Cannibal Corpse β Eaten Back to Life
- intothewellsabyss
- Aug 17, 2023
- 6 min read
π πππ πππ ππππππ - πππππππππππ ππππ πππππ ππππππππ π’π§ ππ‘π πππππππ π¨πΒ ππππ ππππ & πππππ πππππβ¦
August 17, 1990 β Cannibal CorpseΒ released their debut studio album, Eaten Back to LifeΒ via Metal Blade Records. (Listen)
Background:
Members from earlier Buffalo-area death metal bands Beyond Death (Alex Webster, Jack Owen), Tirant Sin (Paul Mazurkiewicz, Chris Barnes, Bob Rusay), and Leviathan (Barnes) established the band in December 1988. 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. Within a year of the first gig, the band was signed to Metal Blade Records, apparently after the label had heard the demo tape that the manager of the record store at which Barnes was working sent in. Their full-length Death Metal debut album, Eaten Back to Life, was released in August 1990. Inspired by and seeking the new commercial and recording opportunities of the emerging Florida Death Metal scene, the band relocated to Tampa.
Eaten Back to Life was banned in Germany (censored versions of the album were not available, but the ban was revoked in 2006) and other countries because of the violent cover and the extreme nature of the lyrics. Glen Benton of Deicide and Francis H. Howard of Opprobrium (then known as Incubus) perform backup vocals on Mangled and A Skull Full of Maggots.
The following statement can be found in the inlay of this album: "ππππ πππππ ππ πππππππππ ππ πππ ππππππ’ ππ π°πππππ πΏπππππ, πππ πππππ π°πππππππ ππππππππ (π.πΈ.πΏ.)".
Reissue:
The remastered version includes a video of Born in a Casket (Live) as well as a less saturated cover color, a new text scheme for the title, and the Fisher-era Cannibal Corpse text logo.
Cannibal Controversy:
In May 1995, then-US Senator Bob Dole accused Cannibal Corpse (along with hip hop acts including the Geto Boys and 2 Live Crew) of undermining the national character of the United States. A year later, the band came under fire again, this time as part of a campaign by conservative activist 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 Time Warner, Sony, Thorn-EMI, PolyGram and Bertelsmann) to "ππππ πΈπΆ πππππππππ ππππππ...πππππππππππ πππ πππ ππππ πππππππππ ππ’ππππ".
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. 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 "πππππππππ ππππ ππ ππππππππ".
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 "ππππππππππ " and only sold to those over 18 years of age. Some are sold in "ππππππππ " and "ππππππππππ" editions, which denotes the change of cover art. Despite this, when displayed in some stores, even the "ππππππππππ" editions are censored manually.
After discussion of banning them from touring, Australian comedy act The Chaser did a lounge music version of their song Rancid Amputation on their show The Chaser's War on Everything, claiming that the music, and not the lyrics, was the problem, by performing a lounge music version.
All Cannibal Corpse albums up to and including Tomb of the Mutilated were banned upon release from being sold or displayed in Germany due to their graphic cover art and disturbing lyrics; the band was also forbidden to play any songs from those albums while touring in Germany. This prohibition was not lifted until June 2006. In a 2004 interview, George Fisher attempted to recall what originally provoked the ban;
"π° π ππππ πππ πππππππ π ππππππ πππ ππ πππ ππππππ, πΈ πππππ πππ ππ π πππππππππππππ, πππ πππ ππππ ππππππ ππππ πππ πππππ πππππ ππ. ππ [πππ ] π π πππ,π ππππ’ πππ’πππππ ππππ πππ πππππ πππππ πππππππ. π°ππ ππ ππππππ’ πππππ πππππππ ππππ ππππ ππ πππ ππππ’ π πππ ππ ππ ππππ’ πππ πππ πππ πππππ (πππ π π π ππππ), πππ ππππ’ ππππ πππ ππππ. ππ πππβπ ππππ’ π±πππ ππ π π²πππππ πππ πππ ππππ’ π³ππππππππππ πππ πΌπππππππ."
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 "πππππππ πππππππππ ππππππππ." He commented unfavorably on the lyrics, saying they promoted "πππππ, ππππππππ, ππ π πππ ππ πππππππ πππππ ππ πππ‘πππ ππππππππππ." The gig in Nizhny Novgorod was stopped halfway through the set, after police conducted a search for drugs at the venue. The concert in Saint Petersburg was canceled at the last minute because of unspecified "πππππππππ πππππππ." Fans began rioting, and eighteen of them were arrested. Band members stated that Russian authorities threatened to detain them if the band performed because they did not have the correct visas.
Responses to Critics:
Cannibal Corpse's lyrics and album/T-shirt artwork frequently feature transgressive and macabre imagery, including depictions of extreme violence and gore; the band has always defended this as artistic expression that is clearly fictional. In an interview for the documentary Metal: A Headbangers Journey, George Fisher said that Death Metal is best understood "ππ πππ", and claims that far more violent art can be found at the Vatican, pointing out that such depictions are arguably more transgressive because they actually happened.
Some examples of Cannibal Corpse's most controversial song titles include I Cum Blood, Meat Hook Sodomy, Entrails Ripped from a Virgin's Cunt, Necropedophile, Stripped, Raped, and Strangled, and Fucked with a Knife.
On the same topic, George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher once said in an interview;
"ππ πππβπ ππππ πππππ ππππππππ. ππ πππβπ ππππ πππππ ππππππππ... π°ππ πππ πππππ πππ πππππ πππππππ ππππ, ππ πππ’πππ π ππππ ππ ππππππ ππππ’ πππππ πππππππ ππ ππππ π ππππππ πππππ. ππππππ’, ππππβπ πππ ππ ππ. ππ ππππ ππππππππ, πππππ’ ππππππ, πππ π π π πππ πππ ππ’ππππ ππ ππ ππππ ππππ. ππππ, ππβπ πππππ πππππππ ππππππ, πππ ππβπ πππ πππππππππ ππ ππ πππ. π±ππππππππ’ πππππ πππ πππππππππ πππππππ, πππ ππππβπ ππ. π°ππ πππ’πππ π ππ ππππ πππππ πππππ ππ ππ ππππππππππ."
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;
"πΈ πππππ ππππππ ππππππππ’ ππππβπ ππππ ππππππππππ£ππ ππ ππ, π’ππ ππππ πππππππππ ππ’ππππ, ππππ π’ππ ππππ , π π ππππ πππππ πππ ππππ πππππ πππ π’ππ π ππππ π πππππ π ππππ π’ππ ππππ ππβπ πππ ππππ πππ ππβπ ππ πππ ππππ, πππ ππ π’ππ ππππππ’ πππ πππππππ πππ πππππ ππππππ ππππππ ππ πππππ ππ πππππ ππ π’ππ, πΈ πππππ ππ π ππππ ππππ π ππππππ’ ππππππππ ππππππ ππ πππ’ πππππ πππππ π’ππ ππππ π πππ πΈ ππππ? πΎπ ππππ ππππππππ, πππππ πππ ππ ππππππππ ππ π πππππππ ππππ πππππ ππ πππππ ππ π’ππ, πΈ ππππ π’ππβπ πππππ ππ ππ, ππ ππππππ πππ ππππ’ ππππππ π’ππβππ π ππππππ ππ πππ ππππ ππππ πππππ π’ππβππ ππππππππ ππ ππ π πππππππ, πΈ,π ππππ ππβπ π ππππππππππ’ πππππππππ πππππ π πππ ππβπ πππππ ππ πππππ ππ π’ππ. π΄πππ ππππππ π πβππ πππ ππππ£π’ πππππππππππππ πππ , πππ ππππππ πππππππππ πππ ππππππππ’ π πππ ππππ πππππππ£ππ ππππ ππππ’ π πππ ππππ ππππ, πΈ ππππ π πβππ πππ πππππππ ππππππ ππ π πππππππ ππππ ππ πππ ππππππ πππ πΈ πππππ ππππβπ ππππππππ πππππππππππ πππ πππ’ πππππππ’ ππ ππ’ πππππππ."
He also believes the violent lyrics can have positive value;
"πΈπβπ ππππ ππ ππππ πππππ’ πππππ ππ π πππππππ.β
George Fisher explained the content of their songs;
"πππππβπ πππππππ ππππ πππππππ. ππβππ πππ ππππππππ ππ πππ’ππππ’ ππ ππππππππππ ππππ π πβππ πππ’πππ ππ ππππ, ππ ππππ ππ πππ’πππππ."
Noteworthy:
Cannibal Corpse also had a cameo appearance in the 1994 Jim Carrey film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, performing an abridged version of their song Hammer Smashed Face.
Cannibal Corpse Demo (in relation to βEatenβ):
Cannibal Corpseβs 1989 self-titled demo is the predecessor to Eaten Back to Life and all of its songs were re-recorded for that album. Although the correct title of the demo is simply Cannibal Corpse, the demo is commonly referred to as A Skull Full of Maggots or simply The Demo among Cannibal Corpse collectors and fans. The songs featured on this demo were A Skull Full of Maggots, The Undead Will Feast, Scattered Remains, Splattered Brains, Put Them to Death, and Bloody Chunks.
Unlike their following releases, the demo has a Thrash Metal-oriented sound that is reminiscent of influential Thrash albums where a more aggressive variant of the genre that bordered on Death Metal was present, such as Kreator's Pleasure to Kill and Dark Angel's Darkness Descends.
The cassette covers feature a photo of the early band and artwork created by Chris Barnes. The covers are printed on plain inexpensive cardstock and printed in a single color on a white background.
The demo itself is featured on Cannibal Corpse's 2003 Box Set 15 Year Killing Spree.
The original version of this demo was produced only on cassette tape. Only two productions runs of 100 units were ever made for a total of only 200 tapes (100 with white background; 100 with red background). The cassettes were cheaply produced, and many of them appear to be made from second hand or rejected cassette stocks, often faded writing from other band's albums is visible on the cassette itself. Most of the copies were simply given out at shows and traded or passed among fans. The few original cassettes that still exist are prized by fans and hoarded by collectors of Cannibal Corpse memorabilia.
Notice: Any reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. β E.N. Wells
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