Cattle Decapitation – "Terrasite"

World champions in a doomed world

The last material I've heard outta famously vegan death-grinding doomsday preachers Cattle Decapitation is from 2012's "Monolith of Inhumanity" album, since its release widely considered the band's magnum opus, if any. But the consensus also seems to be that they've largely kept up to par with themselves since then, if not more. And for all I know, with their 10th album, "Terrasite", they've just done that again – if not more.

In a nutshell, we're dealing with one of the most impressive bands in a genre that's technically impressive by default. Especially drummer David McGraw excels with near-supersonic grind blasts and one of death metal's fastest double kicks. But Travis Ryan puts himself ahead of pretty much every one of his colleagues here with one of the most varied vocals I've ever heard, ranging from a frighteningly deep and guttural growl over icy black metal screaming to a vulgar goblin sneer.

You can actually hear the lyrics (well, some of the time anyway). And also the urgency of their apocalyptic message sets the band apart from many of contemporary death metal's other cookie-cutter cookie monsters out there – as one of sadly few groups in the genre, these guys actually have something important to say.

The band members' technical variety permeates the music as well. CD's strength lies in more aspects than their technicality, with song structures often being complex, not following an ABABCB template, but sometimes rather ABCDEFGH, like in "The Storm Upstairs". And the individual sections often alternate between dissonant, chromatic death riffing hailing back to Morbid Angel, and big black metal minor chord cadences not unlike those of Immortal or Darkthrone. Also, the drums often alternate between heavy half-times and intimidating blast assaults. I mean, these drums, you guys... Holy shit, these drums.

Opener "Terrasitic Adaptation" contains everything that's awesome about the band and the entire genre, its gigantic introductory chord slabs paving the way for violent grind and profane vocals. Both brutality and technicality are at 100% here, and this is exactly what only the finest purveyors of tech-death do. "Scourge of the Offspring" introduces some wicked time meter changes along with some of the album's tonally sickest riffing. In fact, only "The Insignificants" could be said to be somewhat unoriginal, being reminiscent of older standard-death metal like Deicide or Cannibal Corpse.

Even when Cattle Decapitation aren't messing around with any stand-out elements, they're still kicking the asses of 9 out of 10 other bands in not just death grind, but in the entire world of death metal. And in a world where death metal has become so wonderfully complex as is the case, that says a lot.

But even then, the creative vocal arrangements as the track progresses still showcase a goddamn sense of musicality that you can't necessarily take for granted even in a demanding genre like death metal. Although it probably also helps that the producer, once again, is neo-death maestro Dave Otero, the man behind several albums by CD's death grind colleagues Cephalic Carnage and Archspire. Seriously, the bass drum sound here might be the perfect bass drum sound. (I mean, it's either this one or the last Decapitated album.)

There are those who will probably scorn some of the half-time sections here and compare them to those of unimaginative jock metal bands – none mentioned, too few forgotten. And using the same comparison, those same people might also scorn the melodic aspects of "Terrasite". But none of these elements resemble those lame panderings to the baggy pants segment that blemished a lot of new metal 20 years ago.

The half-times are few and justified. And the clean vocals often apply a filter of seemingly echo and flanger, giving them a pseudo-human, almost insect-like quality, perhaps not unlike the imagined vocal sounds of the album cover's post-apocalyptic human/cockroach hybrid creation. And with all its dissonant layers, the entire album retains a disturbing edge throughout – again, as fittingly illustrated by aforementioned cover.

In fact, the only imaginably justified point of critique here is that it's hard to not become a bit exhausted toward the end of "Terrasite". Even with all its variation – and, shit, also because of it – this is just plain demanding music no matter how you look at it. But it's demanding because it's blindingly professional, and that's the way it should be. Shit, even at those points when CD aren't messing around with any stand-out elements, they're still kicking the asses of 9 out of 10 other bands in not just death grind, but in the entire world of death metal. And in a world where death metal has become so wonderfully complex as is the case, that says a lot.

Rating: 5 out of 6

Genre: Progressive death metal
Release date: 12/5/2023
Label: Metal Blade
Producer: Dave Otero