A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANNIBAL CORPSE
Cannibal Corpse is the biggest
pioneering band for extreme music in the world to date. Metal Blade is even
forced to have 2 different versions of each cover of the albums they have
released, due to the disturbing artwork. Despite the mainstream music scene
not giving Cannibal Corpse any support, the band has beat the odds simply
by being themselves.
Cannibal Corpse came together in Buffalo, New York in December of 1988 with
current original members, Jack Owen (guitar), Paul Mazurkiewicz (drums),
and Alex Webster (bass). The band sent a demo to Metal Blade and upon hearing
the song “Skull Full of Maggots", Metal Blade owner and CEO Brian Slagel
knew he had to have the band. Recording their debut album “Eaten Back to
Life” on Metal Blade Records, which was released in 1990, their dreams came
true.
With
very little touring done for " Eaten", Cannibal Corpse started working on
songs for the next release “Butchered at Birth". Not knowing what controversy
was to come from the album cover, and let alone the extreme lyrical content,
Metal Blade was forced to have a censored cover for "Butchered at Birth"
just to get the CD in store chains! A plain white cover, band logo, and
album title. Only a few songs were allowed to be mentioned on the track
listing as well.
Due to "Butchered at Birth",
Cannibal Corpse was now making their mark into the Metal realm, being featured
in major Metal magazines across the globe. Things would really start to
pick up for Cannibal Corpse for the next album “Tomb of the Mutilated,”
which nobody would expect such an impact would be made! Once again Cannibal
Corpse recorded in Morrisound Studios with Scott Burns. This time around
they hit the nail right on the head. Solidifying their mark as the most
offensive band across the globe, Cannibal Corpse would continue to tour
America, and even make their way to Russia on their European tour! During
downtime after the “Tomb of the Mutilated” tours, Cannibal Corpse met actor
Jim Carrey whom had personally requested the band to be featured in his
first big budget film “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.” Cannibal Corpse was
the first band of this nature to be in a mainstream movie of this caliber.
Cannibal unknowing of the popularity the fim would generate, agreed to be
a part of the film. "Hammer Smashed Face" would be heard by millions of
people across the globe. The song is also featured on the soundtrack.
The doors started to open for Cannibal Corpse after that point. Cannibal
Corpse set out to release their 4th album. “The Bleeding” would stand as
their highest selling album. The album sold over 110,000 albums in America
alone without any radio play, MTV, or major press support from mainstream
music magazines like Rolling Stone or Spin. The big sales resulted from
their intense live show, and the bands ability to write great songs. Cannibal
Corpse toured worldwide to support “The Bleeding”. They played in Australia,
and South America, opening new markets for Death Metal fans worldwide. They
also toured through out Europe and America.
In 1996, Cannibal Corpse made history for extreme metal bands everywhere,
by releasing their 5th album “Vile” with new vocalist George Fisher in May
of 1996. Cannibal Corpse was the first extreme Metal band ever to land a
position on Billboards Top 200, the album was number 151 on the chart, selling
more than 6,500 copies the first week out. They have been the first and
only extreme metal band to make the Billboard chart, making an unbelievable
breakthrough for the scene.
Cannibal Corpse toured for nearly a year straight worldwide and opened up
for popular bands like the Misfits and Anthrax for the first American tour
supporting “Vile". Being that Cannibal Corpse are fans of the music that
they create, and most importantly, fans of extreme music as a whole, they
brought out bands that they liked on the road. The first headlining tour
for “Vile” featured Oppressor, Brutal truth, and Immolation. The band then
released their fist home video which was filmed from the previous tours
in support of “Vile". "Monolith of Death" has sold an impressive 13,000+
copies in America, being the highest selling Death Metal home video to date!
Cannibal
then departed ways with guitarist Rob Barrett, and recruited Pat O’Brien.
Knowing Pat’s ability to take the technical portion of Cannibal Corpse to
the next level, Cannibal Corpse then entered into Morrisound once again,
but with new producer Jim Morris. “Gallery of Suicide” would open new doors
for Cannibal Corpse. The band would become even tighter than before, and
the music would cover almost every base of playing styles.
Cannibal Corpse made one more change for the following album “Bloodthirst,”
by changing studios and producers once again. Cannibal Corpse would venture
down to Tornillo, Texas. The scenario was perfect for “Bloodthirst.” Colin
Richardson would now take the helm as the producer thus leading Cannibal
Corpse into a fuller, thicker sound, and once again upping the quota for
extreme music!
Cannibal Corpse would tour America 2 times, and Europe 3 times in support
of “Bloodthirst.” Winning much appraise for their live show, and selling
out venues almost everywhere they played, the Corpse gave people a chance
to hear new bands like The Crown, God dethroned, Nile and Krisiun, who were
all featured on the numerous tours.
On February
26th, 2002, GORE OBSESSED, the band's eighth full-length studio album, will
redefine the Death Metal genre and reign as CANNIBAL CORPSE's most accomplished
and scrutinized recording to date. While not infringing on their trademark
sound, CANNIBAL CORPSE and multi-platinum first time CORPSE producer Neil
Kernon (Queensryche, Nevermore, Skrew, Macabre and many more) focused on
technically powerful guitars and unmatched bass & drum syncopation that
will leave the current crop of corporate makeup metallers slack jawed. "Pit
Of Zombies" rips with alternating tempos and time changes that never leaves
the listener behind, but drags them screaming into the pit. "Mutilation
Of The Cadaver" is another prime chunk of meat that sees vocalist George
"Corpsegrinder" Fisher easily spewing forth his finest vocal fury on record
(including an unnerving fourteen second scream).
February
24 is a day when their last album, The Wretched Spawn, came out. The sound
of that album is very similar to last few, Gallery of Suicide, Bloodthirst
or Gore Obsessed. George didn't change the way he sings, guitars are still
fine, Paul and Alex good like always. As George said in one interview: "The
Wretched Spawn is a little bit slower than any other album but it's still
that old CANNIBAL CORPSE death metal".
The Wretched Spawn brings first
CANNIBAL CORPSE real ballad named "Festering in the crypt" and other songs
like "Cyanide assassin" or album titled song "The wretched spawn". Album
ends with George's amazing scream, maybe the longest one (15 seconds). After
releasing this album Jack Owen has left band and he was replaced with Jeremy
Turner. Album is produced by Neil Kernon.
Now to the present with Cannibal Corpse! With the mainstream market still
not opening up to the world’s largest Death Metal band, Cannibal Corpse
has managed to sell over 1,000,000 cd’s collectively throughout the world
over the span of 9 studio albums and have been at the forefront of controversy
worldwide due the extreme nature of their lyrics and artwork. The band is
so controversial, that they’ve been verbally attacked by Bob Dole, and Joseph
Lieberman who both on separate occasions handpicked Cannibal Corpse and
accused the band of being obscene. They have also been banned from playing
any material from their first 3 albums in Germany.
When the fact of the matter is at hand, Cannibal Corpse is a band, that
practices hard, that tours in support of every album, and sells more than
any band of this nature, all due to their growing diehard Cannibal fan base.
There is no hype here. It just comes down to that Cannibal Corpse are musicians,
and they like the music they play, and it shows!
Finally the mainstream music world is opening up to hard bands like Slipknot,
Static X, and Mudvayne, all of which list Cannibal Corpse as a major influence
musically. When the music scene is ready for a band on the next level, Cannibal
Corpse is ready.
