Cannibal Corpse bassist Alex Webster recently discussed his musical influences and explained why Slayer stands as the most influential thrash band for the death metal genre. He shared his insights in an interview featured on 100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal.
Webster traced his musical journey from childhood through his development as a metal musician. He highlighted the progression that led him to death metal.
“Well, when I was really young, single-digit age or whatever, I listened to ’50s rock, like Chuck Berry and Elvis [Presley], stuff like that, records my dad had lying around from when he was a teenager, that kind of stuff, the ’50s rock,” Webster said. “But, yeah, I got into just regular rock, like The Police and stuff like that.”
The bassist explained how his taste evolved during his teenage years, when metal became his primary focus.
“And then pretty much around my early teens, that was when metal came in, and then it was bands like Accept and Iron Maiden, those two really in particular,” he continued. “And then Metallica, all the thrash bands, Metallica, Slayer, Kreator, all those bands, Megadeth, all that stuff. And it just kind of builds up. Metalheads are always looking for the next heavier thing, or the next step forward, and everybody sort of adds to that.”
Webster specifically emphasized Slayer’s unique contribution to the development of death metal among the thrash metal pioneers.
“So I would say out of the thrash bands, death metal owes the most to Slayer,” he explained. “They were the band that had those kind of lyrics. I feel like if you’re looking at a family tree, then a lot of death metal comes from the Slayer branch, in a way. And there’s other bands too, for sure — Venom, stuff like that. But for us, Slayer is probably the biggest influence of the thrash bands, for sure — Slayer, Kreator, Dark Angel, bands like that.”
Webster’s perspective on Slayer’s influence carries significant weight given his extensive experience in the death metal scene. His role in shaping the genre through Cannibal Corpse’s three-decade career adds further credibility to his assessment.
Wikipedia noted that before joining Cannibal Corpse, Webster played in the crossover band Beyond Death with ex-Cannibal Corpse guitarist Jack Owen. This demonstrates his deep roots in the metal underground. His bass playing style has been shaped by legendary musicians including Cliff Burton of Metallica, Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, and Steve Di Giorgio, who played with Death and Testament.
The bassist’s admiration for Slayer extends beyond mere influence. Wikipedia reported that Webster has expressed his belief that if any band could successfully cover a Cannibal Corpse song, it would be Slayer. This statement underscores the deep musical connection he perceives between the two bands’ approaches to extreme metal.
Blabbermouth revealed that when forming Cannibal Corpse in 1988, Webster drew direct inspiration from early death metal pioneers like Death and Morbid Angel. He also drew from Kreator’s influential album “Pleasure to Kill.” This foundation helped establish the band’s signature sound that would go on to define brutal death metal for generations of musicians.
Webster’s comments reflect the broader evolution of extreme metal, where each generation of musicians builds upon the innovations of their predecessors. His journey from classic rock to death metal exemplifies how the genre’s pioneers absorbed influences from across the musical spectrum to create something entirely new and more extreme.
