Starting his extreme metal career at the age of 19, Chris Barnes always knew that he was destined for a life in the music industry! He Formed his first band Tirant Sin in his hometown of Buffalo in 1986 with band mates Joe Morelli, Bob Rusay, Cam V, Rich Ziegler and Paul Mazurkiewicz. The band would be short lived and by the year's end Barnes had quit to join New York based death metallers Leviathan where he become well known for his low guttural vocal style before rejoining his previous band mates in Tirant Sin in 1988. The bands future was looking good and they decided to record the bands third demo 'Mutant Supremacy'. Barnes' return to Tirant Sin was to be short lived as the band eventually split late that year. Barnes, Rusay and Mazurkiewicz were all about to move on to bigger and better things! Out of the ashes of Tirant Sin, in the winter of 1988 death metal's all-time highest selling act Cannibal Corpse were born. It was during this time that metal fans around the globe would now sit up and take notice! On many occasions Cannibal Corpse would be portrayed in the media under negative headlines and the bands album covers and lyrics were perceived as horrific and grotesque amongst fans distraught parents and outraged church groups. The uproar would amount to the bands first three albums original artwork being banned in many countries including Australia and New Zealand and certain material from those albums were also not allowed to be played in various countries around the world. During Barnes' seven year stint with Cannibal Corpse he recorded the classic albums 'Eaten Back to Life', 'Butchered at Birth', 'Tomb of the Mutilated' and 'The Bleeding'. Chris also wrote all of the bands lyrics at this time. He shared successes with Cannibal Corpse that had never been seen before amongst the death metal circuit and the bands popularity and share of press good and bad helped land the a small role in the Jim Carry movie 'Ace Ventura, Pet Detective'! In 1993 along side Obituary guitarist Allen West and former Massacre bassist Terry Butler, Barnes formed Six Feet Under as a side project which also featured Butler's brother in law Greg Gall handling the drumming duties. In 1995 after seven years of touring the world and recording Cannibal Corpse would finally play their first ever shows in Australia, ironically these shows would be the last shows Barnes would ever perform alongside his band mates before leaving Cannibal Corpse and concentrating all his efforts on Six Feet Under. As times passed Barnes has showed no signs of handing in the towel and he's been fortunate to share the same success with Six Feet Under as he had formerly shared with Cannibal Corpse. In September 95' Six Feet Under released their debut album 'Haunted' with Metal Blade Records, which was praised by the death metal community and was only the beginning of many great things to come from Barnes and Co! The band ensured their place in metal history when they released their third album 'Maximum Violence'. As the name of the album suggests, unlike the bands previous releases, the sound was heavier and more intense with the lyrics being more violent then what Barnes had perceived on previous releases. The successes that were shared surrounding 'Maximum Violence' had the band added to the 2000 Vans Warped Tour, a festival at the time which was usually only for Punk bands. As times gone on Six Feet Under have delivered many amazing brutal albums and the band continues to tour across the globe, playing to adoring fans. To date Six Feet Under has sold over 500,000 albums and are classed as one of the world's highest selling Death Metal acts of all-time. The band recently released their eighth studio album 'Death Rituals', produced by Barnes the bandís latest offering is amongst some of the best work they have ever done! Featuring tracks like 'Death by Machete', 'Killed in your Sleep' and 'Seed of Filth' 'Death Rituals' is one of the greatest Death Metal albums to be released in the past few years. The album has been praised by fans and writers across the globe and the bands popularity is certainly at an all-time high! I recently had the pleasure of catching up with the legendary songwriter and vocalist Chris Barnes to discuss the writing process behind 'Death Rituals', his memories of his last shows in Australia with Cannibal Corpse and the possibilities of Bringing Six Feet Under to Australia for the very first time! Kick back as we 'Escape from the Grave' with the legendary Chris Barnes. Metal Fanatix: Hey Chris! Mate congratulations of the latest Six Feet Under album ‘Death Rituals’, I can’t get enough of it dude! How has the response been from friends, family and fans that have listened to the album? Chris Barnes: Really good actually, that’s always a good thing. When we get done with a new record we have some people that give it a listen and they all really liked it and we actually based some of our promo track releases on certain people whose opinions we respect. It’s always helpful to get good insight from people that are close to you. A lot of the fans that have heard the new tracks have really dug the new stuff so I am hopeful that all of our fans are going to think that this is a really good album for us! Metal Fanatix: This is album number eight for Six Feet Under, not counting the covers albums. After so many years of writing and recording, what were you hoping to achieve this time around?
Metal Fanatix: Chris, there is no doubt that you’re an amazing vocalist, how long did it take you to record the parts for ‘Death Rituals’? Chris Barnes: I spent about three or four days doing stuff. Metal Fanatix: You also produced the album, which has been the case with a lot of the Six Feet Under material, why don’t you guys use a lot of outside help when it comes to the production, you’re obviously comfortable doing the production yourself! Chris Barnes: Yeah, I have learned and realized in my life that if you want something done right you have to do it yourself. It’s really difficult; I say it every time... “I’m going to let a producer do this one”, but then I get into the record and I think that there is no way that I am going to let anyone else fuck this up! If it’s going to get messed up then I’m going to take full responsibility for it, I feel too close to it to let go! I have problems with that in every part of my life [laughs], music is no different. I really like to keep it pure and simple, raw and to the tones that we really like ourselves! Metal Fanatix: Chris, you have been fortunate enough to share some major success with not one but two amazing death metal outfits, after all these years of writing and recording, how do you keep coming up with new, fresh sounding material without falling into the trap many artists do of repeating themselves, I know you said you approach everything like it’s the first album you’ve done, but in the back of your mind you must have some kind of idea on what you want to do? Chris Barnes: [Laughs] believe it or not no, it’s purely going into it blindly and throwing everything else out the window... attacking it like it’s the first song we’ve ever written. Metal Fanatix: Wow mate, I really think that’s an amazing approach, there would be very few artists that would work that way! I would imagine that going through the process that way would be much harder and more challenging? Chris Barnes: No, it’s so easy for us that it’s not even funny man! I could write a new song every day of the week. Metal Fanatix: I have been playing the new album for a few weeks now and really dig many of the songs on it, what are you hoping fans will take away from the new album? Chris Barnes: I just hope that they enjoy the album, I can’t really tell people what to feel or anything but I hope they really dig it and hope they get the feeling that you get when you hear a great album you love! Metal Fanatix: Chris I want to speak to you about touring and life on the road, it’s been some time since you last toured Australia, if memory serves me correctly the last Australian shows you did with Cannibal Corpse were among your very last shows with the guys, what comes to mind when you look back on that tour?
Metal Fanatix: [Laughs] Chris there is no doubt Six Feet Under are a band that's adored by many Australia metal fans, are there any plans in the works for an Australian tour this year? Chris Barnes: I’d love to come back down there. Everyone keeps saying to me how amazing would it be, ”Six Feet Downunder”, we’ll see what happens. It would be nice to come back as long as I don’t have another final show down there again [laughs]. Metal Fanatix: [Laughs] Now that ‘Death Rituals’ has been released I would assume that you will be hitting the road soon, what touring plans do you guys have over the next couple of months? Chris Barnes: We really don’t have anything going right now, we have some offers that we’re looking at, we have some festivals in Europe for the Summer that are pretty much booked but we just haven’t released the information yet, we are trying to get something for the United States in the late Spring, we’re also looking at Europe later in the year, we have some time to get out there and explore and do some touring that we haven’t done in a while. It would certainly be cool to get back down there with you guys for sure! Metal Fanatix: Over the years you have shared the stage with many great artists, who has given you the best advice whilst on the road and what was it? Chris Barnes: Oh wow, not too many people have given me advice out on the road but Ice T gave some really good advice in the studio once, I overheard him giving an interview and it was something that hit home with me. The interviewer asked him “how difficult is this, do you still rehearse a lot, is it difficult to start writing an album again”? I was sitting there listening in and he said to the interviewer “at one point in time, in your life you realize that this isn’t what you do, but it’s who you are”. That really struck me and it’s something that I’ll always remember. Metal Fanatix: Mate, we have hit the part of the interview where our readers get to find out a little more about the real you… what have your parents thought about the bands you have played in, especially early on? Chris Barnes: Oh they have always been super supportive and proud of me. I’ve been really fortunate to have a family that is really open-minded and that’s where I get my creativity from and outlook in life. My mum really supported me early on and helped me buy my first P.A. system, so without her I never would have been able to be in a band. My dad and everyone else have been really supportive over the years! Metal Fanatix: Looking back on your time in Cannibal Corpse... when was the first time you knew you had a serious chance of making it? Chris Barnes: Probably when we first started rehearsing, and writing songs. We had such a great following of friends and people that were around us in our home town in Buffalo when I was in Cannibal Corpse. Even before that, I was in a band called Leviathan and we had a great following of fans at that point. By late 1985 - 86, I really felt that I had a possible solid career in music. Metal Fanatix: Take us back to your late teens when you were fronting a band called Tirant Sin, before moving on to Leviathan, what comes to mind when you look back on those early days, the rehearsals, club shows etc?
Metal Fanatix: Throughout the years you have been responsible for some amazing songs but what I want to know is... what is the one metal song you wish you had written? Chris Barnes: Oh that’s hard to say man! I don’t really think about that stuff. I think I have written all the stuff that I have wanted to; it’s hard to put myself into someone else’s mind! Metal Fanatix: Looking back over your career especially those first few years with Cannibal Corpse and all the controversy that surrounded the band... What has been the craziest rumor you have ever heard about yourself? Chris Barnes: [Laughs] I don’t remember where we were, but we were on the road in the states and my brother used to come out on the road with us and he would sell merchandise. He would be at the merchandise table and no one knew he was related. At this particular show he overheard two kids who were standing next to him saying “hey man, do you reckon Chris Barnes is walking around here, do you think he will come up and sign autographs and shake hands while we’re out here”? The other kid said “hell no man, Chris Barnes is back at the hotel in the hot tub drinking and eating babies” [laughs]. Metal Fanatix: [Laughs] Chris Barnes: I always thought that was kinda funny, it’s not really a rumor but I always loved that one! [Laughs] Metal Fanatix: Dude, now you can go and do a cover of Alice Cooper’s Dead Babies’ [laughs] Chris Barnes: [Laughs] yeah knows man, the important thing is to keep your head through all of this and not really worry about it! Metal Fanatix: Chris there is no doubt you have helped influence many of the artists we see before us today, who have you been surprised to learn is a fan of your work? Chris Barnes: I was surprised back in the old days to find out that Jim Carrey was a fan of our work and that’s how we got involved with the movie Ace Venture that was surprising. Metal Fanatix: More than twenty years on what motivates you to keep making music? Chris Barnes: It’s still fun, to me it’s the most fun about being in a band. Writing new material and getting into the studio to record. Some of the studio stuff can be hard work and stressful but writing and creating new music, writing new lyrics to me is the most fun!
Chris Barnes: It’s easier and more difficult on certain levels. It’s easier for me to get up there and sing, I know what I can do and what I can’t do, where I can go with it, but the body just doesn’t recover as quick as it used to. I have to stay in better shape than I used to [laughs]. I have to watch what I do, pace myself a little more and stay in good shape! Metal Fanatix: What is the one band that you never want to hear again and why! Chris Barnes: [laughs] no one comes to mind [laughs] I’d hate to slam someone just for the hell of it! Metal Fanatix: [Laughs] Chris, unfortunately we are out of time. It has been amazing to chat with you today and I hope you can bring six feet under down to Australia soon. Do you have any last words for our readers? Chris Barnes: I’m really hoping to come to Australia really soon and see everyone once again have a good time, like always! ‘Death Rituals’ Is Out Now Via Metal Blade Records and Stomp Distribution. Grab your copy where all killer metal albums are sold! To keep up with all the latest news & much more on Chris & any of the bands he works with check out the following websites: http://www.sfu420.com - Official Six Feet Under Site http://www.myspace.com/sixfeetunder - Six Feet Under MySpace Site http://www.myspace.com/insideout666ints - Inside Out 666 © Cameron Edney January, March 2009 Not to be re-printed in any form without written permission. |
