Courtesy Photo / Schwegweb.com

WRITER’S NOTE: This interview was conducted live and has been edited for content and length.

Schwegweb: Here we are, at the Sounds Of The Underground experience, and you guys, Cannibal Corpse, of course,  are playing probably a little bit earlier than you’re used to playing.  How’s that treating you?
Alex Webster: "Oh, it’s cool, I mean, sometimes it’s really early, like yesterday we played at ten minutes after three, which is, about as early as we’ve played in five or six years.  So, it’s kind of weird, cause on tour you’re waking up at around noon, or something like that.  At least I am, so, being awake for two or three hours, and then playing a show, and then being done for the day is a lot different from what we’re used to, which would be playing more around ten o’clock, or something like that.  It’s cool, I mean it’s been different playing outdoors, playing early in the day.  It’s different, but it’s fun."

I’ve noticed that there are a lot of different…types of “metal” bands here.  Have you guys had any problems, or have you had to kill any of the mall-metal dorks, with the peacock haircuts?
"No, everybody’s been really cool, actually.  The whole tour hasn’t had any kind of internal strife, that’s for sure. …All the bands get along with each other great.  The fans seem to get along fine, too.  I mean, I’m sure their have been a couple of fights, but I have not heard much about things like that happening.  It seems like everybody’s pretty much just hanging out, you know, and having a good time.  So far, so good."

So all the kids are just doing their little karate kicking spin moves and shit, and you guys are tearing it up, and they’re digging it.  They’re getting into Cannibal Corpse?
"Yeah, I mean its…a little different everyday, as far as like, who’s there or whatever.  Every city’s got kind of a different scene but…yeah, we’ve got some good pits going on this tour, for sure.  You know, we usually, right before the last song…George (Corpsegrinder Fisher, singer) will just tell everyone to slam, and they’ll usually listen.  We’ve had some pretty massive pits, actually.   …We’ve had...circle pits with probably like a hundred and fifty people in them. For us, that’s pretty huge.  We’ve been psyched about it."

You guys obviously play fast tempo music, I was wondering, as a musician, what’s your method for reaching the relaxation that it takes to play music that fast?
"Um, well…we do practice a lot at home,…like the band will practice four or five days a week together, pretty much all the time.  Meaning that, when we’re done with this tour, maybe two or three weeks later we’ll just start practicing again.  We’ll have that short break for a couple weeks, and then we’ll just start right back in practicing, so that we’re always, just…comfortable doing these kind of songs.  If we took a month or two off, and we’ve had to do that before, for whatever reason…and when you come back, it’s very hard to play this kind of stuff again.  So, really, I think the way we’re able to do it, is just by constantly… keeping ourselves in the physical shape you need to be in to play this kind of stuff.  It is hard.  It’s an endurance kind of music, so you need to be prepared for it."

That’s…where the relaxation comes in, and I’m sure you hydrate…yourselves.
"Sure, sure.  There are lots of Gatorades and waters on stage with us, especially a day like today.  Actually this whole tour has been hot, and today’s no exception.  It’s very humid up here, so we’ll be drinking a lot on stage, for sure."

You guys get crazy and shit on the road?  Drinking beers and stuff, or is it all Gatorade and Water?
"For me, I don’t really party very much, you know.  I might have a couple of shots of Jagermeister…because their’s like a Jager barbeque they have.  …Those guys will cook us some hot dogs and hamburgers, and they’ve got some Jager on ice there, if we want to have a couple of shots…I haven’t gotten hammered on this tour at all.  Just a couple time I was just a little buzzed from having a few drinks, but not hammered.  But, yeah, like Rob (Barrett, guitarist) and George last night were so drunk, that they couldn’t even make it to the signing…That’s something that really, we would rather that they didn’t do, cause we’re a pro band, but,  …I can’t tell people what to do and what not to do.  But, staying up until eleven in the morning drinking, when you’ve got to play a show at four in the afternoon, isn’t really a great idea, in my opinion.  It’s not the way to get the best out of yourself.  That’s why I went to bed early.  They didn’t, and that’s their choice.  For me, I want to stay clean out here, and kick ass."

What’s in your CD player.
"What’s in my player right now is the guitar player from Meshuggah."

Yeah, Frederick Thorendal!
"Yeah…his album…a friend of mine burned that for me."

“Special Defects”?
"I don’t actually know what the name of the album is, he just burned it  for me off his computer because he told me I’d like it.  I was listening to it last night, and it’s pretty cool.  Cool stuff, very interesting."

What’s your best Dimebag Darryl story.
"Well, you know,  I guess anyone who met him had the same great experience, pretty much.  …He’s a great guy.  We met him.  I met him, anyway, in 1992, when we played Hamburg.  We played a small place with Sinister, and they were on tour with Megadeth across town, playing a big place.  I met Dimebag and Nick Menza (former Megadeth drummer).  Dime took us out drinking, and bought us drinks all night.  He was one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.  We met him again in 96’.  Those were the only two times that I met him.  Over in Japan, they were there at the same time we were, and we met them…and again, the nicest dude ever.
…Loved to party, you know, great dude."

I appreciate you taking the time.
"Hey, it’s the least any of us could do, cause we wouldn’t be here without the support of the underground…and the fans, most importantly. Without you guys, we ain’t shit!"

Special Thanks to Greg Giles from KLQ Metal Show. Check his site out at http://www.klqmetal.com and also his Metal Show in Grands Rapids, MI on KLQ.