Paul Mazurkiewicz of Cannibal Corpse is one of the two sole original members (bassist Alex Webster is the other) who have never missed a day of the band’s 25 plus years existence. Considering they are amongst the top of the death metal genre for creating their controversial gore themed songs and albums, they have won over a legion of fans worldwide, despite countries attempting to ban them and their music.

He shared his thoughts on the band reaching this milestone and looking back to the early days of when they began this band in Buffalo, NY.

“It is very surreal. Obviously we started this band as friends playing music. That’s why you play thrash or get into metal, because it was about the music at that era in the late 80s. We just wanted to play aggressive music. We wanted to be around like guys that wanted to do what we did. We were developing as a band at that point. We were so new and so fresh and so early that everything that happened with Cannibal, so it was never about ‘we’re going to be rich’ or ‘we’re going to be huge.’ It’s about we have to write the next song and play the next gig. That’s what you’re worried about. Of course you’ve got that in the back of your mind. Who doesn’t? Wow wouldn’t it be great to be on stage to be a band like KISS…everyone’s going to have that in the back of their mind. But we never went that route of that’s what has to happen otherwise we won’t be happy. Everything came to us. It was one of those things. We happened to write good music, I guess enough to draw attention. Metal Blade signed us. Fans are liking us. Holy shit -before you know it we’re on our way. It wasn’t because we felt we had to that – we had to make it. Those things came to us. So everything’s surreal. 25 years and here we are, selling what we did, all the things we’ve done, being on a tour like this – what the hell? We’re a bunch of kids started from Buffalo just playing some crazy music and hoping people would enjoy it like we do. To make a living off of it, it’s so surreal. We’re so appreciative and so undeserving in our sense. Not that we’re undeserving, but I look at myself like ‘who am I? I’m no different than you or that fan that’s out there.’ I just so happened to be up there doing it. I think that’s the message I like to tell people is that if we could do it, you can do it. We were just kids doing our thing.”

Interview By Rei Nishimoto