Cattle Decapitation Terrasite

Let’s face it…we’re fucked. Humanity, society, the world as we know it is on its way to another mass extinction at some point. It’s likely a slow grind towards the edge of the cliff we’re all bound to leap from, but at least when listening to Cattle Decapitation’s Terrasite it feels more like a full-fledged sprint to the abyss. Whether it’s another pandemic, world war of unseen proportions, or just the cumulative effect humans have on the planet, this album proves to effectively capture your imagination, and hits like a meteor poised to wipe us all out. 

The scariest thing about Terrasite is the (unless I’m mistaken, the word itself is a creation of singer/lyricist Travis Ryan) lyrics. They discuss the idea that people and society are slowly eating themselves alive. Think about that…not only are we doomed to die, but humans will die off from total consumption of natural resources, competition for what’s left and to make matters even worse, parasites that worm their way into us all and devour us from within. 

The album is a well-executed assault on your senses. In typical Cattle Decapitation fashion, you’re met with the following: pummeling blast beats at what seems to be inhuman speed, vocals that could fit right in with gore horror film voiceover, and songs that are arranged effectively and don’t let go of your attention. What stands out from the established C.D. formula, though, is the adventurousness of the guitar leads, additions of synths and the clever mix of reverbs, delays and other effects; all of which add to the album’s sound with great results.

Compared to their last effort, Death Atlas, this album seems to have a more focused low-end to it. The bass playing is not only solid, but the tones themselves are more gravelly, throaty and punchy. The production of Terrasite is truly top-notch, thanks to the talented and capable Dave Otero. It seems to have an overall brighter sound too. Maybe that’s the band’s response to the crushing darkness they conjured on their last few albums. Tracks such as “Terrasitic Adaptation” and “Just Another Body” both showcase not just the band’s technical skill, but their flair for the dramatic by utilizing orchestral elements to take the songs to more stoic heights.

One of the key takeaways from Terrasite is that it’s full of memorable riffs and guitar melody work. Each track has something that will inevitably get stuck in your head. “We Eat Our Young” is a perfect example of this with a trademark C.D. breakneck tremolo picked riffs, heavy chugging, and layered chording over sections as well; the latter evoking melodic death metal vibes and anchoring the track with them.

Bottom line: Cattle Decapitation paint a grim picture throughout their discography, it’s hard to find anything bright or hopeful in it and that’s exactly how it should be. They’ve evolved from a grind band into something even more maniacal with this album; a true and brilliantly executed hybrid of heavy death metal, brutal grind and lyrical terror. The world certainly deals with enough conflict, sorrow, inhumanity every damn day, but Terrasite is a clear reminder that we’re all to blame for the slide into extinction and that we’re only picking up more and more steam.