Cannibal Corpse

Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse performing at 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, 2007. Left to right: Rob Barrett, Alex Webster, Paul Mazurkiewicz, George Fisher and Pat O'Brien
Background information
Origin	Buffalo, New York
Genres	Death metal
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Metal Blade
Associated acts	Tirant Sin Slayer Beyond Death
Website	cannibalcorpse.net
Members	Alex Webster Paul Mazurkiewicz Rob Barrett George Fisher Pat O'Brien
Past members	Chris Barnes Jack Owen Bob Rusay

Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in December 1988, the band has released thirteen studio albums, two box sets, four video albums and two live albums. The band has had little radio or television exposure throughout its career, although a cult following began to build after the release of the 1991 album Butchered at Birth, and 1992 album Tomb of the Mutilated. As of 2015, they had achieved worldwide sales of two million units for combined sales of all their albums, making them the top-selling death metal band of all time.

Bassist Alex Webster came up with the name Cannibal Corpse. They have had several lineup changes since their inception, with bassist Alex Webster and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz being the only constant members. The members of Cannibal Corpse were originally inspired by thrash metal bands like Metallica, Slayer and Kreator, as well as other death metal bands such as Morbid Angel and Death. The band's album art (most often by Vincent Locke) and lyrics, drawing heavily on horror fiction and horror films, are highly controversial. At different times, several countries, such as Germany and Russia, have banned Cannibal Corpse from performing within their borders, or have banned the sale and display of original Cannibal Corpse album covers.

Cannibal Corpse was established in 1988 by members from earlier Buffalo-area death metal bands: Beyond Death (Webster, Owen), Leviathan (Barnes), and Tirant Sin (Barnes, Rusay, Mazurkiewicz). The band played its first show at Buffalo's River Rock Cafe in March 1989, shortly after recording a five-song demo tape, Cannibal Corpse. Within a year of the first gig, the band was signed to Metal Blade Records, apparently after the label had heard their demo that was sent in by the manager of the record store at which Chris Barnes was working. Their full-length debut album, Eaten Back to Life, was released in August 1990.