<div class="left" style="max-width:100%; overflow:auto;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:99%;"
|-
! rowspan="2" style="width:10%;"| Role
! colspan="16" style="text-align:center;"| Album
|-
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[Eaten Back to Life]]''<br /><small>(1990)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[Butchered at Birth]]''<br /><small>(1991)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[Tomb of the Mutilated]]''<br /><small>(1992)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[The Bleeding (album)|The Bleeding]]''<br /><small>(1994)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[Vile (album)|Vile]]''<br /><small>(1996)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[Gallery of Suicide]]''<br /><small>(1998)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[Bloodthirst (album)|Bloodthirst]]''<br /><small>(1999)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[Gore Obsessed]]''<br /><small>(2002)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[The Wretched Spawn]]''<br /><small>(2004)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[Kill (Cannibal Corpse album)|Kill]]''<br /><small>(2006)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[Evisceration Plague]]''<br /><small>(2009)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[Torture (album)|Torture]]''<br /><small>(2012)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[A Skeletal Domain]]''<br /><small>(2014)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[Red Before Black]]''<br /><small>(2017)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[Violence Unimagined]]''<br /><small>(2021)</small>
! style="text-align:center; width:8%;"| ''[[Chaos Horrific]]''<br /><small>(2023)</small>
|-
!Vocals
|colspan="4"|[[Chris Barnes (musician)|Chris Barnes]]
|colspan="12"|[[George Fisher (musician)|George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher]]
|-
!Guitar
| colspan="3"|Bob Rusay
| colspan="2"|[[Rob Barrett]]
| colspan="9"|[[Pat O'Brien (guitarist)|Pat O'Brien]]
| colspan="2"| [[Erik Rutan]]
|-
!Guitar
| colspan="9"|[[Jack Owen]]
| colspan="7"|Rob Barrett
|-
!Bass
|colspan="16"|[[Alex Webster]]
|-
!Drums
|colspan="16"|[[Paul Mazurkiewicz]]
|}
</div>

==Discography==
{{Main|Cannibal Corpse discography}}
; Studio albums
*''[[Eaten Back to Life]]'' (1990)
*''[[Butchered at Birth]]'' (1991)
*''[[Tomb of the Mutilated]]'' (1992)
*''[[The Bleeding (album)|The Bleeding]]'' (1994)
*''[[Vile (album)|Vile]]'' (1996)
*''[[Gallery of Suicide]]'' (1998)
*''[[Bloodthirst (album)|Bloodthirst]]'' (1999)
*''[[Gore Obsessed]]'' (2002)
*''[[The Wretched Spawn]]'' (2004)
*''[[Kill (Cannibal Corpse album)|Kill]]'' (2006)
*''[[Evisceration Plague]]'' (2009)
*''[[Torture (album)|Torture]]'' (2012)
*''[[A Skeletal Domain]]'' (2014)
*''[[Red Before Black]]'' (2017)
*''[[Violence Unimagined]]'' (2021)
*''[[Chaos Horrific]]'' (2023)

==See also==
{{Portal|Rock music|United States|New York (state)|Florida}}
*[[Cannabis Corpse]]
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://www.cannibalcorpse.net}}
* {{discogs artist}}

{{Cannibal Corpse}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cannibal Corpse}}
[[Category:Cannibal Corpse| ]]
[[Category:1988 establishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Articles which contain graphical timelines]]
[[Category:Death metal musical groups from Florida]]
[[Category:Death metal musical groups from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Metal Blade Records artists]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1988]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Buffalo, New York]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Tampa, Florida]]
[[Category:Musical quintets from Florida]]
[[Category:Obscenity controversies in music]]