Cannibal Corpse Drummer on COVID-19 Vaccine: “If I Have To Get It, I Guess I Have To Get It”
Cannibal Corpse’s Paul Mazurkiewicz has once again expressed ambivalence with regards to being vaccinated against COVID-19.
The drummer first expressed his hesitation last week, when he said:
“I don’t know. I’m not one for that kind of stuff, so I don’t know. I think we may have no choice, maybe, being who we are, kind of a thing. Before all this, obviously, going to certain countries, [they would tell us], ‘Hey, you need that vaccine, you need that shot,’ because of the diseases that may be happening — like in South America, or something like that — or you’re not going to that country. So you had no choice. So that may be the reason for us to have to get the vaccine, is, ‘Hey, you wanna come to Europe? Well, you have no choice.’ So it kind of stinks.”
He continued:
“In a personal sense, I don’t know if I would [get the vaccine], per se. It’s a good question. I’m not sure. The flu shot has been readily available, obviously, for years, and so many people always just got a flu shot, and I know a lot of them as well. But it wasn’t anything that I felt that I neeed to get. So, yeah, I’m just weird about being forced to take something. It’s a touchy subject, of course, so I don’t know if I will get one or not, unless, like I said, I have to.”
Although Mazurkiewicz at no point endorsed or even mentioned any anti-vaxxer conspiracy theories, his comments pissed off a lotta fans. Which is both unsurprising and perfectly understandable — there are a sickening number of anti-vaxxer whack-a-doos out there spreading misinformation right now, and the faster we can get a whole lotta folks vaccinated the faster we can go back to something resembling normalcy (I’m so desperate to go to Saint Vitus again that I’d watch Thy Art is Murder play (but probably still not Five Finger Death Punch — people have limits)).
Despite what could be considered a public relations faux pas, in a new interview with Rock Talks, the drummer reiterated his position on being vaccinated. In response to being asked about the divisiveness of his stance, Mazurkiewicz said:
“I saw [the headline] on Blabbermouth, and I didn’t even read any of the replies or the comments. I was just, like, people are gonna talk no matter what; they’re gonna have opinions. So I’m, like, I’m not even gonna bother. So I don’t even really know what was said other than… Who the heck am I to even cause controversy, kind of a thing. So I don’t know, man. It’s just silly, I think, that it would cause any stir, I guess. But it is what it is… I said what I said, I guess. I guess that’s what I believe, because I said it, right?”
He continued:
“Everyone’s got different views and everything. And I’m not sitting here going, ‘My God, I can’t wait to get the shot.’ I’m not — that’s the truth. Will I get it? Maybe. I don’t know. If I have to get it, I guess I have to get it. But I’m not sitting here going, ‘Right, I’m going to get it,’ or I’m thinking about it, like, ‘Oh, as soon as it’s available, I’m going tomorrow to get it.’ I just don’t think that way. So, who knows?”
It might have been reassuring if Mazurkiewicz had specifically said that he’s not a conspiracy theorist… but at least he doesn’t actively push that shit in public statements (unlike a certain former member of his band).
As the drummer himself previously pointed out, though, this whole discussion is likely moot: I imagine that, at least for the foreseeable future, any musician who wants to tour outside of their own country will have to prove that they’ve been vaccinated. That might mean Europe is spared from Ted Nugent or Kid Rock ever performing there again, but I doubt Cannibal Corpse are gonna limit their shows to the U.S. from now on.
You can watch the entire interview with Mazurkiewicz below.
Cannibal Corpse will release a new album, Violence Unimagined, on April 16 via Metal Blade. It will be the band’s first album with longtime producer Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, ex-Morbid Angel) as their new guitarist, replacing Pat O’Brien. Check out the first single, “Inhumane Harvest,” here, and pre-order the album here. Alas, none of the special merch packages come with vaccination appointments.
P.S. But no really please do get vaccinated ASAP — did I mention I’d willingly watch Thy Art is Murder?
