CN: [laughs] I recently did an interview with a friend of mine who’s also a friend of yours, and you’re playing a benefit for him this week. (back in Sept. ’03)

CB: Oh yeah, oh yeah.

CN: For James [Murphy]…

CB: I just did a radio show with him in Florida actually.

CN: Oh really?

CB: Yeah.

CN: That’s cool. Was he on the phone when he did it, because I think Polk City is a lot further South….

CB: No. They got a ride up, and my bass player gave him a ride home after the show.

CN: How long did it take you to write this one?

CB: It took about three or four months to write.

CN: That’s not too long.

CB: No, it was pretty quick, you know. I mean, we had a lot of ideas and ways to go with it. We just took a little while to kind of make things the right way and got right into the studio.

CN: Right. Well, the thing that I noticed is by changing, kind of the direction of your lyrics from the more fantasy to more reality-based, it actually has a tinge of what hardcore bands do to it—that reality bit to it.

CB: Yeah, a lot of my lyrics have had a lot of that type of tones, through out them, you know what I mean, going back all the way to the first Six Feet Under album. A song like “Human Target” deals with going to war. There were all sorts of political types of emotions in some of the lyrics of that album. So, you know, this isn’t something new to me. I’ve done, really, kind of bringing things up in my lyrics, since the beginning of Six Feet Under. For me, the really great thing about this band is we didn’t go ahead and attempt all different types of subject matter. I don’t think there’s anything more scary than the things that are going on right now. I know a lot of death metal bands thing their imagery is really scary. They should take a look at the world and see what real horror is all about.

CN: Yeah. I mean, they’re into the fantasy scary—the things like you would see in a horror movie, which is fine. It’s good imagery, but the reality of war and poverty and all that is so much worse.

CB: Yeah. Real horror is around us every day. You know? I think that, tap into that. Have that in your music and have some sense to say what you mean instead of just talking bullshit. I’ve never had any---with my lyrics, everything I write is really myself asking questions. Asking myself first, and then that transfers out –you know, I tend to write from more angles than just one.

CN: You know, as far as reality goes, I can’t think of anything more horrific than being a child and having someone you trust, like your priest, molesting you on a regular. That’s probably the most horrific thing I could think of, as a child. I see a lot of your lyrics tend to deal with religion and things like that, have you ever thought of writing a song from that point of view?

CB: No. Not really. I mean, I tend to just, like…a big question/answer ideas about stuff like the hypocrisies of life and kind of transfer it into my lyrics. I tend to use very upsetting imagery in describing those things. I think it really gets attention. And in this day and age, that’s really how you need write to get a reaction out of people instead of a fantasy-based song. I think that that’s exercising free speech. It brings about some kind of dialogue that forces people to think about it and to bring it to new people.

CN: That’s true--very true. For me, there’s nothing that’s a greater motivator than negativity or anger and things like that because it makes me want to change things to make it better or to show the hypocrisy of what they’re representing.

CB: It’s an awareness, you know? I think it’s better than what’s being said out there in the general media, which is propaganda, a single source. The people are actually trying to find out information.

CN: Right. So, how old are you now?

CB: I’m 35.

CN: How old were you when you first started doing music?

CB: Probably 14 or 15.

CN: What’s your earliest musical memory or knowledge that music existed and you really dug it?

CB: Uh, I would think, uh…probably Elvis. Yeah, that’s probably my earliest memory is seeing Elvis on TV or hearing his records.

CN: And how old were you?

CB: About nine or so--nine or ten years old. And then after that I became more interested in rock and roll. I got my first KISS album, and that changed it all from there. That’s really where it all started, I would think. That’s when I saw my first concert and saw what it was really all about.

CN: And when did you first decide to start singing, or did you sing in the choir at school and stuff?

CB: No, I never did that. I started to---my musical tastes started to accelerate at that point, you know, from like, 1980 to 1982. I didn’t listen to music really seriously. I didn’t actually think about maybe singing in a band until I got in one.

CN: So did you just sing along to records, or…

CB: Basically, just that and singing along to Judas Priest and Iron Maiden and stuff like that, you know? That’s how it all started.

CN: So at that time your vocal stylings were more melodic than they are now, obviously.

CB: Well, I was really into melodic stuff. You know, as soon as I figured out that I couldn’t sing melodic, I had to discover what my voice was and what I was trying to do, you know? And that’s where it all started, you know, for me, it was what I couldn’t do that changed into what I am now.

CN: I remember when Cannibal Corpse first came out, and I was like, ‘wow.’ They kind of—you guys and Sepultura and all those bands kind of took what thrash bands were using as just effects or accents. You guys do it for the whole song. And I remember thinking, ‘Jesus, that must really shred your vocal chords.’

CB: Yeah. I don’t know who started it, or anything, but I think it started with Death and Slayer and bands like that. They had really a very dark type of sound to ‘em, I think the vocals just kind of progressed from those bands, where the music became heavier and that type vocal was heavier in those bands, so that kind of dark vocals became more in tune with that.

CN: So, how do you sing like that show after show when you’re on tour without shredding your throat?

CB: I don’t know. It’s just how my voice is.

CN: I commend you. I could never do that shit.

CB: It’s fun. I have a good time on stage, and that’s what I do.

CN: What do you want to tell me about your new record?

CB: I don’t know. I think it’s a good cd. I think people will like it.

CN: Does [Brian] Slagel (Owner, Metal Blade Records) always help you on your records like he did on this one?

CB: Well, he definitely lends his opinion here and there. So, yeah, he’s definitely a good guy to ask of all the people I respect his opinion, you know?

CN: Right. When did you meet him?

CB: Uh, geez…let’s see…1990 or so—a year after I was signed to Metal Blade.

CN: So, you’d obviously heard of his rep, right?

CB: Yeah, man. I mean, between Metal Blade and Combat…those were the best record companies…

CN: …at that time, they were. I remember. I think I met Slagel in ’88 or something like that. But, they were the two labels at the time.

CB: Yeah, so I was ready to sign all my music up with Metal Blade, you know. And I’ve always appreciated that the stuff is still around. He really helped then, and that helped me. He really helped me out in my career.

CN: So that’s the only label you’ve ever been on, technically, right?

CB: Yeah, since 1989, I’ve been with Metal Blade records.

CN: So then it’s feasible to say you have a really good working relationship with
Slagel at this point…

CB: Yeah.

CN: Because I was reading the liner notes—he helped you engineer it or something?

CB: Yeah, he helped mix it.

CN: All right. Where did you record it down there? Near you?

CB: Yeah, we recorded, uh the music here in Tampa at Morrissound Studios. And uh, I went down to The Hit Factory in Miami and laid the vocals down there and came back up here to Morrisound and mixed.

CN: Is there a reason you went to Miami to do the vocals? I mean, do they have a better booth or something?

CB: Yeah. Miami’s uh, The Hit Factory, I really enjoyed that studio. We’ve recorded the last couple records there fully. And there was a problem with the drum sound there. That’s why we came back to Morrisound. It has more bass drum programming, and it’s more of a modern studio, technically. I also like the vocal sound.

CN: All right. I can dig that. Yeah. You want the room to get the sound that you want out of it. What is it about Morrisound that was better for the band besides the drums?

CB: It’s more of a comfortable relaxed atmosphere for everyone. I mean, it’s always a hassle to cart your equipment and everything to a different part of the state or town or whatnot to record. And then having to set up while you’re there. Not having your usual stuff sitting at home and be able to go back and get it. It was just more of a damn good relaxed kind of feel for what we were doing in the studio. Not having to worry about anything but really putting down the music and just concentrating on that.

CN: That makes sense to me, because if you’re rehearsing somewhere and you’ve written something somewhere and you’re in your groove and your element and that’s influencing the sound of what you’re writing and playing, if you uproot everything and go somewhere else, obviously the surroundings are not gonna give you that same vibe, so what’s gonna come out, even though you’re playing the same material, may not sound the way you want it to or the way it did when you were at home.

CB: Exactly.

CN: A lot of people don’t get that. They think, ‘Oh, a studio’s a studio.’ But for musicians, there’s so much more that goes into it. Everything that you see or hear or deal with is a stimuli that brings us to that point of creativity.

CB: Yeah. Everything looks easier than it really is.

CN: Well, only people who have never been creative in the way that you are can’t understand that.

CB: Well, it looks simple to skateboard like that, but try it. You’ll break your neck. If I had to write an article on a band, you know, that’s not easy. Go try to write the music and get signed. That’s not easy, either. Everything really looks easier than it is until you get your hands dirty, and then you’re like, ‘Aw, I wish I wouldn’t’a done that.’

CN: Oh, man, who are you tellin’? So I’m trying to figure out, not only what motivates you, but I try and incorporate many things that fans would like to know about you, I think--because most musicians, when you start, are first and foremost fans. That’s what turns you on to it.

CB: Yeah, yeah. Definitely. That’s how it all gets started.

CN: When you were younger and you first started to get in to music, did you read a lot of the—besides listening to the albums, obviously—did you read a lot of the magazines?

CB: Oh, yeah. You know, Kerrang!, Hit Parader, all that stuff. I mean, I was a heavy metal kid. My whole bedroom was covered—walls, floor-to-ceiling—everything, all from every metal magazine there was.

CN: What were your favorites?

CB: Uh, I think like, Venom, Slayer…

CN: Okay. And when you were reading these magazines, how disappointed were you when every different magazine only talked about the tour and the new record? Did you feel like you wanted to get to know the bands better and they never really delved into that at all?

CB: Yeah. It wasn’t about interviews back then. All they did were like, pieces on bands. They never really interviewed them. It wasn’t like, I don’t remember reading Hit Parader or Circus or something and actually reading an interview with any band members. It was all like, more like, just hype about the band and talking about their album and about the tour and all that. I think that even Creem, the shit that would annoy me the most was like, their captions.

CN: I liked their captions, though.

CB: I was like, ‘Damn! Why are they making fun of that guy? He’s cool.’

CN: But that’s why they did it, because they liked ‘em.

CB: I’d cut the picture out and put it up on the wall.

CN: You see, that’s what kept me entertained, because I was madly stoned when I read those, usually. I mean, that was just the best shit, the Creem captions.

CB: Yeah. But also, that’s about the time that I started turning to more European press, like Kerrang! and Metal Forces because they did more interviews with the bands, themselves, you know? That’s why I went crazy trying to get Metal Forces and Kerrang! Metal Forces was my favorite mag.

CN: And it was always the hardest to find. Did you ever notice that?

CB: Yeah. Bernard Doe actually put out my first band on his album compilation called Scream Your Brains Out through Metal Forces. That was my first actual release. That was with my first band called Leviathan.

CN: I remember that band. What do you think of the death metal scene now? Do you think it’s gotten entirely too cartoonish?

CB: Uh, it’s stagnant, you know. I mean, there’s a lot of bands that are heavier out in the forefront, that have borrowed a lot of the death metal things but have taken it to a new level and made it something new. I think that’s cool because there’s a lot of heavier bands out there right now that are being promoted and getting pushed, you know? So it’s bringing more attention towards the underground bands. So that’s cool. I mean, a lot of the imagery and stuff is pretty stagnant, though in the metal scene. A lot of bands are just trying to out do other people’s treatment of the same imagery.

CN: Well, I think that by getting so big and so many kids—kids who are trying to do it and imitate and be darker and ‘deather than thou’, that they dumb down the whole scene. You know, they’ve taken out a lot of the originality and homogenized it to the point of sludge. That’s why I was so happy when Opeth stripped away and did that whole prog thing. It’s so awesome, because it shows behind all that imagery are great fucking musicians. And that’s what it’s about. I think a lot of the kids are missing the point. It’s like, yeah, the imagery, the lyrics are fun and cool, but you’re missing the point that these people are great musicians.

CB: That doesn’t really interest me much. I don’t appeal towards musicianship or anything, myself. I can understand that kids just want to rock, you know, and that’s what we try to do with Six Feet Under, you know? We try to say a few things that are provocative, but yet have our music just rock out, to give people something to fucking do when they’re at the show, you know?

CN: Well, musicianship doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t rock.

CB: Yeah, I know. I never was much into technical stuff.

CN: It’s also because you’re not the guitar freak who’s playing the guitar.

CB: I like to play a little bit, but I mean, I more or less don’t think that you have to be able to read music in order to write a hit song.

CN: You know, I’ve noticed that a lot of death metal bands come from Florida, which, on the surface seems incongruous, because it’s such a sunny, nice place.

CB: Yeah, well, they call it death’s waiting room, because there’s a lot of death going on down here.

CN: Yeah, well, you know, Miami is just South New York, basically.

CB: It’s a little bit nicer than that. (Laughs)

CN: What I mean by that is all the New Yorkers go down there to retire and die.

CB: (Laughs)

CN: So, that’s just South New York. I grew up in the Carolinas, and there’s just something about being a teenager in a place like that. You feel like there’s no future because it’s all just really rural in a lot of place

CB: There you go. There’s the answer to your question about why all the bands are in Florida. It’s pretty and all that, but it’s rural and there’s no place to play and tour, so not many bands came down here. So, people started forming bands to entertain themselves, at that point in time. In Tampa and the rest of Florida, it was really desolate down here. I’ve been living down here back and forth between Florida, and I grew up in Buffalo, my whole life. I just moved down here about ten years ago. And there’s nothing to do down here, so bands really formed because of that.

CN: Well, also, you know, a lot of your industry down there is tourism, and you’ve got shit close to you…fucking Orlando is the land of fake-happy Mickey Mouse. It’s got to get overwhelming.

CB: My band didn’t start down here, but it’s the same thing--isolated. But it’s basically out of necessity, there’s a lot of kids who are into metal down here. And when they’re growing up, it’s their thing, you know? We had a great scene in Buffalo. It was amazing. You know, we had 500-600 people at a local show back then. It was a great scene, growing up. Yeah, it was kind of rural and suburbs, you know. I had to ride my bike about 5 miles to my buddy’s house to go hang out and party and all that. We kept ourselves occupied with heavy metal.

CN: Let me backtrack a bit to when you were younger, and the hanging out, obviously…when did you decide that music wasn’t just something you wanted to do for fun, to hang out with your friends, that it was something that you wanted to do as a career?

CB: I never was…it never came to like, one point, like, that was something…you know, it was almost like, kind of gradually I got more into it.

CN: So, was it more that you were jamming, hanging out, and as you saw your success build you realized it could be more feasible?

CB: Oh, yeah. Yeah, for sure, you know? We had really great local success, starting out--my first band, Leviathan, and when I got into Cannibal Corpse everything progressed from there. I was working at a local record chain, and I was real good friends with the buyer. He helped me out. I sent a demo in to Metal Blade—the first Cannibal Corpse demo.

CN: So, working through the record chain, you got to see a bit of how the marketing and the whole sales end of it went, then.

CB: Yeah, there’s that. I learned every aspect and saw the industry from every aspect. I saw it from being in a band, publicity, the music the chain sold and bought from different record companies and shit that I would see come in and put on shelves, and how stuff was advertised. I saw every aspect of the music industry, and that’s how I learned how to go about what I do, and that’s why I’ve always managed my own stuff.

CN: See, so from that point of view, you had a distinct advantage over a lot of these kids.

CB: I went to school, almost, for this, by being at that record chain working in the warehouse stocking all the stores. There were 7 stores in Buffalo and Rochester. I got to see what was bought by where, what type of places, urban places, suburbs and things—what kind of music went to those places. I got first hand, bands that came in—I was given free tickets to cool shows. It was kind of a fringe benefit of working there. So, I got to see all that. I was helped in my career, preliminarily, by someone that worked in the industry at that level. I sent my demo in to Metal Blade. Got signed in 1989, and that tour really taught me what to expect from bettering myself. At that point, I had no idea that I could accomplish this much.

CN: Yeah, I guess working in the warehouse and moving things around—I mean, most guys just see it as moving boxes and wasting time until they can get off and get a beer. But you had the ambition and foresight to watch the movement. It’s like I’ve seen, being a journalist, basically you can take any band, and if they’ve got the talent and you put it to the right people, within three years they will be at a quite successful level. If it’s done right. And I’m sure that you could see, like, a new band came through, they’re shipping this many units, and within three years, you can see their sales grow. Right?

CB: I remember, specifically, on that. But I remember we had New Kids On The Block sold reasonably, over like an 8 month period, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, that thing blew up, similar to the Guns’N’Roses album, Appetite For Destruction. That thing was out for a year and a half before it hit radio and blew up. It was doing nothing, and then all of a sudden it caught fire, you know? Sure. It’s just all of a sudden, whoever takes over the marketing of a band can bring them to the public’s attention.

CN: So from seeing that, you really had a good look at the inner workings of the industry, then.

CB: Oh, yeah.

CN: And, I think that’s a great thing, because most kids are in the band. They love the music. They’re making it, but they have no clue about the business end of it. And because they have no clue, they’re taken advantage of, by lecherous managers, and so-called, good-doing helpers.

CB: Sure.

CN: Do you find it hard to manage your own career now that you’re at this level?

CB: Um, it’s getting more difficult, but I’m not bugged out by it or anything. It’s still fun for me, so, you know, until it’s not fun anymore, you know, that’s when I’ll find someone that I trust to hand it over and let them deal with it all.

CN: Do you have your own office, or do you do it from home and just have people who help you out?

CB: Yeah. I work out of the house. I just do my own thing out in my own time, and make sure I’ve covered all the bases and am doing all the right things every day. I do at least something each day with the band.

CN: Yeah. I think a lot of bands, by handing over their management and accounting and stuff to other people, they really—they need to keep their hands in there. And when they get to a certain level, they go to these big management companies, and that’s when the problems start. It’s kind of like, what was that rap song—more money, more problems—everybody thinks money is gonna solve the problems, but when they get to the level where they have more money, they just have more problems because they have more people putting their hands in the pie. So I guess you were one of the smart ones. You kept it to yourself.

CB: Yeah. Just keep it simple, that’s all. It’s the best way to do it.

CN: I can’t blame you there.