Cannibal Corpse was formed in 1988 by members of the bands Beyond Death (Webster, Owen), Leviathan (Barnes), and Tirant Sin (all from Buffalo) (Barnes, Rusay, Mazurkiewicz). In April 1989, the band performed their first show at Buffalo's River Rock Cafe, shortly after recording Cannibal Corpse, a five-song demo tape. The band was signed to Metal Blade Records a year after that first gig, presumably after the label heard a demo sent in by the manager of the record store where Chris Barnes worked, and their full-length debut album, Eaten Back to Life, was released in August 1990. ¹⁾

Cannibal Corpse has reportedly sold over two million albums worldwide. Metal Blade Records presented each band member with a plaque to commemorate the landmark achievement prior to a recent show in California. The band's 13 studio albums (all on Metal Blade) have sold a total of two million copies since their 1990 debut Eaten Back to Life to A Skeletal Domain. ²⁾

The band's first four albums were banned in Germany until 2006 due to their cover art and lyrical content, and Cannibal Corpse were prohibited from performing material from these albums live. They are still banned in Australia and Russia. ³⁾

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective with Jim Carrey, who is a huge fan of Cannibal Corpse, released in 1994, features the band performing Hammer Smashed Face.