“Hell hath wrought upon this earth”
There’s no group in the extreme metal scene quite like Cattle Decapitation. Sporting an impressive streak of harrowing apocalyptic death metal records that have shunned humankind for its continued destruction of Earth’s ecosystems, the San Diego quintet has found success in blending the most extreme elements of death metal and grindcore, with moodier elements from other corners of the metal scene, such as melodeath and black metal. This unique trademark style creates a hellish backdrop for Cattle Decapitation‘s lyrical agenda. This remains the case with their upcoming eighth studio offering, Terrasite, where the band explores the aftermath of their previous records with the conception of a parasitic insectoid species born in the wake of global extinction, much like how a phoenix is reborn from its ashes.
Of course, in many ways, this analogy is applicable to Cattle Decapitation themselves. Four years have passed since the death metal act’s last full length LP, and while Terrasite doesn’t necessarily reinvent their own personal sonic wheel, it certainly feels like the band has nevertheless experienced a rebirth. Opener “Terrasitic Adaptation” is without a doubt Cattle Decapitation’s most fruitful venture into blackened metal territory, as the listener is greeted with an array of downright demonic vocals courtesy of longtime frontman Travis Ryan atop a haunting chord progression from guitarist Josh Elmore. This section flows seamlessly into the band’s usual sonic assault, only with more balance than ever before. The speedy extreme metal moments and the headbang inducing grindcore breakdowns make for an engaging listen that floors the listener with impressive musicianship while keeping the physicality intact, and it is this superb balance that aids Terrasite in remaining a strong death metal listen throughout the remainder of its 52 minute runtime.
Moving forward, singles “We Eat Our Young” and “Scourge of the Offspring” represent the most typical elements of Cattle Decapitation’s arsenal. While not bad by any stretch of the imagination, it is perhaps for the better that these tracks were served as samples, as the remaining bulk of Terrasite proves to be a much more diverse and sonically rich listen overall. This immediately takes effect with “The Insignificants”, which introduces cleaner, moodier vocals in its outro alongside some light symphonic work that goes a long way in cementing the track as an album highlight. “The Storm Upstairs” is perhaps the most groove-intensive deep cut on the record, reminiscent of bands such as Decapitated with its flawless transitioning between frenetic blasting and bouncing chug patterns.
Travis Ryan is without a doubt one of the most important extreme metal vocalists in the scene today, cited as an influence by revered vocalists such as Ben Duerr of Shadow of Intent, and his performances on Terrasite are undeniably some of the strongest I’ve heard in recent years. His trademark “cleans” are featured throughout almost every cut and serve to elevate the record beyond a run-of-the-mill death metal album, whilst keeping its unsettling and thought-provoking atmosphere intact. This is not to discredit his witch-like highs that accompany the record’s blackened chops, nor his devilish grunts that sit atop the album’s more straightforward and brutal moments. It is only fitting that the concept of Terrasite is narrated from the first-person perspective of the titular man-eating insectoid being featured in the artwork, as Travis Ryan is able to paint a pretty clear auditory image of what this thing just might sound like before it swallows you whole.
If there’s anything remotely negative that I could convey regarding Terrasite, the album’s length is just a tad too great for a record of such ferocity. While its second half is paced extremely well and does an admirable job at keeping things varied, I can’t help but feel that the record’s density causes a slight buckling effect in the home stretch. With that said, “Dead End Residents” is certainly a contender for my favorite track, with its more melodic moments resonating with the old school melodeath fan in me. Penultimate track “Solastalgia” further features an almost Pantera-like spoken-word section among an escort of chord progressions that feed the track’s growing momentum to album closer “Just Another Body”. While this final track is a serviceable summary of everything Terrasite managed to accomplish, this is where my previous argument regarding the album’s runtime comes into play. I believe this track might’ve accomplished more if it was condensed into a 5 or 6 minute affair as opposed to the 10 minute behemoth that made the final cut, as the closing phase of the track is somewhat redundant as it repeats a few too many times.
With all of this said, any criticism I may have directed towards Cattle Decapitation’s eighth studio album is like an ant mound next to the mountain of enjoyment I felt listening to this record. Terrasite, like its predecessors, is an expertly crafted album that draws from all corners of the heavy metal scene, and Cattle Decapitation continues to prove that their warpath of death and destruction is not stopping any time soon, whether the world likes it or not.
9/10
Terrasite is out this Friday via Metal Blade, and can be pre-ordered here.