Former Cannibal Corpse singer Chris Barnes has publicly rejected the idea that he could ever reunite with his former band, even for a one-off reunion show. The question was posed to Barnes through a speculative question about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame if they would ever embrace the band.
The death metal singer, whose band Six Feet Under has been touring since his departure, says that it wouldn’t be him saying no, rather that his former bandmates would resist the idea. In a recent interview with Loaded Radio, he said that “I’ve always been ready to do that. [Cannibal Corpse] wouldn’t do that, though, because that’s just how they are”.
When asked to elaborate, he said that “they don’t like me, and they also feel – not to be boastful or conceited at all – I’m just being truthful — they feel threatened by my presence as far as a vocalist and my contribution to the band.” This is part of a series of wider attacks on the death metal titans in the last few months, having declared himself to be the best singer they ever had.
He also spoke of how the band feel of his period in the band in retrospect after thirty years of absence. He said that “because it’s been a shadow over – my contribution to the band – has always been a shadow to what they’ve tried to keep going and take on themselves.” Despite all of this, the singer claims that “I’ve never had a problem with that. I’ve never been bitter about that at all.”
Barnes left Cannibal Corpse in 1995 following their 1994 album ‘The Bleeding’, which was seen at the time as a more commercially-minded effort, chasing the groove metal of bands like Pantera and Sepultura, albeit with their death metal credentials intact. His departure was explained through personal differences with the rest of the band, claiming that he didn’t like working with them at that point.
After splitting, he dedicated more time to his side band, Six Feet Under, with the band becoming his main focus thereafter. Their first few albums showcase the same groovy sound that ‘The Bleeding’ had indicated his ex-band moving to. They became champions of the style of ‘death n roll’ which melded more traditional hard rock songwriting with death metal brutality, popularised by Swedish masters Entombed.
Speaking of his exit in 2008, Barnes said that “It just wasn’t working out. None of us were on good terms. I came back from my tour with SFU. and that’s when I was given notice. It was a good transition, they wanted me to change into something I’m not. They wanted me to sing faster and more Slayer-oriented and that’s just something I’m not into.”
