Technical deathgrinders, Cattle Decapitation have returned
with their 5th full length; “The
Harvest Floor. As with many successful bands, we’ve seen a steady pace of
growth, development and refinement to Cattle Decapitation’s overall sound, songwriting
and execution since their early workings on “Homovore”. The years of hard work
and practice have paid off in dividends as, “The Harvest Floor” is an amazing
piece of deathgrind that displays how far the band come and how much they have
matured over the years.
To my ear, the most noticeable improvement over the band’s career,
has to be the guitar playing. Josh Elmore has created some real magic over the
years, but what he displays on “The Harvest Floor” truly shows off his
brilliance. First, the riffs on this album are truly astounding. They seem to
combine elements of grindcore, death metal, black metal and even a punk vibe
can be heard as well. One moment your caught up in a chugging death metal riff,
then suddenly, the insane speed and high pitch sounds of grindcore enter the
fray and throw you for a loop. Another time, you’ll be listening to a simple,
but catchy bassline riff, which will then transform into a thick and heavy breakdown,
followed by an unusual time shift that grabs hold of your attention before changing
things up once more and churning out another blistering riff. There are even
elements of a down-tuned progressive presence to be heard at times as well,
that only deepen the well of combined sounds. This style of eclectic tempo and genre mashup
is present throughout the album and although on paper it sounds like something
more fitted for a mathcore band to practice, it works perfectly in creating the
sounds of insanity Cattle Decapitation sought for this album. The solos are
another aspect on this album that are a thing of beauty. As if the eccentric
riffing and bouts of insane melodies weren’t enough, we hear the same
eccentricities bleed into the solos. They range from powerfully distorted sounding
chords, to thrash metal shredding, to a melodic sound with progressive touches incorporated.
Their execution in and of themselves are fantastic, but their timing within the
song really allows the solos to be much more than simply a display of musicianship,
but rather serve as a binder, bringing the amalgam of sounds together to create
a harmonious atmosphere.
The bass is very prominent on this album as well. Its
crunchy grooves can be heard strumming along with the guitar, adding to the overall
complexity and technicality of the string department. One thing that is partiality
noticeable is how often the bass keeps up with the ferocity and speed of the
riffs, which creates an interesting a speedy vibrating overtone. Another string
element that I didn’t even realize was on the album until reading the liner
notes, was the use of an electric cello. At first, I thought the peculiar sound
was either the byproduct of synths or some unique bass technique, but I was
wrong. The sound adds an interesting and (now that I know what it is) fun aspect
to the songs it has been added to, which only furthers the band’s varied style
and nature.
David McGraw’s drumming is a splendid display of technicality
and fury as he creates a harsh and energetic layer of sound. His pace can match
that of the guitars, which create an excellent flow of harmony, while his tempos
and beats add to the complex layer of rhythms created on the album. Of course,
this is deathgrind, so you’ll get a heavy dose of powerful cymbal crashes, blast
beats and bass kicks, but they are used in conjunction with a variety of fills
and timing, which gives them their own identity however, never steps out of
tune with the rest of the instruments.
Travis Ryan’s vocals are once again monstrous. He utilizes
his ability to sing with deep growls, intense shrieks, harrowing yells and
putrid gurgles that make for a truly disgusting listen. His level of brutality
has really grown since the band’s early days and the expansion of sound the
band has incorporated is clearly heard in his voice. The most impressive aspect
of Ryan’s vocals is the level of consistency through the album. From start to
finish, his voice is a battering ram pure brutality and never seems to fade in intensity.
The production on “The Harvest Floor” has done a very good
job of creating that, ‘trapped in a slaughterhouse vibe’, with just enough distortion
and touch of hollowness to create a horrific atmosphere. All of the instruments
and vocals seem to come together nicely, ensuring each gets their fair share of
attention, but remain as a cohesive sound throughout the album. The additional
use of keyboards, electronics and samples add the cherry on top, as their
presence add another subtle layer to the overall sound.
“The Harvest Floor” is a wonderful display of technicality,
ferocity and brutality, that any fan of death metal or grindcore should be able
to enjoy. I was most impressed with hearing the level of growth and maturation of
sound Cattle Decapitation have put into their sound throughout the years, which
in my opinion, has reached its pinnacle on this album. If the band continues to
embrace their current sound and zeal for improvement and creativity, I can only
salivate at what’s to come for the band’s future.
Highlights: “Regret and the Grave” “The Gardeners of Eden” “The
Product Alive”
Rating: 4.5
