As reported earlier today (February 24th), the 9th Annual New England Metal And Hardcore Festival is confirmed for Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28 at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts. Organizers will mark Metal Blade Records' 25th Anniversary by hosting a number of the label's acts from the past and present including plenty of surprises! BW&BK; spoke to SIX FEET UNDER mainman Chris Barnes about the possibilities of reuniting with his former CANNIBAL CORPSE band-mates for the event.

"When we do see each other, we're on good terms now," Barnes says about the current relationship between himself and the other Florida-based death metal legends. "I think myself and those guys have gone past the whole thing about me out of the band - it's 12 years old now. When we do see each other, we sit down and have a couple of glasses of wine and just talk, share some laughs. As far as a reunion, I don't think it will ever happen. I've offered and have put myself out there and I'm not going to do it anymore. I think that they way things are now are the way things are going to be. It's kind of sad not to be able to get up there and sing those songs to the fans out there that want to hear them sung the way they were supposed to be sung. That's kind of discouraging not to be able to do that. I still rehearse those songs now and then and they are still real personal to me. As far as getting up on stage with them - I've put that whole thing out there and have been turned down. I'm just not going to put myself out there anymore. I feel bad about it, but sometimes you just have to walk away from things and let sleeping dogs lie I guess."

Barnes agrees that it's cool to see VAN HALEN, HEAVEN AND HELL, even THE POLICE reforming and the fans are loving it.

"I would do it," he continues, "but I don't think it's a mutual feeling and I think ego is involved on that end. On my end, I've already put it out there. I'll do a tour for free. I've said it to the record label (Metal Blade). Even though if it would happen it would be the biggest money maker in death metal history. But it's been something that's been squashed every time I've put it out there. It's not an ego thing on my end of things. I wish them well in the future. I don't think I'll be attending the show up there (in Worcester, Massachusetts), just due to some personal reasons and obligations I have with my family."

Six Feet Under's upcoming album Commandment will be issued by Metal Blade on April 17th. Commandment will feature the following tracks: 'Doomsday', 'Thou Shall Kill', 'Zombie Executioner', 'The Edge Of The Hatchet', 'Bled To Death', 'Resurrection Of The Rotten', 'As The Blade Turns', 'The Evil Eye', 'In A Vacant Grave', 'Ghosts Of The Undead'.

To listen to 'Doomsday', click here.

Watch for a major Six Feet Under feature in an upcoming issue of BW&BK; Magazine.