Six Feet Under recently released their ninth studio album "Commandment". The said album is a death metal soundtrack to a carnival spook house ride complete with the usual SFU fair: zombies, dismemberment, grisly murders, and gore, gore, gore...and more gore. "Commandment" shows the band writing at top form. Each song unveils a ghastly tale of the macabre tapped from Chris Barnes' dark imagination. Each rhythm is both brutal and catchy, making for one hell of a memorable listen. Front man and death metal icon, Chris Barnes talked to Metal-Mayhem about his latest malevolent creation.

Metal Mayhem: You just released "Commandment". Are you happy with the end result?
Chris Barnes: Yeah man, I’m definitely happy with the way it turned out.

MM: "Commandment" has only been out for a couple weeks. How has the response from fans and media been so far?
CB: It's been pretty good. The fans seem to like it. I don't pay attention to the media too much, but the fans have seemed to give it a pretty good response.

MM: I can honestly say this is my favorite SFU album. It still has the classic SFU elements, but there is something different, something fresh about it? Did you do anything different in making this album?
CB: No, not really. We went at it like we usually do. As far as the writing process, we just wanted to write some good new songs. We took it one song at a time and made sure we all agreed if we liked it or not.

MM: One thing I noticed about this album is how the rhythms flow. This flow, in part, seems due to your lyric writing. Did you create your rhythms from your rhyme scheme in your lyrics or were your lyrics created from the music? CB: I usually have my own lyrics that were already written and try to match them up with the music that I'm given. If I have a song that sounds right with the music, then usually I'll want to use it. I have a few storylines in mind and try to find music that matches my writing. MM: Going all the way back to Cannibal Corpse, you have always written some of the goriest, sickest, most brutal shit in the biz. Where did you find the inspiration to write the lyrics on "Commandment"? CB: I write the lyrics the same way I always do, I write from my own imagination. I don’t need to look to other sources for inspiration. All my lyrics come from my own imagination.

MM: Do you have a ritual you perform before writing a song, like for instance, hitting a massive bong?
CB: Yeah, I like to smoke before I write. It helps me gather some ideas together, puts me into a meditative state.

MM: Did you participate in 4/20 this year?
CB: Yeah, most definitely.

MM: The lyrics you write always have a fantastic element, especially the zombie songs. However, some of the songs about murder touch on very real possibilities like the psyche of a mass murderer or serial killer. Do you find inspiration for these songs through true crime books or television documentaries?
CB: No, not at all. I just take all the elements I find fascinating from an idea for a story and condense them into a song. I try not to write anything too long so it will flow with the music. I gain inspiration from just writing. I'm a writer, so I write what I know.

MM: Whatever gives you inspiration, there is no doubt you have a vivid imagination. Have you ever considered writing a screen play, short stories or any other type of creative work beyond music?
CB: No, not really. I just stick with what I perform good with, and that's being a lyricist. I'm a writer, a lyricist; it's what I think I do well, so that's what I do.

MM: Getting back to the music, the main riff in "Bled to Death" reminds me of Mercyful Fate's classic "Black Funeral". Was this intentional?
CB: No,not at all. I don't listen to Mercyful Fate, so I can't say they were an influence on this song. Steve (Swanson) and Terry (Butler) came up with that riff as they did most of the riffs.

MM: The CD credits all the band members with writing the music. Can you explain the music writing process of "Commandment"?
CB: Steve comes up with ninety percent of the music. I help out a little, some with song structures. I'll pick up a guitar now and then to help with some of the rhythms. Most of the music is written by Steve. I try to match it up with my lyrics.

MM: Erik Rutan did the mixing and engineering for the album. What was it like to work with him? Do you think you'll work with him again? CB: It was ok, I guess. It was nothing special. We wanted to use his studio. I don't think we'll work with him again because we'll probably try something different next time. We always like to try something different. MM: Tell me about shooting the video for "Ghosts of the Undead", how was that? CB: It was pretty cool. It was a good shoot. It was a relaxed environment. It was interesting working with all the extras they brought in for the video. It was a good time.

MM: Do you think the video properly related the song's theme?
CB: I don't think any video properly relates a song's theme. I don't really like videos. I think they place images into the viewer's mind. I prefer listening to the music because the music allows listeners to create their own images in their head or get their own ideas about what the song should be about. Each song has a storyline and videos do not necessarily show the story written about in the song lyrics.

MM: Right now that video is on You-Tube. Where can we view it at? Is Metal Blade planning on getting that video on MTV 2's The Headbanger's Ball?
CB: I don't know. I never really go on You-Tube. We have it posted on our website: www.sfu420.com. I'm not sure when, this week or next week, but it will be coming out on The Ball. Metal Blade just got it approved with MTV 2.

MM: What tours do you have scheduled to support your new album?
CB: No, not yet. We'll have one coming, though, and we'll let everyone now when our tour dates are set.

MM: Any final words?
CB: Thanks to all our fans out there. Thanks for buying the new album, I hope you like. I hope to see you come out to our shows on our next tour.

Darren Cowan