Controversy and censorship
Cannibal Corpse's lyrics, song titles, album covers and merchandise artwork frequently feature transgressive and macabre imagery, including depictions of extreme violence. Throughout their career, the band has consistently defended the violent imagery in their work as simply artistic expression that is clearly fictional. Joel McIver of The Quietus wrote: "Almost as depressing as the song themes is the regularity with which the members of Cannibal Corpse have been forced to explain that a) no, they don't take their violent lyrics seriously, b) no, they don't advise that anyone tries these things at home and c) no, they themselves are not violent or in any way generally extreme as human beings." Bassist Alex Webster said: "Most Western music is people singing from the heart — singing to a girlfriend, so a lot of people are freaked out by our songs". The band's album covers are watercolor paintings (most often done by comic book artist Vincent Locke) that draw heavily on horror fiction and horror films, and are highly controversial. At various points in the band's career, several countries, such as Germany and Russia, have banned the group from performing within their borders, or have banned the sale and display of original Cannibal Corpse album covers.
Webster recalled: "It got to the point where it entered global politics. That's something I never imagined, and I never heard [Senator] Joe Lieberman actually say these words, but he said this about us: '[Cannibal Corpse] is deplorable. They have a song about having sex with a severed head.' I wish I could have heard him say that shit. I'd love that sound bite." Vocalist George Fisher recalled being fine with people complaining on TV, as they were giving the band exposure to millions. Original vocalist Chris Barnes, who wrote the lyrics to the band's first four albums, said he wanted to write something exciting, and the controversy was more of a nuisance. According to Metal Blade Records president Brian Slagel, some local governments in Europe threatened to arrest them immediately if they played. Webster attributed their troubles to them being more visible and known than other bands who have even more gruesome lyrics than them.
Current vocalist George Fisher has stated that death metal is best understood as "art" and claims that far more violent art can be found at the Vatican; he expressed his belief that such depictions of violence are arguably more transgressive, as they actually happened. Fisher stated the band does not sing about religion or politics, and that the band's songs are simply fictional short stories that could be converted into horror films. Webster also defended their music as entertainment they enjoyed which was harmless.
Some journalists have opined that some of the band's more extreme lyrics have not aged well within the context of a modern political climate. Brad Sanders of Stereogum wrote in 2021: "Some of Cannibal Corpse’s lyrics and artwork are, in fact, a little beyond the pale. Every song in the band’s discography depicts extreme violence, but few are interested in excavating its trauma, which means the less cartoonish the lyrics, the ickier they feel. That’s not an argument for censorship, but it is a fair warning that diving deep with Cannibal Corpse’s catalog is going to mean seeing and hearing some things that don’t necessarily hold up in 2021."
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. He argued "If you really saw someone get their brains bashed in right in front of you, I think it would have a pretty dramatic impact" regardless of how many movies or metal one experienced. He also noted that despite entertainment being more intense, society had improved and become more civilized over time. He also believes the violent lyrics can have positive value, saying "it's good to have anger music as a release."
George Fisher has dismissed the notion that extreme music undermines the youth, sarcastically saying: "Yeah, because we want people to get arrested and not come to our shows. We want regular jobs – great plan!” He also noted that the lyrics are not serious, and they are not about harming anybody in particular. When pressed on his personal feelings in regard to performing some of Barnes' more extreme lyrics, being the father of two daughters, he admitted he did not know if he would want to perform them if such things happened to his daughters, though he would "have to cross that bridge". He expressed understanding with the opinion that "If it’s happening with you and your daughters, you should feel that uncomfortable with everybody", and he was willing to hear people out.
