Cannibal Corpse drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz recently opened up about how touring has changed for him over the years. He shared his thoughts in an interview with Pod Scum.
The drummer discussed how the excitement of touring has shifted since the band’s early days, and how age has made life on the road more challenging.
“Yeah, it’s definitely different. We’d be lying if [we said], ‘Oh, it’s just as exciting and gung-ho as it was in the early days.’ Of course. But it’s what we have to do. It’s part of our job, and we wanna be out there, of course, still playing to the fans and all that,” Mazurkiewicz said. “But the older we get, the harder it is, the harder it is to be away and to live on a bus with everybody and all that kind of thing. So, you just gotta make it work. I mean, we’ve been doing it our whole lives, so I guess we have that experience of how to do it and how to live out there as opposed to being home and all.”
He went on to explain the personal routines he now relies on to stay balanced while touring.
“For me, it’s just a matter of… I guess it’s kind of just similar, if I would say, well, what do I gotta do to maintain being older now? So it’s the same thing on the road. Of course I just gotta make sure I’m eating well and hydrated and get sleep and all that. I go on walks every day, just to kind of get some good exercise and all that. And being able to get away to keep your sanity, I guess, ’cause, yeah, it gets a little tough when you’re on the bus with, say, 10 guys,” he continued.
Mazurkiewicz also touched on the band’s reduced touring frequency and the adjustment of returning to life on the road after time at home.
“And especially the older we get now and maybe the tours aren’t happing as frequently as they did, which is fine as well. If we can maximize in that regard, I think we’re all happy. But, yeah, you get home, you’re used to being home and being by yourself or with your family or your wife or girlfriend, then you gotta go out on the road and live like the old days. It’s tough. But we make it work,” he said.
He added that finding time to get outside, particularly in favorable weather, helps make touring more manageable.
“And you just gotta pick those spots, just like I said, go on walks and get out. That’s why I think the great thing about being on the road when the weather’s nice is you can do those things. I’m living in Florida too, man. I’m Floridian now. It’s been what? 30 some years now [since I moved to Florida from upstate New York]. And go on a winter tour where you gotta bundle up and maybe it’s snowing, or if it’s raining, you just can’t do anything,” he said. “I mean, I love to be able to get out outside, enjoy the fresh air, get away from people and take walks and all those things. I mean, it’s great when it’s weather permitting.”
Cannibal Corpse continues to balance touring commitments with the realities of being together nearly four decades into the band’s career. Mazurkiewicz’s recent comments fit into a broader pattern of reflection from the drummer this year.
Cannibal Corpse formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1988. The band is now approaching its 38th anniversary. Mazurkiewicz called it “crazy to think” that the group is heading into its 38th year together, a milestone that underscores just how long he and his bandmates have been living the touring lifestyle he described.
Mazurkiewicz and bassist Alex Webster remain the only two members from that original 1988 lineup. Their continued presence is a big reason the band still sounds like itself more than three decades later. That kind of longevity naturally brings the physical toll into sharper focus. It’s a subject Mazurkiewicz has addressed head-on in recent months.
Mazurkiewicz has been playing extreme metal drums for nearly four decades. He recently admitted he’s uncertain how much longer he can keep up his current level of performance. “Am I gonna be able to do what I do right now in 10 years? I don’t know,” he said, a comment that echoes the same themes of aging and endurance he raised when discussing life on the road.
Mazurkiewicz continues to weigh the long-term physical demands of drumming for Cannibal Corpse. He has kept busy with other projects in the meantime. He plays in Umbilicus, a hard rock outfit made up of death metal veterans, alongside guitarist Taylor Nordberg and bassist Vernon Blake. The band recently debuted a new track and announced its upcoming EP. This shows that Mazurkiewicz’s musical drive extends well beyond his main outfit, even as touring itself has become a harder balancing act to maintain.
