Cannibal Corpse. Not just one of the most controversial Death Metal acts of all time, but also one of the most successful. We get it, mainstream audiences don’t like lyrics about stripping, raping and strangling. Most death metalheads do though, and Cannibal Corpse are the number 1 act to feature such lyrics.
Formed in 1988, Cannibal Corpse rose to the top of the genre in a matter of years. They played their first gig in 1989, shortly after finishing their self-titled demo. One year later, they were signed to Metal Blade Records and released their debut album Eaten Back To Life — a Death Metal classic.
Chris Barnes’ gruesome lyrics attracted the attention of people who usually can’t be found in metal clubs. Bob Dole accused them of “undermining the national character of the United States,” and numerous senators and conservative activists tried to get them dumped from their record label. Up until 2006, all Cannibal Corpse albums were banned in Australia, and the first three albums were banned in Germany.
Not everybody strongly disliked Cannibal though. Jim Carrey insisted that they make an appearance in his film ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,’ where they performed their underground hit ‘Hammer Smashed Face.’
While yesterday’s featured artist Morbid Angel (see link below) released the commercially most successful Death Metal album of all time, Cannibal Corpse are the Death Metal act to sell the most albums overall.
23 years after forming, Cannibal Corpse are still going strong. With a slightly different lineup, but still as brutal as ever. To many they are the biggest Death Metal band of all time, and I can’t say I disagree. It’s debatable whether they are the greatest Death Metal band or not, but there is no question that they have left their bloody mark on Death Metal.
Cannibal Corpse – Fucked With A Knife
Death ’til Death introduction – Day 1: Death – Day 2: Possessed – Day 3: Morbid Angel
Day 4: Cannibal Corpse – Day 5: Nile – Day 6: Hypocrisy – Day 7: Obituary
