SIX FEET UNDER's JACK OWEN: CHRIS BARNES Is 'Very Approachable' And 'Very Relatable'

In a new interview with KillerTube, Jack Owen spoke about his former CANNIBAL CORPSE and current SIX FEET UNDER bandmate Chris Barnes. Asked how their friendship and working relationship has evolved over the years, the guitarist responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Man, it's excellent. It was good back in CANNIBAL 'cause it was from '88 until 2004. And then 2017, I joined up with [SIX FEET UNDER], 'cause they only had one guitar player. [I] kind of squeezed my way in there. And, yeah, it was like we picked up where we dropped off. It's all good. We can talk to each other about anything — from albums to music to movies. It's all good."

Asked to name the biggest misconception about Chris, Jack said: "Oh. That he's unapproachable. He's very approachable. He's very relatable. He has the same interests that most of us have."

Two years ago, Owen was asked by Into The Combine what people get wrong about Barnes as a person. The guitarist responded: "Oh, he's a big softie, and he's like a brother to me. But if you don't know him, then he seems pretty standoffish."

Regarding the fact that so many people seem to dislike Barnes on social media, Owen said: "I think it's contagious to jump on somebody like that online… I think it's trolls that are connected to each other. And it's, like, 'Well, you said that? I'm gonna say something worse.' But Chris [is] really mellow and soft-spoken — except on stage."

SIX FEET UNDER will release its new album, "Next To Die", on April 24 via Metal Blade Records.

"Next To Die", produced by Owen and Barnes and mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis of MRL Studios in Nashville, follows 2024's "Killing For Revenge". It's the third record that Barnes and Owen — both former members of CANNIBAL CORPSE — have created together since reuniting in 2017.

"Next To Die" is a new creative high for SIX FEET UNDER, marking the band's fifteenth album since 1995's "Haunted".

SIX FEET UNDER did highly successful U.S. tours in 2025, the band's first U.S. tour since 2013, as well as a festival appearance in Mexico City in March '25.

To bring the songs to brutal life, Barnes recorded his vocals at the legendary Criteria Recording Studios in Miami. Owen tracked his rhythm guitar parts with Jason Suecof at AudioHammer Studios in Sanford, Florida. Suecof also has a guest guitar lead at the end of the song "Approach Your Grave". The rest of the musicians tracked their "Next To Die" parts at their home studios, for a remote collaboration that created a dozen cohesive tracks. Sandy Rezalmi's cover art perfectly brings to life the journey that the LP's lyrics and music take listeners on.

SIX FEET UNDER was initially formed as a side project for Barnes during his final years with the band that he co-founded, CANNIBAL CORPSE. It became the frontman's sole focus in 1995, coinciding with the release of their debut, "Haunted". The current tour-honed lineup of SIX FEET UNDER features Barnes and Owen alongside lead guitarist Ray Suhy, bassist Jeff Hughell and drummer Marco Pitruzzella.

SIX FEET UNDER will return to stages this summer on a North American headlining tour. Set to begin on July 8 in Detroit and run through August 11 in Chicago, the tour features support from KATAKLYSM and WORMHOLE.

The North American journey will follow SIX FEET UNDER's previously announced European headlining tour this June with support from EMBRYONIC AUTOPSY.

Photo by Jack Webb