# Hammer Smashed Face

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1993 EP by Cannibal Corpse

Hammer Smashed Face EP by Cannibal Corpse Released March 23, 1993 Recorded January 1993 – Niagara Falls, New York Genre Death metal Length 26:17 Label Metal Blade Producer Dennis Fura Cannibal Corpse Cannibal Corpse chronology Tomb of the Mutilated (1992) Hammer Smashed Face (1993) The Bleeding (1994) Single version Cover for the single version of "Hammer Smashed Face", which was originally from the album Tomb of the Mutilated (1992) Audio "Hammer Smashed Face" on YouTube

***Hammer Smashed Face*** is the debut [EP](/source/Extended_play) and [single](/source/Single_(music)) by American [death metal](/source/Death_metal) band [Cannibal Corpse](/source/Cannibal_Corpse), released on March 23, 1993, by [Metal Blade Records](/source/Metal_Blade_Records).

There are two versions of the release, a single version that features the title song "Hammer Smashed Face" with two covers of songs by [Black Sabbath](/source/Black_Sabbath) and [Possessed](/source/Possessed_(band)), and the EP version which includes the three tracks of the single version along with two original Cannibal Corpse tracks.

Many consider it to be the band's greatest song, as well as being among the greatest death metal songs of all time.

## Music

According to Loudersound, "The song is notorious for its pummelling and rhythmic start, where Paul’s quick yet primal drumbeats give way to a brief, bass guitar-led interlude, all before a gigantic and climactic breakdown."[1]

The song's main riff has been called "hauntingly sinister." The song's breakdown has been called "clobbering" and "stomach churning." [Revolver](/source/Revolver_(magazine)) said the "lyrical specificity of a madman bashing a victim’s head to bits can still make even the most hardened [headbanger](/source/Heavy_metal_subculture) squirm."[2][3] Drummer [Paul Mazurkiewicz](/source/Paul_Mazurkiewicz) has commented that the lyrics to "Hammer Smashed Face" are "mild" compared to the rest of the tracks on *Tomb of the Mutilated*.[4]

## Artwork

Unlike most releases by the band, the album's artwork was not created by longtime collaborator Vincent Locke. Cannibal Corpse did not approve the album artwork that was used in the final product and do not know the name of the artist who produced it.[5] The single version and the EP version both have different cover artwork.

## Reception and legacy

"Hammer Smashed Face" is the band's most popular song, mainly due to a shortened version appearing in the 1994 comedy film *[Ace Ventura: Pet Detective](/source/Ace_Ventura%3A_Pet_Detective)*.[6] Since it is included on *[Tomb of the Mutilated](/source/Tomb_of_the_Mutilated)*, it was banned from Germany until June 2006, when it was played at a 2006 performance at [Essen](/source/Essen).

When asked if he had a favorite Cannibal Corpse album, singer [Chris Barnes](/source/Chris_Barnes_(musician)) described the *Hammer Smashed EP* as "one of the underrated ones".[7] Barnes also hailed the group's cover of [Black Sabbath](/source/Black_Sabbath)'s "Zero the Hero" as "one of the greatest".[7]

In 2012, *[Loudwire](/source/Loudwire)* wrote: "Easily one of the best death metal songs ever written, the track tends to often overshadow the mastery heard on the rest of the album."[8] In 2015, the same publication stated that it was the best Cannibal Corpse song.[9]

In 2023, [Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone) ranked the song No. 93 on their list of the 100 greatest heavy metal songs.[10]

[Revolver](/source/Revolver_(magazine)) called it "the perfect death metal song."[2] Graham Hartmann of *[Loudwire](/source/Loudwire)* called the change to half-time in the song's middle section "one of the most stomach churning breakdowns ever recorded."[3]

## Track listing

EP version No. Title Length 1. "Hammer Smashed Face" 4:04 2. "The Exorcist" (Possessed cover) 4:37 3. "Zero the Hero" (Black Sabbath cover) 6:35 4. "Meat Hook Sodomy" 5:47 5. "Shredded Humans" 5:12 Total length: 26:17

Single version No. Title Length 1. "Hammer Smashed Face" 4:04 2. "The Exorcist" (Possessed cover) 4:37 3. "Zero the Hero" (Black Sabbath cover) 6:35 Total length: 15:17

## Personnel

**Cannibal Corpse**

- [Chris Barnes](/source/Chris_Barnes_(musician)) – vocals

- Bob Rusay – guitars

- [Jack Owen](/source/Jack_Owen) – guitars

- [Alex Webster](/source/Alex_Webster) – bass

- [Paul Mazurkiewicz](/source/Paul_Mazurkiewicz) – drums

**Production**

- [Scott Burns](/source/Scott_Burns_(producer)), Dennis Fura and Cannibal Corpse – production

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Millspublished, Matt (September 6, 2023). ["Horror, hate and, er, Jim Carrey: How Hammer Smashed Face made Cannibal Corpse the world's most famous death metal band"](https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-cannibal-corpse-hammer-smashed-face). *louder*. Retrieved January 20, 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Enis_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Enis_2-1) Enis, Eli. ["Fan poll: Top 5 CANNIBAL CORPSE songs"](https://www.revolvermag.com/music/fan-poll-top-5-cannibal-corpse-songs/). *Revolver*. Retrieved January 6, 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Hartmann_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Hartmann_3-1) Hartmann, Graham (July 27, 2017). ["10 Sickest Breakdowns of All Time"](https://loudwire.com/10-sickest-breakdowns-of-all-time/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral). *Loudwire*. Retrieved March 25, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Dick, Chris. *Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces*. Da Capo Press. p. 150.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["The Moshville Times - Interview Archive: Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse)"](https://www.moshville.co.uk/interview/2013/04/interview-archive-alex-webster-cannibal-corpse/). *The Moshville Times*. April 1, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** J. Purcell, Natalie (2003). *Death Metal music: the passion and politics of a subculture*. [McFarland](/source/McFarland_%26_Company). p. 66. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0786415851](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0786415851).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ChrisBarnesLucemFero_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ChrisBarnesLucemFero_7-1) Morgan, Anthony (June 2007). [""Ghosts of the Undead" – Six Feet Under vocalist Chris Barnes delivers ten bludgeons of his philosophical hatchet with seventh record *Commandment*"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080414222527/http://www.lucemfero.com/sixfeetunder062007.php). Lucem Fero. Archived from [the original](http://www.lucemfero.com/sixfeetunder062007.php) on April 14, 2008. Retrieved May 30, 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** DiVita, Joe DiVitaJoe (April 17, 2015). ["Top 25 Extreme Metal Albums of All Time"](https://loudwire.com/top-extreme-metal-albums/). *Loudwire*. Retrieved July 26, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** DiVita, Joe DiVitaJoe (September 28, 2015). ["10 Best Cannibal Corpse Songs"](https://loudwire.com/10-best-cannibal-corpse-songs/). *Loudwire*. Retrieved February 6, 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time"](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-heavy-metal-songs-1234688425/hammer-smashed-face-cannibal-corpse-1234689058/). *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)*. March 13, 2023.

v t e Cannibal Corpse Alex Webster Paul Mazurkiewicz Rob Barrett George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher Erik Rutan Bob Rusay Chris Barnes Jack Owen Pat O'Brien Studio albums Eaten Back to Life Butchered at Birth Tomb of the Mutilated The Bleeding Vile Gallery of Suicide Bloodthirst Gore Obsessed The Wretched Spawn Kill Evisceration Plague Torture A Skeletal Domain Red Before Black Violence Unimagined Chaos Horrific Live albums Live Cannibalism EPs Hammer Smashed Face Box sets 15 Year Killing Spree Video albums Monolith of Death Tour '96–'97 Live Cannibalism Centuries of Torment: The First 20 Years Global Evisceration Related articles Discography Six Feet Under Monstrosity Malevolent Creation Deicide Paths of Possession Serpentine Dominion Vince Locke

Authority control databases MusicBrainz work MusicBrainz release group

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hammer Smashed Face](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer_Smashed_Face) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer_Smashed_Face?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.