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Cattle Decapitation > The Anthropocene Extinction > Reviews
Cattle Decapitation - The Anthropocene Extinction

Album that´s Not Suitable For Life! - 100%

yourmother47, December 9th, 2023
Written based on this version: 2020, 12" vinyl, Metal Blade Records (Limited edition, 4 colors, Reissue, EU)

Cattle Decapitation was and will always be vicious enough to make this good music! And now I present to all of you the great follow-up named "Anthropocene Extinction" that is welcoming us in a world where people are the sea animals being eaten alive by plastic bullshit, which East is still throwing to the sea and ocean in this age, like they don't care.

So, what was the CD's point in making this album? Well, they always managed to write music and lyrics, which are based on mostly us (people), how we f**k with Earth, how we treat animals (I'm a meat eater), and other things, and this album is no different. The Anthropocene is again about people being killed by plastic they threw in the sea and ocean. On the artwork, we can see a man and a woman behind him who ended up with the same fate as I mentioned before. The artwork itself has a nice blue/green-like touch with color and a cold, tragedic, and depressive atmosphere, which makes for a good view of the album.

But whatever, let's talk about the music. So, in the beginning, we have a nice intro where we hear the sound of sea waves. Later, the album starts with a song (one of the best ones) named "Manufactured Extinct", in which a lullaby-like melody of guitars and slowdowned drums begins the song and continues with harsh riffs that are literally just meant to rip your ears away and then force you to cry in the end, which contains one of the best choruses in the history of metal.

I always liked about Cattle the fact that they managed to have many written riffs in just one song because they only last like 10 seconds (haha), but they appear at least twice on the song. I've seen a lot of hate towards the riffs, but for me personally, I don't see anything wrong with riffs lasting so short because I like them! But the question is, do they sound good? Yes, they are good, and why? They are sharp, sometimes they feel juicy, and the riffs are cold so much that it feels like the listener is in the Arctic, but there's one thing we can all agree on, and that is that they are melodic as hell! Melodic riffs aren't always mentioned to pierce your heart to pieces (in a good way), but this is one of the exceptions that do exist. But many people and new fans of CD are not going to like it on first touch. One of the interesting things about this album is that it lacks heaviness. But CD as a whole band wasn't credited with sounding heavy; they were meant to sound raw, sharp, juicy, disgusting, and unclean.

Are there any tracks that I should be afraid of for not being good or being confusing? Well, you should be afraid of the whole album, but not for being bad, but for being scary and interesting as hell! There are many songs that will leave you without any words, or at the end, saying: What the hell did I just listen to? The songs are emotionally balanced, meaningful, at the start sharp, at the end dull. Even my least favourite track (mentioned down in the review) is meaningful; it feels like Travis is a grim that has a desire for fresh meat; it's just disgustingly good.

Is the drummer creative and not robotic? Well, I think we can all agree on one thing: Dave McGraw has once again "blastbeated" almost all of the drummers on Earth because he knows how to do blastbeats, but most importantly, he knows how to fu**ing diversify the drums! I like him for it because he doesn't feel like a robotic drummer (Austin Archey is still good), he diversifies the drums and can lightly think of any other part and connect it with another one, and it actually makes sense. As my ass says: "drums talk emotions the same way vocals do." Well, on this album, it worked again. "Not Suitable For Life" is a good example of aggressive drumming in verses and ends with my favourite chorus full of exhausted and tragic emotion drums. Honor to him.

You probably ask yourself: Why haven't you mentioned basswork or vocals? Well, then let's give a fuck about it. So, Derek's basswork on this album is the best from his era and one of the best of the CD's full discography. The bass isn't quiet and isn't loud at the same time; the bass sound and loudness are just perfect. The bass feels like I'm being repeatedly hit by a hammer full of nails. Vocals? Nah, Travis Ryan again delivers low-pitched, high-pitched, and goblin vocals, talking about melancholic and tragic emotions.

Well, we have finally made it to the end, and I just want to thank CD for another stunning piece of music. "Anthropocene Extinction" is the best album made by CD and definitely one of the best in metal history. If you are going through a hard time, this album is right here for you. Anthropocene has melodic guitars, drums talking emotions, vocals full of emotional meanings, and a nice ending song "Pacific Grim", in which there's a high percentage of crying because of the anger, sadness, and emotions full of depression...

Favourite tracks: Manufactured Extinct, Clandestine Ways, Not Suitable For Life, Pacific Grim
Least favourite track: Apex Blasphemy

This album wants humanity to die - 100%

BuffaloBalls6969, November 21st, 2023
Written based on this version: 2020, 12" vinyl, Metal Blade Records (Limited edition, 4 colors, Reissue, EU)

This album opens in a similar way to its predecessor; silence slowly being filled with a rumbling growing louder and louder, before the drums knock you unconscious with devastating might. There is a reason this is the second time they have done this, as this is a great way to open an album. The opener, Manufactured Extinct is also the best song on the album. The progression of the song throughout the track, starting slow and building, before it picks up the pace as the vocals kick in. The song slows down once again for what you might call a chorus, marking the first time the melodic growl is used on this album. The song keeps building and gaining momentum until the outro, where the melodic growls are once again used, before ending and going straight into the opening scream of The Prophets of Loss.

This album is clearly following the footsteps of its predecessor Monolith of Inhumanity, but manages to exceed it in every way possible. The elements that made Monolith good are amplified and expanded on this album. Monolith laid the groundwork for this record, and they succeeded in creating something that follows the same base ideas, without sounding like the same album. Anthropocene feels greater, darker and more misanthropic than Monolith, and a lot more brutal.

The guitars sound a lot better, sounding sharper and clearer than those on Monolith, while still feeling just as brutal. Each note feels like you’re being cut up with a scalpel, every tremolo riff slicing you to bits. The bass has moved closer to the foreground, easily audible on most of the album, but not having as many stand-out parts. The drums are as brutal and destructive as ever. The notes are clearer and feel bigger than before, creating a feel of being kicked in the skull for every hit.

Everyone in the band has outdone themselves on this record, but none so much as Travis Ryan. His vocal performance on every album up to Anthropocene was good, but is nothing compared to his performance on this record. His growls are infinitely more brutal and every word is filled with much more hate than ever before. A perfect example of this would be on Manufactured Extinct in the first section of the song where it goes from a fast part, to a slower section. When he sings “Machines”, you feel the anger emanating from him, and throughout this verse that hate just keeps getting amplified. His screams are also top-notch, the opening scream of Prophets of Loss being the best example, but similar moments are found towards the middle and end of Mammals in Babylon. The melodic growls first introduced on Monolith are also found on this record. While they were first finding footing on Monolith, on Anthropocene they are refined and developed upon, and ultimately way better than before. Because of this, they are also used a lot less sparingly, being found on almost every track, and every time they are used, it is to great effect. They add another layer of hate to the music, sounding evil and insidious. The sections best utilizing them are on the opening track, during the chorus and outro of Plagueborne and in the middle part of Mammals in Babylon.

This album augurs demise and the coming apocalypse, the end being closer than ever, and Cattle Decapitation uses this to be even more misanthropic than before. This album has a way darker and more nihilistic aura, perpetuated by songs like The Prophets of Loss and Plagueborne. There is no shadow of hope, no shred of optimism anywhere in this album. Anthropocene wants us to die, it wants the human race gone, and that is felt in every single second of this record.

We fucking die tonight, and that’s perfectly alright with me - 99%

Traumawillalwayslinger, November 19th, 2023
Written based on this version: 2015, CD, Metal Blade Records

Released in 2016, “The Anthropocene Extinction” continues to showcase Cattle Decapitations' continuous evolution in their sound. This album truly begins to hone in on everything that succeeded with its predecessor “Monolith Of Inhumanity”. And makes it 10 times better. The band continues to refine and evolve its sound with each passing album. You know what you're gonna get regardless but it still throws you a curveball every now and then.

The thing I immediately thought about when I heard this album for the first time was the better production. The guitars are crunchier and more demanding of your attention, the bass is much more prominent and heavy. The drums are more pummeling, they also seem to hone back a little on the intensity scale. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s still ungodly abrasive but it’s more concise. Another thing I immediately noticed is how this album is much more emotionally driven. The opening track “Manufactured Extinct” is my favorite song on the album and a good example of this shift in feeling. It begins with a simple intro before kicking into a brutal barrage of groovy death metal. Which slowly builds up into the harsh clean section which is absolutely stunning. Travis Ryan once again stepped up his vocal performance to make this moment even better. I could listen to that part on repeat for hours, it’s such a perfect hook and memorable section. Then it builds up into the absolutely brutal breakdown, which almost comes out of nowhere.

Lyrical content also continues to get more and more grim and hateful. Continuing to show Cattle Decapitation's anger and frustration with humanity, specifically with overpopulation and pollution. It’s not in complete full throttle yet, but it continues to grow. The album cover conveys perfectly, Wes Benscoter is an incredible artist and I’m glad they’ve stuck with him throughout the years. More songs that are more emotionally driven such as “Pacific Grim”, “The Prophets of Loss” and the interlude “Ave Extium”. Which has Travis Ryan doing actual clean vocals, he’s the perfect extreme metal vocalist in my eyes along with Corpsegrinder from Cannibal Corpse. Travis can practically do anything with his vocals, he sounds so hateful and maniacal that it’s insane how well his vocals flow along with the music. He’s a very talented singer and is very versatile in his craft. “The Prophets of Loss” is another masterpiece of a song, beginning perfectly with a high shriek from Travis before kicking into what Cattle Decapitation does best. It also ends perfectly on a emotional note. It slowly ends with some double bass that absolutely crushes your skull in. And it has the best lyric/vocal line of the entire album, “We fucking die tonight and that’s perfectly alright with me”. Such a killer way to end off the song.

Everyone’s playing seems to have upped a notch. Dave McGraw's drumming continues to thrash and gravity blast you into oblivion. His playing is very bombastic yet very intelligent, the music also continues to show its progressive nature. The same goes for Josh Elmore, his riffs are more groovy and punchy than on the previous album. His solos remain killer and emotion-filled, to me he’s one of the best guitarists in extreme metal. It continues to have that overwhelming impact of just pure brutality, yet I’m able to wrap my head around everything that’s going on quicker than on “Monolith Of Inhumanity”. Which was a more hellish, bombastic album than this one. And the songs are much more memorable and hooky. While the previous record did that incredibly well this album does it much better.

This album also throws in essentially 2 interludes. One true interlude, and one with some singing. This gives the album some breathing room, and they work perfectly to add to the overall grim atmosphere. “Ave Exitium” is the best out of the 2 to me, its sorrowful keyboard melodies along with Travis’s clean vocals work so wonderfully.

Once you get done with that track you get hit in the face with the final track “Pacific Grim”. A 5-minute assault of everything this album does well. It’s got the grooves, the breakdowns, and the intensity that makes the music all the more intense. I love the way it builds up to the chorus with a gravity blast, as it transitions into the chorus with Travis’s harsh cleans. This band does transitions incredibly well, they seem to flow so perfectly. The song also closes perfectly, as the tempo slows down with shifts into more of Travis’s cleans. It gets more and more abrasive as the song slowly fades into silence. It has this miserable and dismal feeling that Cattle Decapitation does so fucking well. Some other great songs worth mentioning are “Apex Blasphemy”, “Mammals In Babylon”, and “Circo Inhumanitas”.

Overall this is an amazing album. A great step up from “Monolith Of Inhumanity”, while it wouldn’t be until the next record after this one that Cattle Decapitation would reach true perfection. But this album is damn near close to it. I recommend this to anyone getting into death metal, and anyone looking for something intense yet very intelligent. Check this album out if you haven’t. An amazing piece of extreme metal.

One of the most important albums I ever heard - 95%

DMhead777, September 20th, 2020
Written based on this version: 2020, 12" vinyl, Metal Blade Records (Limited edition, 2 colors, Reissue, US)

Disclaimer: This is one of my all time favorite albums. I have never heard such a powerful and important album before. The lyrics all have to do with what we're doing to ourselves as a species and how we'll eventually be eradicated by our own doing. The album is written in an exaggerated way, but simultaneously feels like it's the road we are going down. My favorite thing about "The Anthropocene Extinction" is that it's not heavy handed. Cattle Decapitation doesn't beat you over the head with simple sections that comes across as preachy. Every song is just as important as the last and beams its messages into your ears with lyrical sections that rarely repeat. Both musically and lyrically this album is a masterpiece in death metal.

I have gushed about the lyrics some, and more to come later, but let's talk about the music itself. Travis Ryan is easily one of the best vocalists in metal right now. The goblin vocals implemented on "The Harvest Floor", expanded upon on "Monolith of Inhumanity", and further expanded upon here work extremely well. The way Ryan can take that unique vocal style and pitch it so high and then immediately come down for a great growl is unreal. There are multiple songs where he is all over the place in the best way possible. The vocals aren't the only thing that stick out though. David Mcgraw is also one of the best drummers in metal at the moment. This guy's speed and complexity shines on songs like: "Apex Blasphemy", "Mutual Assured Destruction", and "Circo Inhumanitas". Some people say this album lacks heaviness, but you have two very strong musicians in this band that say otherwise.

On guitar you have Josh Elmore and on bass you have Derek Engemann. These two aren't the highlights of the record, but perform their roles extremely well. The riffs coming from Josh on the songs: "Clandestine Ways (Krokodil Rot)", "Not Suitable for Life", and "Manufactured Extinct" are some of my favorites on the album. It's not the most complex, but it's not supposed to be either. He performs the occasional impressive solo and then back to the very heavy riffs. When I first listened to this record I didn't think that the bass would be all that impressive. It took me by surprise how prominent it is. Songs like: "Plagueborne", "Mammals in Babylon", and "Mutual Assured Destuction" have these fantastic bass lines that hit when you're least expecting it. All in all, the music performed on this album is basically flawless.

"The Anthropocene Extinction" is also very well paced. There is one instrumental track halfway through the album called "The Burden of Seven Billion". I'm usually not a fan of these super simple breaks in the album, but it works here. When "Mammals in Babylon" kicks in, it packs a punch due to that little break. There is also another mini break towards the end of the album called "Ave Exitium". It acts as a prologue to "Pacific Grim". While I do appreciate the buildup to "Pacific Grim", I feel like it would have worked as an intro on that song. It does give off a very doom and gloom atmosphere that works well with the rest of the album though.

The absolute best thing about this album are the lyrics. As someone with horrible anxiety that is constantly worried about the planet for one reason or another, these lyrics are refreshing to hear. It's nice to hear that other people are writing complex lyrics to my simple thoughts on how we're doing as a species. Every song on this record has an important message. My absolute favorite songs on here are: "Circo Inhumanitas", "Mutually Assured Destruction", "Not Suitable for Life", and "Apex Blasphemy" because of those lyrics. From "Circo Inhumanitas",

"With the price of admission, prepare to teach your children hell...
They'll learn the word "submission" well
Growing up submitting to the ignorant, swollen coffers
Growing up ignoring all the worst that humans have to offer"

That section sold me on this record in the first few listens. There are other lyrics that stood out to me, but it's hard to really narrow them all down or paste them here. For me, the "save the environment" lyrics aren't lame or cliche in any way. They don't push veganism or vegetarianism down your throat. They are simply written to reflect how this band feels how we're treating the world. Many people are turned off by Cattle because they think that they are a group of vegans that are telling you what to do and that is the furthest thing from the truth. This is simply an outstanding album that has one important message after another. It's one of my favorite albums and still gives me goosebumps in sections five years after its release. I usually give song recommendations at the bottom of each review, but for this I'd just say buy this album if you're interested after reading this. You will not be disappointed.

They never stood a chance against this sick romance. - 97%

goflotsam, December 19th, 2019

Cattle Decapitation has been on the rise since roughly 2012. Monolith of Inhumanity was declared by pretty much everyone as an all-time metal classic. I'll be reviewing the followup to said album, The Anthropocene Extinction, which continues the progressive death metal direction that Cattle have been taking since Monolith.

While Monolith leaned more towards death metal for the most part, Anthropocene leans towards the progressive side. The guitars on here are crunchier and blazing guitar solos are more prominent, as displayed on "Manufactured Extinct". I'm generally picky on my drum based bands, but when I do love the drums, I love the drumming in technical death metal. The drumming on Anthropocene is easily influenced by tech death and David McGraw seems to have taken a liking to Cryptopsy and Nile in terms of sheer brutality. In terms of vocal performance, Travis Ryan's clean singing is more prominent, but also utilizes death growls and screamed vocals. Ryan's versatility on Anthropocene is so strong considering that he was 40 during the recording of this album. "Plagueborne" is a good example of this statement.

Anthropocene's strength in general is Cattle's ambitious style of technical death metal. Although the grind influences are still in there, I wouldn't really call this album a "core" album at this point. The song highlights perfectly display this transition. "Clandestine Ways" is predominantly a guitar-based song, with an acoustic passage near the end. It's an excellent song in which its grooves can get you motivated. "Apex Blasphemy" is a cool song that perfectly blends technical death metal with melodic death metal. It's fun and perfect for parties or weddings. The closing track and the most popular song on Anthropocene, "Pacific Grim", is a classic and is a good example of a song that displays the current incarnation of Cattle Decapitation. With its catchiness and lyrics about life extinction, it's a perfect way to close out Anthropocene.

I find that when a band closes an album with an iconic track, it makes said album a classic. This stays true to that rule, and Anthropocene wound up being one of the best metal albums of 2015. It became Cattle Decapitation's first album to chart on the Billboard 200, which shows that hard work pays off. My only gripe about The Anthropocene Extinction is that it's not Monolith of Inhumanity, but even then, it's still a fantastic album with impressive musicianship and a vocal performance that's something to be proud of. Definitely recommended.

Hard to match perfection - 95%

Haydrn, December 15th, 2018

I gave Cattle’s previous endeavor, Monolith, a perfect 100. In the lead up to this album’s release I knew that there was no way that they could live up to that masterpiece, and I was right. Just because this couldn’t match perfection does not mean that they didn’t get damn close. I gave this a 95 because I believe that it is 95% as perfect as Monolith. Since I already wrote an in depth review of Monolith, here I will discuss what went slightly wrong with this album and why it didn’t live up to Monolith.

The first thing about this album that it does wrong is it very closely copies the structure of Monolith, especially with the final two tracks. The band was kind of like Disney remaking A New Hope in the form of Episode VII with this album. It worked the first time but I would rather have something new. Also, this time around there are more songs that don’t resonate with me the same as almost every song on Monolith did.

The other negative is the way that Travis’ “clean” singing voice seems to get too clean in this. The edge is still there but it is considerably less. He uses it more often in these songs and it gets to be too much in my opinion. Monolith had the perfect balance of Travis’ singing and fans reacted positively to it, but I think he just went overboard with it on this album.

All in all this album is a very enjoyable listen, but I find myself turning more often to Monolith or The Harvest Floor when I want to hear some Cattle. The feeling of it being a remake of Monolith and the overuse and overly cleanliness of Travis’ clean vocals make this album not quite as good as those two. With all that said this album is still much better than most modern death metal in my opinion, purely based off of the skill and talent of the band members and their songwriting abilities, which is why it gets a 95.

Lacks heaviness - 61%

6CORPSE6GRINDER6, May 1st, 2018

Cattle Decapitation’s innovative approach to death metal and grindcore certainly helped to push those genre's boundaries in terms of composition complexity and the inclusion of sonic textures that were atypical in the scene at the beginning of the 21st century. The band's evolution from it's former minimalistic gore/grind to this avant-garde form of brutality is the kind of creativity the heaviest form of music desperately needed to keep itself valid and I totally encourage musicians to pursue it. Monolith of Inhumanity wasn't utterly brutal but still managed to keep a balance between experimentation and aggressiveness, that is what extreme metal is about in the end. The main issue with The Anthropocene Extinction is that it isn't heavy at all most of the time. It sure is dark and melancholic, very interesting characteristics for any fan of metal in general of course, but the new direction they took this time is the opposite of intensity and violence.

CD decided to abuse of the intriguing elements that made the band revolutionary at some point. For example, the eerie high pitched vocals they used in A Living Breathing Piece of Defecating Meat chorus are now featured on almost every song instead of gutturals, the same happens with clean guitar arpeggios in slow paced sections or the overly sweet melodic guitar phrasing that accompanies those obnoxious choruses. Riffing became generic and uninspired, element of surprise is gone. Guitars are down tuned as you can expect but breakdowns haven't the same density and weight that instantly made you want to headbang.

The pale atmosphere they manage to create is certainly obscure but feels more like depressive or post-black metal than ravaging progressive death/grind. Not compromising to any genre is a very honest thing to do as a songwriter but experimenting too much can make music pointless, weird just for the sake of it, without soul. Kind of like what happened with the last couple of albums from the first Black Sabbath period with Ozzy. Overindulgence plagues lots of people once they feel they have achieved something, not even Cattle Decapitation’s anti-human rhetoric can hide from that harsh truth.

There are some enjoyable moments through the album though, the drumming is relentless in the few fast parts the album has and the execution is pristine. It’s always nice to hear gravity and regular blast beats combined with such dexterity. The cymbal work is extremely well thought and so are the drum fills. Double bass drum velocity is also crippling and linear in the peak moments of the record but the drummer also play complex patterns at times, it's a shame they didn't include more of that belligerence in the string department and the vocals instead of this weak goth attempt. Bass guitar is prominent in the final mix, can be fully heard along with the riffs and occasionally draws separate figures with a high sense of musicality. The rhythmic section is actually the highlight of the album, sadly its last hint of extreme metal.

Progressive deathgrind at its peak - 93%

grimwinter13, November 1st, 2017

Cattle Decapitation have consistently maintained a reputation as one of the most controversial and interesting extreme metal bands ever since they first graced the map in 1996. While many describe their sound as 'deathgrind', such a restrictive label seems inappropriate and unfair, most especially in regards to their later material. Ever-changing, Cattle D has moved from their early goregrind days into grind-infused death metal, and developed their sound into a unique melding of grinding death metal, thrash, and melodic elements of near-blackened proportions. What's been most intriguing about Cattle D is the introduction of vocalist Travis Ryan's distorted, snarling clean vocals - which first appeared on The Harvest Floor near the end of "Regret and the Grave". While most extreme bands who employ cleans are looked down upon and called 'sellouts' for the rest of their days, Travis has incorporated such vocals in a manner that not only appeals to their target audience, but very much compliments the music. More on that later.

The Anthropocene Extinction raises the bar for Cattle D's songwriting abilities, which they had been developing ever since 2009 and finally got their songs all organized and nicely structured on Monolith of Inhumanity. But here is where they begin to bring in the element of recognizable verses and choruses. Had they tried that on an earlier album without their new sense of melody, it would have been disastrous, but on each song there are very clearly-defined choruses that give each of the songs their own support to stand upon - most especially in "Circo Inhumanitas" which comes off as almost sing-a-long style in nature. "Manufactured Extinct" and "Pacific Grim" have the most memorable melodies on the album, with extra props to the latter for being absolutely beautiful, yet so dark and bleak-sounding. It's on this album where Cattle D can be truly recognized as genius songwriters in a musical sense.

In the non-melodic sections, guitarist Josh Elmore balances out fast-as-fuck grinding with very technical moments. The riffs themselves manage to sound unique every time without sacrificing intensity or deviating from the album's intended sound. Meanwhile, bassist Derek Engemann, who made his first appearance on Monolith holds down the album's depth, his bass tone dark and very dense. Like on many of Monolith's songs ("Dead Set on Suicide", "Projectile Ovulation"), he takes the forefront and makes himself prominent while Elmore revs himself up for another crazy technical riff or a slam/breakdown.

Appearing for the third time is drummer David McGraw, who has been a driving force of Cattle D's infamous brutality ever since The Harvest Floor. He was a much-needed addition to the band, and he arrives a third time to deliver once again what he does best: extreme blast beats. "The Prophets of Loss" is where he shines best, easily his fastest performance yet with the band. The kicks are very well-mixed, though at often times too loud, as well as the snare. While in some moments it's a wonderful use of his dominance over a certain riff, at other times it can be a little too excessive. But that's no complaint that ruins the drumming entirely, as if he did anything else the whole album's level of extremity would have been compromised.

Travis Ryan once again returns with his insane vocal range: now complete with rage-fueled growls, watery gutturals, raspy tunnel throats, and his now signature cleans. To call them 'cleans' is not exactly entirely true. They balance between cleans and snarling, which add to The Anthropocene Extinction's sinister vibe as the darkest and bleakest Cattle D album yet. Lyrically however, this album is a major change-up. Instead of the overuse of gore like you'd hear on their older material, Ryan puts his anti-human, pro-animal/environment themes to a more serious tone with any use of extreme violence worded less comically and more realistically.

The one and only real problem with The Anthropocene Extinction is the huge skip from Monolith's mostly-grind/deathgrind riffs with the occasional melody to what we have here - a seemingly 50/50 balance of both. At times, the melodic moments become a little too overwhelming, as fans of previous albums will have to take time getting used to.

But The Anthropocene Extinction is easily one of Cattle Decapitation's best albums to date, and is unique in its own regard that it's a more sinister, more serious venture than the silliness heard on the likes of Humanure. It's fair to say that continuing in this direction, but taking it a little more slowly, is the best thing for Cattle D. Super excited to hear where they go next.

A great follow-up to its now inferior predecessor - 98%

Metal_oftheday, January 28th, 2017

When I heard this Californian 4 piece bands second latest album, 'Monolith Of Inhumanity', for the first time, I was impressed. I went and purchased the album straight away, and it was amongst my favourite albums to play through straight off the bat. It was a very solid record. But, in the position of an overly harsh critic, room for improvement could be found. Now I'm not the kind of person to dissect musical elements to the point where each subgenre only has a handful of bands, so I'm going to steer away from using the term 'deathgrind' to describe the music these guys make. I believe that the term technical death metal or, as a step up, brutal technical death metal, will suit just fine. When this particular record hit the shelves, it was a must-own for me, and frankly, I was not disappointed. While there didn't appear to be any outstanding few tracks like on the previous effort, every single song was quite impressive, making the album uncannily consistent.

Now, as well as Elmore, Engemann and McGraw work brilliantly as a unit to produce every brutal composition, the entire album is truly brought to life by the vocalist, Travis Ryan. Yes, all of the vocals on this album are not only unaltered with the possible exception to plain amplification, but all come from the one man. That includes every growl, hack, shriek, vomit, and even the maniacal excuse for a melodic croon which brings every hook it is included in very alive. 95% of the lyrics are difficult of decipher, but most Cattle Decapitation listeners are intrigued enough by their music to dig a little deeper, and are not disappointed. The lyrics will test almost anyone's vocabulary, with every verse intelligently strung together to deliver the bands core message, which hits like a truck.

The majority of the song lengths on the album are quite similar, with this excluding the brief instrumental/intermission type 'The Burden Of Seven Billion' as well as 'Ave Exitium', the build-up track to the monstrosity of a closing track, 'Pacific Grim'. This may suggest that the songs are quite similar and blur together, and force the listening of the album to be less memorable. although, even with the stock song structure being similar from track to track, each intro is vastly different, each hook comes to life in a different way, and the music itself slows down at variety of different stages, creating a clear variation. There are no intervals between songs, much like on Slayers 'Reign In Blood', meaning that the album is best listened to as a whole. To add to this effect, The intro to the opening track 'Manufactured Extinct' builds up into the eruption of sonic drumming and brutal tremolo picking that explodes shortly after the 1 minute mark, as well as the closing track spending the last minute to gradually fade out.

With every release these guys seem to deliver an album that tops it predecessor, although I, along with many extreme metal fans, are speculating over how difficult topping this album will be. I sincerely hope that these guys continue on to release multiple albums, and I highly anticipate their next release, even without a single clue as to when that release may be.

Pushing The Envelope of Grindcore - 96%

Larry6990, November 29th, 2015
Written based on this version: 2015, CD, Metal Blade Records

Back in January, my review for Napalm Death's "Apex Predator" declared that the Brummies were 'pushing the envelope of grindcore'. I hereby stand corrected and taken aback. Not that I'm seeking to disparage Barney & co, but good ol' Napalm are comfortable beyond any genre-related qualms. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the Californians of Cattle Decapitation are completely adhering to that quotation of mine. Despite the variable quality of their outputs since the late 90s - it's safe to say that the past few years have been very favourable to C.D; and this is purely down to their talent as musicians and songwriters. As if "Monolith of Inhumanity" wasn't 'pushing the envelope' enough, here comes "The Anthropocene Extinction" to push it off a cliff and spit on its face.

Well, where to start with this monster? In terms of atmosphere, this is the next logical progression from "Monolith...". The extended song-structures have been slightly retained, allowing for more concise and memorable tracks. But within these shorter time-frames, there is SO much variation and points of intrigue to keep a fan like me scratching their head 'til the next album. The production quality is top-notch, that's for sure. Considering how thickly textured this album is, it's a wonder that every timbre is allowed room to breathe.

Let's move on to the star of the show - Travis Ryan. In the booklet, they claim that Travis is responsible for all vocals on the album. Now, if you've never heard what this man is capable of - you'd be forgiven for thinking this was a lie. But every pig-like grunt; every banshee shriek; every disgusting hack and cough - even that batshit insane semi-melodic 'singing' in the choruses - is 100% him. Without the vocal athletics of this absolute psychopath, this album wouldn't hold my interest half as much. Wow.

Not that I'm discouraging the rest of the band! David McGraw's performance behind the kit is no less than stellar. Josh Elmore's guitars are meatier than the animal products the band seek to defame. Even Derek Engemann's bass has a few shining moments - especially the counter-melodies throughout "Clandestine Ways". Lyrically, this is Cattle Decapitation, so what do you expect? Though I generally disagree with their militant veganism, I can't deny the sheer poetic beauty of some lyrics which are a joy to scream along with - especially the "completely ruinous" verse of "Mutual Assured Destruction". You can almost hear Travis grinning throughout that section.

The songs themselves are so goddamn interesting, and remarkably varied for a grindcore album. Every track has something memorable going for it. So much so, that it's impossible to nitpick for the highlights. The enormous choruses of "Manufactured Extinct" and "The Prophets of Loss" add so much theatricality to proceedings, whilst the all-out grind-fests of "Circo Inhumanitas" and "Apex Blasphemy" ensure things remain stylistically loyal. There's even a touch of groove sprinkled around the mid-tempo sections of "Clandestine Ways" and "Mammals in Babylon". My neck is hurting just thinking about this album now.

Even the two interludes ("The Burden of Seven Billion" and "Ave Exitium") have their place. They help break the album up into clear acts, whilst also providing a required respite from the sheer musical obliteration that erupts around them. The latter is especially effective in its atmospheric quality - preparing you for the viciousness of the closing beast "Pacific Grim".

If anyone remembers the comedy puppet show: "Fur TV" - they'll remember the infamous sketch where Ed proclaims his love of metal, citing several made up sub-genres; including vegetarian progressive grindcore. I always used to laugh my ass off at that. Even more so now that we HAVE a vegetarian progressive grindcore band! That term accurately describes what Cattle Decapitation have become. 'Progressive' is a tough word to throw around carelessly, but "The Anthropocene Extinction" embodies the true meaning of the term, whilst providing us with some of the most substantial, meaningful and downright beautiful music of 2015. Keep on pushing the envelope, guys.

"We fucking die tonight.
And that's perfectly alright by me."

They hate humans and want us to hear about it - 94%

MikeyC, November 25th, 2015

Oh, this is some good stuff. While I originally thought that Monolith of Inhumanity might be the band’s peak, they delightfully prove me wrong and release this absolute monster of an album, The Anthropocene Extinction. There’s absolutely no messing around with this album, starting with the awesome cover art (the shade of blue/green really works here), and continues with the music within. Like some good cheese, Cattle Decapitation seems to get better with age, and this is no doubt their finest release yet, even if there are some small caveats attached.

Opener of “Manufactured Extinct” sets the tone for what you’re in store for. With its melodic opening, then death/grind verse, and then utilising more of Travis Ryan’s cleans, this is the epitome of Cattle Decapitation today. Most of the songs throughout the album follow this sort of formula, but they’re all interesting in their own right. I can understand if some people find this album too formulaic, but personally, this style really works and can be expanded upon on future albums.

The riffs here are memorable in more than one way. First, the grinding sections give way to some down-tuned palm muted sections, with some of the best in “Clandestine Ways (Krokodil Rot)” and particularly “Pacific Grim.” However, the highlights for me are during the more melodic sections. “Plagueborne” gets melodic towards the end and the riffs there really work with the vocals, as does “Not Suitable For Life” for the same reason. The creativity behind the fretboard is impeccable, despite the similar stature of the songs, and it shows a wealth of thought behind each riff pattern. The bass guitar can get lost under the cacophony of the heavier sections, but it does get its own sections such as the bass break in “Clandestine Ways (Krokodil Rot).” I would’ve liked to have heard more of these throughout the album but the bass otherwise does its job admirably.

The drumming really takes the cake personally. There’s not a single drum beat I don’t like here, and he knows when to speed up, and when it’s time to slow down. The drums are certainly triggered, but it’s not an indictment on his incredible ability behind the kit. From the fast blasting sections of “Mammals in Babylon” and the kick drum speeds of “The Prophets of Loss” to the slower sections of songs like “Apex Blasphemy,” the drumming everywhere fits like a glove all over the album.

As a whole, I do feel that these songs are merely vehicles for the vocals and lyrics. Vocally, Travis does an amazing job, and I’m constantly impressed with his range. On “Mammals in Babylon,” though, he adds complete cleans to a small section in the middle. Almost like he’s testing the waters, seeing if it’ll work. It’s all dependent on interpretation, but I really like them and I’m sure I’m not the only one that would like to see him do more of that on the next album, although I can understand a threshold must be enforced so it’s not too dominant. For now, I like it. Lyrically, this band keeps improving. While the usual anti-human, pro-earth, pro-fauna topics are covered, I like the angle they’re tackling these issues with. “Apex Blasphemy” discusses overpopulation and decreasing sources of food from the environment (“you clawed your way to the top only to scrape from the bottom/sounds like a loser to me” is a really great line). “Manufactured Extinct” talks about machinery and technology destroying the planet. “Pacific Grim” is an amazing closer about the destruction of our oceans. Even “Circo Inhumanitas” derides the circus and their inhumane treatment of animals. I may not be as passionate about some of these issues as the band (although I’m also not a fan of the circus), but I can feel their sincerity and their anger through the lyrics’ poignancy. Not many bands have this ability, but Cattle Decapitation do now.

The Anthropocene Extinction is an awesome album through and through, but I did notice a few things. One, the track order is strikingly similar to Monolith of Inhumanity, with the second last track being a cleaner, ambient section, leading into a more melodic closer. Two, some of the tracks start the same: introduce main riff, drum break, start vocals. “Clandestine Ways (Krokodil Rot),” “Mutual Assured Destruction,” and “Not Suitable For Life” all start this exact way. Third, some of the songs even end the same way, stopping one beat before the next line. “The Prophets of Loss,” “Plagueborne,” “Mutual Assured Destruction,” and “Not Suitable For Life” are all guilty of this. I don’t particularly have a problem with any of these issues, but they are something that Cattle Decapitation might want to watch out for in the future.

Despite the negatives, The Anthropocene Extinction is just about the album of 2015 for me. I love the increase of melody in their songs, the lyrics are well worth following, and “Pacific Grim” is about the best song they’ve done, so that alone makes this one a winner. Definitely recommended to all those that enjoy some brutality and melody expertly spliced together in their music.

Magnificent prophecies of our death - 95%

Lord Daemonius, August 21st, 2015
Written based on this version: 2015, CD, Metal Blade Records

Like a fine wine, Cattle Decapitation's sound seems to ripen with age. Originally starting as a rather run-of-the-mill grindcore band, they've come a long way. The implementations of more melodic riffs, Travis' now trademark highs, and a more cohesive narrative really serve to enhance the overall quality of the end product. This albums feels like a very natural progression from their previous album, "The Monolith of Inhumanity", everything from the latter being expounded upon in beneficial ways. Don't be alarmed though, they haven't lost any of their brutality or heaviness, only polished it.

The album opens with "Manufactured Extinct", a very versatile track, that samples a bit of everything that this band is capable of, also reminding the listener that even though they have progressed a great deal, they still stay true to native sound, apparent in the solo of the song. Showcasing Travis' wide vocal range in it's chorus, the track delivers quite a memorable experience. The song uses rising and falling action to a wonderful extent in this song, constantly changing speed and tone without having the song ending up sounding like a jumbled mess of ideas.

The album moves on just as relentlessly as "Manufactured Extinct", nearly every track showcasing excellent vocals, drumming, and guitarwork, all staying as cohesive, and brutal as ever. Many tracks throughout the album also each open in unique ways, such as "The Prophets of Loss" giving us eerie spoken word done by guest vocalist Phil Anselmo, and Plagueborne starting up with some noise beats rife with static. The only pauses from this album's straightforward rapid approach is "The Burden of Seven Billion", a slow, eerie track, vibrating with massive bass and both high and low pitched strings, causing the listener to reflect on its title and it's connotations in reality. And "Ave Exitium", somewhat of a contrast and followup to the previously mentioned track. It represents both in feeling and in lyricism what the 'Burden of Seven Billion' has had on humanity, leaving it in a desolate and near extinct state. After finally reaching the end of it's last song, the album does an excellent job of instilling a sense of closure to it. The combination of distant tremolo picking and soaring vocals with a slow and gradual fade work well to achieve this.

One thing to note is that what this album does (something that many others fail at) is quite interesting. It incorporates musical aspects that are not usually found in this style of music. Instances in some tracks allude to musical inspiration from things such as black metal (Primarily in Apex Blasphemy), groove metal, slam, and even melodic death. The choruses in particular are very interesting. Though one might think they would not fit at all, they do quite well, and are, dare I say, catchy? Due to Travis' very strong and understandable delivery, they catch on quite well and can even be sung along to easily enough.

Though I have sang this album only praise throughout this review, it is not without flaw. The most obvious of which is the slight overuse of high-pitched vocals in many songs. While Travis' delivery of them is always fantastic, they are often used in the same way over and over. Many of the tracks here simply just add a slow melodic section in the middle with Travis' highs over the top. This is not to say it sounds bad, or that the songs themselves are bad either. They are executed very well, the problem is that Cattle Decapitation found a formula that sounds very good in a song, but instead of diversifying songwriting, they use the same formula a multitude of times, several songs having very similar structures as a result. Another complaint is the overly clean production. For a grindcore release, there is much too little grunge in the production to get the atmosphere right sometimes. Though this is merely a personal preference, and something that would be a detractor for many others, so I wont hold it against the band too much.

To sum it up, this album is very, very good. Most definitely the best work to come out of Cattle Decapitation. It follows it's anti-human narrative very well, while sounding much less corny then some of their previous works have. The riffage and musicianship is very original and quite refreshing. It is the most mature album by the band by far. It is a must buy for anyone that considers themselves a fan of this band. And, if you aren't one, it's worth checking out if you like this style of music. Top tracks are "Manufactured Extinct", “Mammals in Babylon”, "Plagueborne", and "Not Suitable for Life".

Reduce, reuse, recycle - 70%

TheWarmaster, August 19th, 2015
Written based on this version: 2015, CD, Metal Blade Records

Like many, I had been greatly anticipating Cattle Decapitation's latest album, ever since learning that Travis Ryan and co. had started writing the follow-up to their beast of a 2012 release, Monolith of Inhumanity. While I didn't always agree with the claims that the band has improved with every release – mostly because I vastly prefer Karma. Bloody. Karma. to The Harvest Floor – I was hoping that the band would at least make a solid attempt at topping its previous output with the new record.

However, when the band announced that the new songs they were writing were sounding similar to Monolith, I started to worry. Cattle Decapitation had clearly struck paydirt with that album, so it was possible that they might decide to rest on their laurels and start regurgitating the same sound, but without the magic and spontaneity that had made the original product so special. One of my favourite bands at the time, Ulcerate, had done the same after releasing Everything Is Fire – they'd finally found a sound that got them the attention they deserved, so they worked out how to reduce that sound to a formula, and churned out a follow-up that was little more than a mindless rehash of that album's most easily reproduced ideas. Would Cattle Decapitation's The Anthropocene Extinction be their The Destroyers of All? Or would they manage to go above and beyond the call of duty and knock the metal world on its collective ass with yet another groundbreaking opus?

... Honestly, it's pretty much what I worried it would be.

Don't get me wrong though - this album has its merits. When you focus on the surface details of each song, everything that Monolith had seems to be here in spades. Josh still incorporates elements from all over the metal spectrum into his guitar playing, from percussive Suffocation-influenced grinding, to Devourment-type slam riffs, and even melancholic black metal-influenced progressions. Travis' vocals are largely the same as before, although he has refined his melodic shrieks and found more opportunities to incorporate them into the songs. Dave's drumming, while quite standard for a more technically oriented death metal act, is as on-point and intense as ever (and the snare triggering doesn't sound like ass this time!). The bass... well, it's audible, but it's rare that it achieves any clarity, and it's mostly just heard as a continuous, indistinct rumbling sound. On top of all of this, there's even a handful of new elements in play, such as the use of truly clean vocals on “Ave Exitium” and "Mammals of Babylon", and a few more interlude-type sections.

Does this sound good to you? If you loved Monolith, then I imagine the answer is yes. So, what's the problem here?

Well, Monolith had a feeling of excitement and spontaneity about it that I latched onto straight away. The songs felt like they were the natural product of a band that had reflected on its history, decided it was bored and needed to change, and threw all caution to the wind while still having a good idea of where it wanted to end up. While they still felt like they belonged together as an album, it didn't feel like any of the ideas in those songs had been forced in so that one track would fit in with the rest – they were unified by their overall feel and intent, but still managed to have their own identities.

This is where Anthropocene fails. While it has all of those ideas in spades, this album makes the mistake of assuming that all of the songs need to have all of those ideas. Naturally, that means that much of the album sounds samey and formulaic. I can't help but feel that the band was working its way through a checklist, rather than letting the music come naturally: “here's the chunky 'opening riff' riff … now we need to do a death/thrash pedal point riff … oh, we should put the melodic vocal part here, and then follow it up with the slammy part...” It doesn't take long before for the band starts recycling riff ideas and vocal rhythms either, both from Monolith and itself.

Take the first couple of minute of “Plagueborne”, for example. Once the industrial opener (a rather pointless addition by Author and Punisher's Tristan Shone) ends, the song launches into a riff that sounds like it's trying really hard to recapture the feeling of impending doom at the beginning of “The Carbon Stampede”. Then, in what may just be one of the most blatant examples of self-plagiarism I've heard in recent memory, it transitions into a progression that's basically a minor variation on the “murder the day, ring in the night...” riff from “Kingdom of Tyrants”. They may have altered it to sound a bit more atonal, and transposed it into a different key, but it's pretty much the same idea. Come on, guys! It gets better from there though, and actually manages to be one of my favourite songs on the album, mostly because it's one of the few songs where Travis' melodic vocals don't feel shoehorned-in.

So, is The Anthropocene Extinction a bad album? Well, no. It's no Monolith, but it still manages to be enjoyable, especially if you focus on its strengths. From a technical standpoint, Travis' pitched harsh vocals are better than ever. While he tends to shoehorn them into almost every song, and they occasionally reach comical levels of melodrama (like at the end of "The Prophets of Loss"), they work wonders when used in sections that actually call for them. Take the almost crooning chorus section of “Plagueborne”, and the harrowing outro of the closing track, “Pacific Grim”, for example. There are also a few parts where Josh manages to take what would be a normal Cattle riff and put a weird new spin on it, such as the second riff in “Not Suitable for Life”, and the almost bittersweet part at 1:22 in “Pacific Grim”. There are a lot more of these surprises towards the end of the album, which helps to make it feel less formulaic than the first half. The lyrics are also good, if standard Cattle fare, although they have some cringey moments ("We fucking die tonight, and that's perfectly alright with me..."). Lastly, the production, while verging on the over-polished in ways, does a good job at showcasing everything but the bass.

It may not sound like it, but I do like this album. I just don't think it's nearly as good as people are claiming, and it doesn't live up to the high standards that the band set for itself on Monolith of Inhumanity. In addition, its penchant for copying that album (and itself) means that it's almost impossible for a fan to evaluate it without making comparisons between the two – and when that happens, Anthropocene will almost always come up short. It's still worth listening to several times, but I can't see it being my go-to album when I need my Cattle fix in a year's time. It hasn't replaced Clandestine Blaze's New Golgotha Rising as my album of the year either, which is a real let-down when you consider just how many AOTY lists its predecessor topped.

With hope, someone will remind the band that “reduce, reuse, recycle” is a strategy for saving the environment, and not for writing an album, and Monolith will finally get the follow-up it deserves. If so, then I'll be happy. Still, this album's decent enough to tide me over until then, in spite of some glaring flaws.

Standout tracks: “Plagueborne”, “Mammals in Babylon” “Not Suitable for Life”, “Ave Exitium”, “Pacific Grim”.

Cattle Decapitation is far from extinction - 85%

sylenthunter, August 18th, 2015
Written based on this version: 2015, CD, Metal Blade Records

Cattle Decapitation’s 2015 studio release is one that came with very high expectations, and was the most anticipated release of 2015 for many. With such a large number of people looking forward to this album, one can only hope that Cattle Decapitation was able to deliver the record we were all looking forward to. With much relief on my part, I can say that they did.

“The Anthropocene Extinction” starts off strong with “Manufactured Extinct”. Not only is this a suitable track to start the record, but it sets the general tone that you will hear for most of the album. The guitars sound mean and are incredibly fast. Although the tone is consistent and heavy, the solo work is not very interesting or unique. The drum work is standard for a record such as this. They weren’t very memorable or unique, but they sounded tight and clean. The bass however, was not very present. It inconsistent in its volume. It felt as though the bass wasn’t sure if it wanted to be there or not. However there are parts when the guitar and drums slow down that the bass really kicks through and finds it’s time in the sun. The best sounds of the album were certainly the vocals. Travis Ryan delivers great growls and pig squeals at some points. The best vocal parts were when there was no lyric to sing, so he just lets out a deafening growl similar to that of a lion. However, there is this awkward use of almost clean vocals during choruses. The first few times they do this it sounds ok, but it is used way too much. It became redundant and boring after such extensive use.

My favorite song on the album was “Clandestine Ways (Krokodil Rot)”. The lyrics sounded like they could be a well written rap song. The first few songs have a deathcore-like open note riffing style (Be warned if that isn’t your thing). I personally didn’t mind it, and it was a nice change of pace from the speedy death metal riffs. The lyrics mostly were compelling. They made me want to stop and look into a subject or two. However, far too many of these songs were about how bad humans were. I got tired of hearing about what a waste humanity was after the 5th song or so. About halfway through the record, everything slows down with “The Burden of Seven Billion”, which is an instrumental. It killed all the momentum the record had up to that point. I don’t totally understand why it was included on the album. Luckily, the momentum is picked up the very next song.

Overall this was a solid record. Songs like “Clandestine Ways (Krokodil Rot)”, and “Mammals in Babylon” are absolutely a must hear for fans of the band, and even those who are not. The album was definitely weakened by little care for bass, and “The Burden of Seven Billion”, and the awkward clean vocals. Fortunately these things were made up for by strong vocal presence and good guitar tone.