"If vomit were a movie, this would be the soundtrack," wrote one critic of Cannibal Corpse's music, some of the most extreme, violent death metal sounds and subject matter ever committed to tape. Reveling in splatter-horror imagery in their often indecipherable lyrics, the group's graphic album artwork and song titles like "Meat Hook Sodomy," "Entrails Ripped from a Virgin's Cunt," "Fucked with a Knife," and so on, have — not surprisingly — attracted a fair amount of controversy and sometimes resulted in their albums being banned. However, their over-the-top extremity has won them a rabid cult following and made them one of the most popular death metal bands of the '90s; sticking with what works, the band didn't alter or develop its style much over the decade, although fans didn't seem to mind.

Cannibal Corpse was formed in Buffalo, NY, in 1988, their lineup composed mostly of musically active scenesters: vocalist Chris Barnes, guitarists Bob Rusay and Jack Owen, bassist Alex Webster, and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz. Musically, they were closest to Slayer, although more extreme metal bands like Death also played a role in their sound. A 1989 demo helped the band secure a contract with Metal Blade Records, which released their debut album, Eaten Back to Life, in 1990. A cult following began to build behind the group with albums like 1991's Butchered at Birth and 1992's Tomb of the Mutilated. Bob Rusay was fired in 1993 and replaced with ex-Malevolent Creation guitarist Rob Barrett, who joined the group in time to appear as a club band in the Jim Carrey film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

Barrett debuted on record with 1994's (relatively) more accessible The Bleeding, which proved to be Barnes' final album; 1996's Vile featured ex-Monstrosity vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. Cannibal Corpse soldiered on through the decade, returning in 1998 with Gallery of Suicide. Bloodthirst followed a year later, and in 2000 the band issued both a video and CD titled Live Cannibalism (their second concert video but first official live album). Gore Obsessed arrived in 2002, followed by the obsessively packaged box set/DVD 15 Year Killing Spree. Their ninth album of all new material, Wretched Spawn, was released in 2004, followed by Kill in 2006.

 

CURRENT LINE-UP:

George ''Corpsegrinder'' Fisher - Vocals (1996-) (Monstrosity, Paths of Possession, Ghoul, Corpsegrinder)
Pat O'Brien - Guitar (1997-) (Ceremony, Chastain, Monstrosity, Nevermore)
Rob Barrett - Guitar (1993-96, 2005-) (HatePlow, Malevolent Creation, Solstice)
Alex Webster - Bass (1988-) (Alas, Beyond Death, Hate Eternal, Blotted Science)
Paul Mazurkiewicz - Drums (1988-) (Tirant Sin)

 

FORMER MEMBERS:

Bob Rusay - Guitar (1988-93) (Tirant Sin)
Jack Owen - Guitar (1988-2004) (Beyond Death, Deicide, Adrift)
Chris Barnes - Vocals (1988-95) (Leviathan, Six Feet Under, Tirant Sin, Torture Killer)

Skull Full Of Maggots (Demo 1989)

1.)Skull Full Of Maggots

2.)The Undead Will Feast

3.)Scattered Remains, Splattered Brains

4.)Put Them To Death

5.)Bloody Chunks

Eaten Back To Life (1990)

1.)Shredded Humans

2.)Edible Autopsy

3.)Put Them To Death

4.)Mangled

5.)Scattered Remains, Splattered Brains

6.)Born In A Casket

7.)Rotting Head

8.)The Undead Will Feast

9.)Bloody Chunks

10.)A Skull Full Of Maggots

11.)Buried In The Backyard

Notes: The rerelease contains a bonus song/video of "Born In A Casket (Live)". This album was banned in Germany until June 2006 because the cover art was considered to be too violent.

Butchered At Birth (1991)

1.)Meat Hook Sodomy

2.)Gutted

3.)Living Dissection

4.)Under The Rotten Flesh

5.)Covered With Sores

6.)Vomit The Soul

7.)Butchered At Birth

8.)Rancid Amputation

9.)Innards Decay

Notes: The rerelease contained the bonus song/video of  "Covered In Sores (Live)". The record was banned in Germany until June 2006 because the cover artwork was considered to be too violent.

Tomb Of The Mutilated (1992)

1.)Hammer Smashed Face

2.)I Cum Blood

3.)Addicted To Vaginal Skin

4.)Split Wide Open

5.)Necropedophile

6.)The Cryptic Stench

7.)Entrails Ripped From A Virgin's Cunt

8.)Post Mortal Ejaculation

9.)Beyond The Cemetery

Note: On the rerelease the bonus song/video "I Cum Blood (Live)". The record was banned in Germany until June 2006 because the cover artwork was considered to be too violent.

Hammer Smashed Face (EP 1993)

1.)Hammer Smashed Face

2.)The Exorcist (Possessed cover)

3.)Zero The Hero (Black Sabbath cover)

4.)Meat Hook Sodomy

5.)Shredded Humans

Notes: Tracks 4 and 5 are bonus tracks contained only on an alternate version of the EP.

The Bleeding (1994)

1.)Staring Through The Eyes Of The Dead

2.)Fucked With A Knife

3.)Stripped, Raped And Strangled

4.)Pulverised

5.)Return To Flesh

6.)The Pick-Axe Murders

7.)She Was Asking For It

8.)The Bleeding

9.)Force-Fed Broken Glass

10.)An Experiment In Homicide

Notes: This is the first album with Rob Barrett and the last album with Chris Barnes. There is a music video made for "Staring Through The Eyes Of The Dead". In 2006 the album was re-released with their cover of Possessed's "The Exorcist" and the video for "Staring Through The Eyes Of The Dead" as bonus tracks.

Created To Kill (Demo 1995)

1.)To Kill Myself

2.)Bloodlands

3.)Created To Kill

4.)Mummified In Barbed Wire

5.)Disfigured

Notes: This is Cannibal Corpse's final recording with Chris Barnes, and all the song's ended up on "Vile" with the exception of "Created To Kill". This was later re-released on the "15 Year Killing Spree" boxset with some additional tracks. There's also a bootleg version of this demo that has the following extra tracks:

6.)The Exorcist (Possessed cover)

7.)Zero The Hero (Black Sabbath cover)

8.)Sacrifice (Sacrifice cover. This track has Corpsegrinder on vocals.)

9.)Confessions (Possessed cover. This track has Corpsegrinder on vocals.)

Vile (1996)

1.)Devoured By Vermin

2.)Mummified In Barbed Wire

3.)Perverse Suffering

4.)Disfigured

5.)Bloodlands

6.)Puncture Wound Massacre

7.)Relentless Beating

8.)Absolute Hatred

9.)Eaten From The Inside

10.)Orgasm Through Torture

11.)Monolith

Notes: The first album to feature Corpsegrinder on vocals and also the first Death metal album to debut on the Billboard charts. It debuted at #122 in 1996. The limited digipack re-release had the censored cover, and an enhanced part and two bonus tracks:
12. Staring Through The Eyes Of The Dead (live)
13. Hammer Smashed Face (live)

There was a video made for "Devoured By Vermin".

As part of Metal Blade Records' 25th anniversary, this album was re-released again in 2007, with a bonus DVD that has a live set from 1997 :

February 3rd 1997:

1.)Perverse Suffering
2.)Stripped Raped and Strangled
3.)Covered with Sores
4.)Monolith
5.)Addicted to Vaginal Skin
6.)Force Fed Broken Glass
7.)Fucked with a Knife
8.)Gutted
9.)Bloodlands
10.)Shredded Humans
11.)Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead
12.)A Skull Full of Maggots
13.)Devoured by Vermin
14.)Hammer Smashed Face

February 4th 1997:

1.)Pulverized
2.)Puncture Wound Massacre
3.)Mummified in Barbed Wire
4.)Orgasm Through Torture

Gallery Of Suicide (1998)

1.)I Will Kill You

2.)Disposal Of The Body

3.)Sentenced To Burn

4.)Blood Drenched Execution

5.)Gallery Of Suicide

6.)Dismembered And Molested

7.)From Skin To Liquid

8.)Unite The Dead

9.)Stabbed In The Throat

10.)Chambers Of Blood

11.)Headless

12.)Every Bone Broken

13.)Centuries Of Torment

14.)Crushing The Despised

15.)Sacrifice

Note: Track 15 is a bonus track found only on the Japenese version.

Bloodthirst (1999)

1.)Pounded Into Dust

2.)Dead Human Collection

3.)Unleashing The Bloodthirsty

4.)The Spine Splitter

5.)Ecstasy In Decay

6.)Raped By The Beast

7.)Coffinfeeder

8.)Hacksaw Decapitation

9.)Blowtorch Slaughter

10.)Sickening Metamorphosis

11.)Condemned To Agony

Live Cannibalism (Live 2000)

1.)Staring Through The Eyes Of The Dead

2.)Blowtorch Slaughter

3.)Stripped, Raped And Strangled

4.)I Cum Blood

5.)Covered With Sores

6.)Fucked With A Knife

7.)Unleashing The Bloodthirsty

8.)Dead Human Collection

9.)Gallery Of Suicide

10.)Meat Hook Sodomy

11.)Perverse Suffering

12.)The Spine Splitter

13.)Gutted

14.)I Will Kill You

15.)Devoured By Vermin

16.)Disposal Of The Body

17.)A Skull Full Of Maggots

18.)Hammer Smashed Face

Notes: Also released as a live video.

Sacrifice/Confessions (Single 2000)

1.)Sacrifice (Sacrifice cover)

2.)Confessions (Possessed cover)

 

Gore Obsessed (2002)

1.)Savage Butchery

2.)Hatchet To The Head

3.)Pit Of Zombies

4.)Dormant Bodies Bursting

5.)Compelled To Lacerate

6.)Drowning In Viscera

7.)Hung And Bled

8.)Sanded Faceless

9.)Mutation Of The Cadaver

10.)When Death Replaces Life

11.)Grotesque

12.)No Remorse (Metallica cover)

Notes: Track 12 only appears on the first pressing of the album.

Worm Infested (EP 2002)

1.) Systematic Elimination (Accept cover)

2.)Worm Infested

3.)Demon's Night

4.)The Undead Will Feast

5.)Confessions (Possessed cover)

6.)No Remorse (Metallica cover)

15 Year Killing Spree (Box Set 2003)

Disc 1: Best Of Vol.1:
1.)Shredded Humans
2.)Put Them To Death
3.) Born In A Casket
4.)A Skull Full Of Maggots
5.)Gutted
6.)Covered With Sores
7.)Vomit The Soul
8.)Hammer Smashed Face
9.)Addicted To Vaginal Skin
10.)The Cryptic Stench
11.)Staring Through The Eyes Of The Dead
12.)Stripped, Raped And Strangled
13.)The Pick-Axe Murders
14.)The Bleeding
15.)Zero The Hero (Black Sabbath cover)

Disc 2: Best Of Vol.2:
1.)Devoured By Vermin
2.)Disfigured
3.)Monolith
4.)I Will Kill You
5.)Sentenced To Burn
6.)Gallery Of Suicide
7.)Dead Human Collection
8.)The Spine Splitter
9.)Pounded Into Dust
10.)I Cum Blood (live)
11.)Fucked With A Knife (live)
12.)Unleashing The Bloodthirsty (live)
13.)Meathook Sodomy (live)
14.)Savage Butchery
15.)Pit O Zombies
16.)Sanded Faceless
17.)Systematic Elimination

Disc 3: Previously Unreleased Material:

Tracks 1 to 5 from: 89 Demo
Tracks 6 to 12 from: "Created To Kill" Sessions
Tracks 13 to 18 from: "Gallery Of Suicide" Demo
Tracks 19 to 21 are cover versions.

1.)A Skull Full Of Maggots
2.)The Undead Will Feast
3.)Scattered Remains, Splattered Brains
4.)Put Then To Death
5.)Bloody Chunks
6.)Unburied Horror
7.)Mummified In Barbed Wire
8.)Gallery Of The Obscene
9.)To Kill Myself
10.)Bloodlands
11.)Puncture Wound Massacre
12.)Devoured By Vermin
13.)Chambers Of Blood
14.)Dismembered And Molested
15.)Gallery Of Suicide
16.)Unite The Dead
17.)Crushing The Despised
18.)Headless
19.)Bethany Home (A Place To Die)
20.)Endless Pain
21.)Behind Bars

Disc 4 - DVD:

Tracks 1 to 7: 1st Live Cannibal Corpse Show (1989)
Track 8: "Butchered At Birth" Studio Footage (1991)
Tracks 9 to 17: Cannibal Corpse Eats Moscow Alive (1993)
Tracks 18 to 27: Live at The Palace in Hollywood, CA (2002)

1.)Scattered Remains, Splattered Brains
2.)The Undead Will Feast
3.)Escape the Torment
4.)Bloody Chunks
5.)Enter at Your Own Risk
6.)Put Them to Death
7.)A Skull Full of Maggots
8.)Drum Sessions & Bass Guitar Overdub
9.)Shredded Humans
10.)The Cryptic Stench
11.)Meathook Sodomy
12.)Edible Autopsy
13.)I Cum Blood
14.)Gutted
15.)Entrails Ripped From a Virgin's Cunt
16.)Beyond the Cemetery
17.)A Skull Full of Maggots
18.)From Skin to Liquid
19.)Savage Butchery
20.)Devoured by Vermin
21.)Stripped, Raped and Strangled
22.)Disposal of the Body
23.)Pounded into Dust
24.)Addicted to Vaginal Skin
25.)Meathook Sodomy
26.)Pit of Zombies
27.)Hammer Smashed Face

Notes: 3-CD boxset with a DVD, comic book, poster and booklet. The DVD also contains behind footage of the band when they were recording "Eaten Back To Life" and "Butchered At Birth".


The Wretched Spawn (2004)

1.)Severed Head Stoning

2.)Psychotic Precission

3.)Decency Defied

4.)Frantic Disembowelment

5.)The Wretched Spawn

6.)Cyanide Assassin

7.)Festering In The Crypt

8.)Nothing Left To Mutilate

9.)Blunt Force Castration

10.)Rotted Body Landslide

11.)Slain

12.)Bent Backwords And Broken

13.)They Deserve To Die

Kill (2006)

1.)The Time To Kill Is Now

2.)Make Them Suffer

3.)Murder Worship

4.)Necrosadistic Warning

5.)Five Nails Through The Neck

6.)Purification By Fire

7.)Death Walking Terror

8.)Barbaric Bludgeonings

9.)The Discipline Of Revenge

10.)Brain Removal Device

11.)Maniacal

12.)Submerged In Boiling Flesh

13.)Infinite Misery