bartosso
Every genre has its visionaries
I'm pretty sure that "progressive deathgrind" is an unusual combination of terms, and for a good reason. The scene is dominated by imitators, splashing around in the same puddles of gore and brutality their idols did before them. And that's where Cattle Decapitation steps in, shining like a stallion among hordes of muddy cattle. The band got lots of praise for their 2012 release MONOLITH OF INHUMANITY and even though I love the album, it's THE HARVEST FLOOR that deserves to be called their opus magnum.
THE HARVEST FLOOR is the first proper concept album by Cattle Decapitation and you can hear it already on the first listen. Every track is like a jigsaw puzzle piece, making up a consistent sequence of technical deathgrind songs. And what a deathgrind it is! When you hear that a band is technical, you expect the music to be calculated and cold, impressive yet with the human element being of secondary importance at best. THE HARVEST FLOOR is a brilliant exception to the rule though. It combines proper aggression of deathgrind with purely artistic approach to composition. Twisted parts of technical death metal are interspersed with clever and emotionally charged riffs and build-ups. Vocal parts by Travis Ryan are just like the music - brutal yet clever, complex yet passionate, varied yet consistent and most of all, completely inhuman...
It's an evocative and brave masterpiece of technical death metal, hands down. Fans of Cryptopsy's NONE SO VILE and ONCE WAS NOT, Cephalic Carnage and Suffocation should love this, but this album actually can appeal to every fan of metal, no doubt about it. I haven't been mesmerized by a deathgrind album for a very long time but Cattle Decapitation have brought twisted riffs, frantic shrieks and blast beats back to my life. Thank you guys, thank you for the passion and conviction that what you believe in is right. Thank you for putting it all into this intriguing music. Listen to death metal - stay veggie!
TRACKS BY RATINGS: 10/10[masterpiece!!!]: We are Horrible People; The Product Alive; The Gardeners of Eden; The Ripe Beneath the Rind; Regret & the Grave || 9/10[fantastic!]: Tooth Enamel & Concrete; A Body Farm; Into the Public Bath || 8/10[great]: In Axetasy || OVERALL = 95/100