In a new interview with The Growl Podcast, former Cannibal Corpse guitarist Jack Owen has candidly reflected on the circumstances surrounding his decision to leave the band in 2004, shedding new light on a pivotal moment in his career.
According to Owen, his departure was driven by a combination of deeply personal struggles and internal band dynamics. At the time, his life was undergoing major upheaval, including a divorce and the passing of his mother. Alongside those changes, Owen revealed that tensions within the band environment played a significant role.
“It was a toxic environment for me,” Owen explained, adding that managerial issues and power shifts within the band contributed to his feeling that it was time to walk away. He also admitted that he never fully explained his reasons to his former bandmates, choosing instead to quietly remove himself from the situation. Looking back, he suggested that the issues he experienced have only intensified in the years since.
“Oh, it was a combination [of things]. My life was changing at that time,” said Owen. “I got divorced and my mom passed away. And I never really told the Cannibal guys why I left — I never told those guys, but it was ’cause I had to get away from one of those guys. Managerial stuff was going on in the band, and it’s, like, ‘Hey, that guy’s taking over the band, so I’m out.’
“[It was] a combination of that and, like I said, life changes. This decision shouldn’t be that hard. It’s, like, three things going on right now. So I never really told them. I just had to get out. It was a toxic environment for me. And look at how it’s turned into an even more toxic environment the past few years.”
When Owen officially announced his exit from Cannibal Corpse in May 2004, his public statement focused on waning passion rather than internal conflict. At the time, he said his heart was no longer in the music and that remaining in the band solely for steady work and pay felt unfair to himself, his bandmates, and the fans.
A founding member of Cannibal Corpse, Owen spent 15 years with the band before moving on. Shortly after his departure, he joined Deicide, contributing guitar work to four studio albums: The Stench Of Redemption, Till Death Do Us Part, To Hell With God, and In The Minds Of Evil.
In 2017, Owen reunited musically with former Cannibal Corpse vocalist Chris Barnes when he joined Six Feet Under, continuing his long-standing presence in the death metal scene.
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