Editing Cannibal Corpse (section)

===Formation and early releases (1988–1991)===
{{main|Eaten Back to Life|Butchered at Birth}}
[[File:Chris Barnes.jpg|left|thumb|Original vocalist Chris Barnes was in the band from its formation until his dismissal in 1995. Barnes appeared on the band's first four studio albums.|300x300px]]
Cannibal Corpse was formed in December 1988 when members from recently disbanded [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]]-area death metal bands Beyond Death ([[Alex Webster]] and [[Jack Owen]]) and Tirant Sin ([[Paul Mazurkiewicz]], [[Chris Barnes (musician)|Chris Barnes]], Bob Rusay) started jamming and writing music together. Mazurkiewicz, Barnes and Rusay knew each other from [[high school]], and met Webster and Owen while attending area shows. Webster recalled, "when we got going, there were only a few other bands that you’d really call death metal". <ref name="loudersound.com" /><ref name="disposableunderground.com">{{cite web | url=https://disposableunderground.com/cannibal-corpse-interview-with-chris-barnes-from-the-vault/ | title=Go back in time with Chris Barnes to the "Eaten Back to Life" album | date=October 28, 2020 }}</ref>

Bassist [[Alex Webster]] came up with the name Cannibal Corpse. 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, which is now commonly known as ''A Skull Full of Maggots''. The band's first live performance was opening for thrash metal band [[Dark Angel (band)|Dark Angel]]. The band signed to [[Metal Blade Records]] in July 1989. Mike Faley at Metal Blade wanted to sign the band immediately after reading the song titles in their tracklist. He heard the demo tape after having had it sent to him by the manager of the record store in which Barnes was working. Metal Blade president Brian Slagel recalled, "I thought it was really interesting and cool. Plus, 'A Skull Full of Maggots' is one of the greatest song titles ever."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim! |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/cannibal_corpse-staring_through_eyes_of_banned |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim! |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Talk Today: Cannibal Corpse: Jack Owen|work=[[USA Today]]|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|date=March 22, 2001|url=https://www.usatoday.com/community/chat/2001-03-22-cannibal.htm|access-date=February 5, 2009}}</ref><ref name="loudersound.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/cannibal-corpse-death-metal-history-interview-2012 | title=Blood, guts and Jim Carrey: How Cannibal Corpse became death metal's first million selling band | date=March 13, 2024 }}</ref><ref name="Metal Blade Records">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGPot3rP53o&t=3153s |title=Cannibal Corpse - Centuries of Torment - DVD 1 - History (OFFICIAL) |date=2013-11-20 |last=Metal Blade Records |access-date=2025-01-23 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Mazurkiewicz said, "It was unbelievable; it was a dream come true. When we signed the contract with Metal Blade, we were only a band for eight months. And here we are having to finish off writing material and record a record."<ref name="Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim!">{{Cite web |title=Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim! |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/cannibal_corpse-staring_through_eyes_of_banned |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim! |language=en}}</ref>[[File:Cannibal_Corpse_1.png|thumb|The band's original logo, which was created by original vocalist Chris Barnes. The logo was changed after Barnes' departure in 1995 to avoid litigation regarding royalties.]]

The band's debut album, ''[[Eaten Back to Life]]'', was released in August 1990. The band played several local area shows to support the album.<ref name="Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim!" /> Inspired by and seeking the new commercial and recording opportunities of the emerging [[Florida death metal]] scene, the band relocated to Tampa.<ref name=":02">{{cite web|last1=Stevenson|first1=Arielle|date=October 22, 2009|title=The way the music died: The earliest days of Tampa Death Metal|url=http://www.tampabay.com/features/music/the-way-the-music-died-the-earliest-days-of-tampa-death-metal/1046088|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027025354/https://www.tampabay.com/features/music/the-way-the-music-died-the-earliest-days-of-tampa-death-metal/1046088/|archive-date=October 27, 2009|website=[[Tampa Bay Times]]|publisher=[[Times Publishing Company]]|access-date=April 26, 2016}}</ref> The band released its second album ''[[Butchered at Birth]]'' on July 1, 1991. Webster recalled, "We went over to Europe in ’91 for Butchered At Birth and saw this great reaction from all these people on the other side of the ocean. We were like, ‘Wow, all these people know who we are!’ We were getting two or three hundred people a night at these shows, which was really great for a band with only two albums out. It was a great surprise.”<ref name="loudersound.com" /> The band members quit their day jobs and dropped out of college during this time.<ref name="Cannibal Corpse │ Exclaim!" /><ref name="Metal Blade Records" />

Friction arose between the band members while touring in support of ''Butchered at Birth''. According to Webster, Barnes was managing a tour by himself for the first time, and there were uncertainties regarding how the tour's finances were being handled. The band privately dissolved and split into two separate camps during this time. Owen claimed to have been "in the middle" of the situation. Mazurkiewicz and Webster moved into an apartment just four doors down from the band's practice space, and composed the music to "Hammer Smashed Face" as a means to vent their frustrations with Barnes.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dick |first1=Chris |title=Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces |publisher=McFarland |pages=154–155}}</ref>

Cannibal Corpse toured Europe with [[Atheist (band)|Atheist]] and [[Gorguts]] in early 1992. That same year, the band toured with [[Obituary (band)|Obituary]], [[Malevolent Creation]] and [[Agnostic Front]] on the ''Complete Control Tour''. Cannibal Corpse and Malevolent Creation shared a tour bus during this tour, and the latter of which future Cannibal Corpse guitarist [[Rob Barrett]] was playing with. According to Barrett, "We were like one big family, and I am pretty sure that is why I got the call to join with them the next year."<ref name="nysmusic.com">{{Cite web |date=2014-08-04 |title=Interview: Rob Barrett of Death Metal Legends, Cannibal Corpse |url=https://nysmusic.com/2014/08/04/interview-rob-barrett-of-death-metal-legends-cannibal-corpse/ |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=NYS Music |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pratt |first=Greg |date=2019-01-31 |title=That Tour Was Awesome: Complete Control (1992) |url=https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2019/01/31/that-tour-was-awesome-complete-control-1992/ |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=Decibel Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>