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Interview: Jack Owen of SIX FEET UNDER On Hank Williams, Death Metal & The Strangest Musical Crossover

By capitalchaostv on April 1, 2026 • ( 0 )

By Dig Dirkler

If your taste runs from Hank Williams Sr. to death metal, you’re not alone. Jack Owen grew up on classic country but built his career on crushing riffs—and somewhere in between, those worlds unexpectedly collide.

You’re a big fan of Hank and other music similar to Hank.

Yeah, my dad listened to Hank Williams Sr., and now I listen to Junior and the third. I ran into Hank Williams III, and he was like, “I love Cannibal Corpse.” It’s like, okay, this is too weird—way too weird.

Now, is there any kind of music that you’ve been unable to get into?

Man, I got some opera on vinyl just to see if I could comprehend it. It was kind of a box set with lyrics and everything, and it was in Italian, so it had translations in English. But man, I just can’t get into that. My uncle loved opera—he went to the Met all the time—but nope. I listen to pretty much anything.

Me too. I tried new country—I can’t get into it. Yeah, I don’t try to force it. I just move on to other things.

My country goes up until about 1980, because I start around 1940. Hank Sr., George Jones, Johnny Cash—like all the classic stuff. Waylon Jennings. After 1980, it was over.

Was there a time in your life when you were focused on just one kind of music and couldn’t listen to anything else?

Maybe in my early 20s, when I was into thrash metal and death metal. Pink Floyd would come up a lot, and I’d be like, “Pink Floyd? I’m not listening to Pink Floyd.” Now it’s like—they’re probably one of my favorite bands.

Of course. Who created death metal?

In a genre often defined by intensity and extremity, it’s refreshing to hear a grounded perspective rooted in feel, instinct, and musical history. Whether rejecting over-polished production or revisiting decades-old riff ideas, the core philosophy remains unchanged: authenticity and memorability matter most. As death metal continues to evolve, it’s clear that its foundation—built on passion, experimentation, and a love for heavy music—is as strong as ever. Six Feet Under will unleash their Next To Die full-length on April 24th through Metal Blade Records.