CANNIBAL CORPSE's PAUL MAZURKIEWICZ: 'It's Crazy To Think That We're Going On The 38th Anniversary Of The Band'

In a new interview with Jacob Ridenour of the Wildman podcast, drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz of Florida-based death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE reflected on his band's four-decade career. Asked how everything is going in his life at the moment, Paul said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's going pretty good. I can't complain. I'm just taking it day by day, of course. You just gotta live life to the fullest, I guess, no matter what, when. But yeah, no, [it's going] pretty good overall. I'm in a good place right now personally, with the band, all that kind of stuff. So, yeah, I can't complain — I can't complain whatsoever."

After Ridenour noted that CANNIBAL CORPSE is still "killing it" when it comes to touring and releasing "good music", Paul said: "I appreciate it, man. Thanks. Yeah, that's what we wanna do, of course. That's what we've been doing for many years now. It's crazy to think that we're going on the 38th-year anniversary of the band. And, of course, myself and Alex [Webster, CANNIBAL CORPSE bassist] being the two original members, being there since day one. But, yeah, what a ride it's been, what a journey. And, like you just said, the fact that we're still around and relevant and we feel that we're making good music and fans are coming out to see us all, that kind of thing. It's a great feeling. And we'll just keep going as long as we can. Obviously, at some point, it's gonna have to end. But like I said about just how I'm doing, [we're taking it] day by day. And that's how everything goes — day by day. But either way, it's going great. We're happy to be where we're at and have the fanbase that we have and all those kinds of things. So, man, it's an amazing, amazing thing."

Asked if he ever thought, when he first started CANNIBAL CORPSE, that the band would still be around nearly 40 years later, Paul said: "Well, you definitely don't think that you're gonna be in a band this long, obviously, when I look back. We were just basically teenagers when we started, so your mentality is a little bit different in that regard. None of the bands around at that point — there's no band that's been around for 50, 60 years at that point. So you're going, 'Oh, well, that's crazy to play in a band when you're 40, 50 years old. That doesn't make sense. How can you do that? Why would you do that?' Obviously, you want the band to succeed, you wanna go as long as you can, but I think you're thinking your shelf life or just your life of the band is gonna be a lot shorter than it could be.

"I remember thinking, like, 'Oh yeah, when I'm 40…', which would've been 20 years after the fact the band started, 'Yeah, I'll be old. I'll be 40 years old. Am I gonna be still wanting to play this? I'm gonna settle down, have a family, all that kind of thing,'" he continued. "So, yeah, it's weird that you had those thoughts, of course, back then, so you never thought that you would be still here doing it. And I'll be 58 this year, and who would have ever thought that I'd be still playing drums in a death metal band and then [that we would still be doing] as well as we're doing and all that. We're still relevant and we still have, like I mentioned earlier, a great fanbase and we're doing amazing — probably better than we ever have in those regards. So, yeah, no, not in your wildest dreams did you think that you'd be here still doing it at this point in your life. So, yeah, pretty wild."

On the topic of what still keeps him and his bandmates going after all these years, Paul said: "If you start doing this, you love it and that's your passion and that's what you wanna do. And then I think that's why you become an artist in any capacity, What we do, of course, as musicians, well, that's why we got into it. We wanted to do this. This was our passion. This was our love. And then once you get your foot in the door and you're doing well and all that, why would you wanna stop? I mean, I'd say most people don't. There's gonna be some people that do, obviously, [who say], 'All right, I've had enough. I wanna retire, do something else.' Okay. But I'd say for the majority, and that's why you got the bands still kicking it that are out there — any of these bands. THE ROLLING STONES or whatever, they're 80 years old and they're still doing it. Why would you wanna stop? This is your life. So I think you're gonna do it as long as you can, for the most part… But, yeah, you're just gonna take it as long as you can. I think we feel the same way. It's just gonna come down to health and all that. Can we do it for another five years, 10 years? I mean, who knows? Because, like I mentioned earlier, we never thought we'd be doing it at this point in our lives. So who's to say we can't do it longer or won't be doing it longer? So, yeah, it's pretty wild, but it's who you are and it's a part of you. So you just wanna make the most of it. You only live once and you might only get this opportunity once."

CANNIBAL CORPSE's sixteenth studio album, "Chaos Horrific", was released in September 2023 via Metal Blade Records.

Since 1988, CANNIBAL CORPSE have been at the forefront of death metal, shaping and defining the genre. In 2021, they raised the stakes again with "Violence Unimagined". And in 2023, the band's thirty-fifth anniversary, they returned with its successor, the equally monstrous "Chaos Horrific", starting a new chapter in their storied legacy.

CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist/producer Erik Rutan has now helmed six of the band's albums, starting with 2006's "Kill". This is Rutan's second release as a full-fledged member, since officially joining in 2020.

"Chaos Horrific" was recorded at Rutan's Mana Studio in Florida.