SIX FEET UNDER vocalist Chris Barnes has shared an update on the progress of the recording and mixing sessions for the band’s upcoming album. The follow-up to last year’s “Killing For Revenge” is tentatively due in early 2026 via Metal Blade Records. Chris wrote on Instagram: “The new SIX FEET UNDER album recording is coming along GREAT! Mark Lewis has begun mixing. Super happy with everything we wrote and recorded. Really killer songs on this one. Pure 100% REAL death metal. No fillers, no over processing no modern tricks or bullshit. Just death metal. You’ll be getting more info on singles, release date, and tour info at the beginning of 2026!”

During an appearance on an October 2025 episode of the “100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal” podcast, hosted by Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel, Barnes stated about what fans can expect from the new SIX FEET UNDER LP: “It’s a really interesting album… Well, me and Jack [Owen, SIX FEET UNDER guitarist] wrote the songs on this… This time he wrote half of the lyrics on the album; I wrote the other half. And that’s been really interesting for me too, to collaborate as a lyricist with someone… So me and Jack collaborated on [CANNIBAL CORPSE’s debut album] ‘Eaten Back To Life’, on [the song] ‘Shredded Humans’. And his writing style and his storytelling is very immersive as well. And I love the way Jack writes. He’s been a really amazing addition to SIX FEET UNDER as far as progressing the band and keeping things interesting.”

He continued: “This album, it encompasses just a lot of everything we’ve done. I mean, even going back to ‘Haunted’, there are some songs that are very rhythmic and I think more on the simple, straightforward side. And then there’s some songs that are very thrashy, which kind of came into play on the last album, on ‘Killing For Revenge’, where they’re more thrashy-based type of death metal. And then there’s some songs — one of the songs really reminds me of like something we would’ve done on ‘The Bleeding’ when I was in CANNIBAL CORPSE, when [Jack and I] were both in CANNIBAL CORPSE. So it’s really, really cool.”

Regarding the production of the upcoming SIX FEET UNDER LP, Barnes said: “We haven’t mixed the album yet; that starts next month in November. Mark Lewis is gonna be mixing this album. So we’re gonna be working with him again. We haven’t worked with him since ‘Undead’ and ‘Unborn’. And I really liked his mix that he did on — he did the new DYING FETUS record, but the last one, I was really, really a fan of that. And we actually reconnected on SIX FEET UNDER’s tour earlier this past year — it was January, February 2025 here when we were in Nashville and we talked backstage and we had a really good conversation. So it was sticking with me for a few months after that, like, ‘Man, I just really love that production he did on the FETUS album and it’d be great to work with him again.’ So I kind of connected with him after that tour, a couple of months after, and he was, like, ‘Oh, man, I’m down. Let’s do this.’ So he’s really open to explore the production and the mix in an interesting way so that it complements these songs, ’cause they are very diverse from each other.”

He added: “I don’t like blanket productions. I think I mentioned to you years ago, I was, like, how come one song can’t have one production, like with a different snare sound, for instance? And why can’t that song have another sound to it on the same album? And I understand there has to be some cohesiveness throughout the album. I’m a big fan of making each song its own entity. We’re not gonna go so far with it like that, but I’ve always respected bands and albums and producers that have been able to do that and not just do a blanket production to make it sound more organic, I guess.”

Two months ago, SIX FEET UNDER canceled its previously announced “Midnight In Hell” tour with EXHORDER, WRETCHED and INCITE “due to unforeseen circumstances”. The trek was scheduled to launch on September 20 in Indianapolis, Indiana and conclude on October 25 in New Kensington, Pennsylvania.

“Killing For Revenge” came out in May 2024 through Metal Blade Records. The LP marked the second effort that Barnes and Owen (ex-CANNIBAL CORPSE) had created together since reuniting for 2020’s “Nightmares Of The Decomposed”. Owen also produced “Killing For Revenge”.

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”. Only Barnes remains from SIX FEET UNDER’s original incarnation, but the quality has remained remarkably consistent. The current lineup of Barnes, guitarists Owen and Ray Suhy, bassist Jeff Hughell and drummer Marco Pitruzzella make for a devastating unit.

While Barnes is the sole remaining member, SIX FEET UNDER is about more than he and Owen. The singer is thrilled with the current lineup, and what each member brings to the table. “Jeff and Marco have been with me for about 10 years,” Barnes said in last year’s press release. “I’m really fortunate that I have probably the best musicians in metal. If you look at it, we have the same amount of original members as CANNIBAL CORPSE. Jeff is a killer bass player. Marco’s probably the best drummer out there. Jack’s the greatest songwriter I’ve ever been involved with over the 30-plus years I’ve been doing music professionally. And Ray is just a phenomenal guitarist who can play everything from jazz to death metal. The lineup now is untouchable.”

“Killing For Revenge”, which featured a guest appearance by guitarist Jason Suecof on “Neanderthal”, was mixed and mastered by Chaz Najjar at Badlands Recording in Denver, Colorado. The record was released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl.

SIX FEET UNDER is:

Chris Barnes – vocals
Jack Owen – rhythm guitar
Ray Suhy – lead guitar
Jeff Hughell – bass
Marco Pitruzzella – drums

Photo by Stephanie Cabral