Cattle Decapitation – The Anthropocene Extinction
Posted: by Sean Gonzalez
For a while, I used bands like Cattle Decapitation and other grind/death metal bands to prove how fucked up in the head I was in my junior high school years. Often I wanted to be that ‘odd’ kid who did not listen to the trendy radio shit, instead showcasing a troubled side by scaring my friends with music that they absolutely despised. Looking back at that time frame, what three bands better to have done it with then Children Of Bodom, Behemoth, and Cattle Decapitation? Not only have I sub-consciously heard this band grow, but I guess now I have gathered more of a taste for the music instead of letting the music taste me, so to speak. On August 7th, The Anthropocene Extinction was released, the newest endeavor by the group.
It’s a known fact that this grueling, grotesque named band was comprised entirely of vegetarians. It gave this group of distinct, caring eaters a band to rally behind and absolutely lose their shit with. The messages delivered in Travis Ryan’s lyrics have often been focused at the mistreatment of the nature that surrounds, albeit with one of the better voices in the industry. His low, muffled growls are often coupled with screeching highs that gave certain parts an extra edge to the songs. On the latest LP, there are a lot of mid range, slightly distorted vocals that come off close a natural yell, this new delivery adds plenty of variety to the paths a song can take, starting immediately in the middle of opener ‘Manufactured Extinct.’ It’s an eerie voice that helps narrate the ultimate destruction of the human epoch.
Sonically the band utilizes many core aspects of their genre. The drums are machine gun fast, belaying around blast beats and quick, coordinated fills. The guitars keep their chord progressions strummed quick, with enchanting grooves finding their way between chugs and frantic, rhythmic pulses. Every now and then, the band finds it in them to produce a melodic trance, such as the middle riff of ‘Mammals In Babylon.’ Their structured chords create an ominous motif for Ryan to ascend his grimy cleans over. If getting your ears pummeled over and over isn’t your style of listening to music, then most of these tracks are not for you. Well, maybe the short instrumental ‘The Burden Of Seven Billion’ might please you.
All in all, Cattle Decapitation has released another solid record that thematically ties together with their previous release. The two are structured in an identical fashion, but the middle range mix adds variety to their tracks. At times, it can be exhausting to consistently be battered around with breakneck tracks, because sometimes things can sound the same. Nevertheless, The Anthropocene Extinction is upon us, what are you waiting for?
Score: 7.5/10
