Chris Barnes (musician)
His cavernous growl and unflinching lyrics defined the sound of American death metal, pushing the genre into darker, more visceral territory.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American death metal vocalist·Birthday: December 29·Generation X
Biography
Chris Barnes emerged from the Tampa, Florida, metal scene in the late 1980s, his voice becoming a foundational instrument for the burgeoning death metal movement. As the original vocalist for Cannibal Corpse, he helped sculpt the band's graphic, confrontational identity, with albums like 'Tomb of the Mutilated' becoming notorious benchmarks of extreme music. His departure in 1995 wasn't an exit but a pivot; he founded Six Feet Under, channeling his signature low guttural style into a groove-oriented brand of death metal that found a durable, dedicated audience. Beyond performing, Barnes has been a consistent, uncompromising figure, his lyrical focus on horror and mortality remaining a constant in a genre known for its volatility. His influence is heard in the vocal approach of countless bands that followed, cementing his role as a pioneer who gave death metal one of its most recognizable voices.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Chris was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the original lead vocalist for the influential death metal band Cannibal Corpse from 1988 to 1995.
- Founded and has remained the frontman of the band Six Feet Under since 1995, releasing over a dozen studio albums.
- His vocal work on Cannibal Corpse's early albums helped define the sonic template for American death metal.
- Pioneered the use of extremely low, guttural vocal techniques that became a standard in the death metal genre.
Did You Know?
He worked as a manager at a record store in Florida before his music career took off.
Barnes is an avid fan of horror films, which heavily influences his songwriting and album art concepts.
He provided guest vocals on the song "Force Fed Broken Glass" by the band Hate Eternal.
Despite the violent imagery in his lyrics, he has described himself as a pacifist in interviews.
“The guttural voice is just another instrument to paint a landscape of horror.”
