Hammer Smashed Face

Hammer Smashed Face is Cannibal Corpse's first EP, released through Metal Blade Records in March 1993. It arrived between Tomb of the Mutilated and The Bleeding, so it sits right at the point where the band were moving from their early run of albums towards their mid-90s work. The title track gives the release its name, and it comes in two forms.

The single version pairs "Hammer Smashed Face" with covers of songs by Black Sabbath and Possessed. That choice of covers is the interesting part, since it points to both the heavy metal and the early death metal roots behind the band's brutal death metal sound. The longer EP version keeps those three tracks and adds two original Cannibal Corpse songs, which makes it the one to look for if you want more of the band's own writing alongside the tributes.