Cattle Decapitation "Karma.Bloody.Karma" (Metal Blade)
By Cameron Higby-Naquin
Thursday. Aug 17, 12:03 AM
Creative (and vegetarian) deathgrind like no other.

Although the name Cattle Decapitation leaves little room for interpretation, the four-piece deathgrind band has steadfastly sought to evoke a different picture with their album titles. Where one might expect beef on the menu, it turns out the main course is people: Human Jerky, Homovore, and To Serve Man. Even the more cryptic Humanure implies cannibalism, though this time it's the cattle who are doing the eating. Karma.Bloody.Karma appears to be the first in the band's tumultuous history that does not overly dine on human flesh, though it does have a cover eerily reminiscent of the hell bovines from Diablo II.

Despite any conceptual silliness – including what could be the first death metal song to criticize intelligent design, "Unintelligent Design" – the music itself is extremely strong. Cattle Decapitation demonstrate a dynamism that is lacking in much of the genre. They allow themselves to slow down, to let the guitars wail like animals, and to fluctuate between the schitzphrenic riffs of grind to the regimented brutalization of death. "Total Gore?", a typical track, begins with a frenzied blast and out-of-control soloing that gradually shifts into a churning, throbbing pulse. Just as we think chaos has subdued by order, all sound ceases save for the booming bass and a strained gurgling noise. This is a typical progression for songs on Karma.Bloody.Karma, though no two tracks can really be said to follow the same pattern. There are pleasing surprises to be found everywhere, from a guttural whisper to an acoustic interlude, and most of them work. None of the intensity is sacrificed to any of these experiments and in most cases it is enhanced by them.

By far the most unorthodox track is "Alone in the Landfill." The band states that this song is "constructed almost entirely of slaughterhouse field recordings," but I'd be lying if I said I could hear any of that. What I do hear is a blend of fury and melancholy that devolves into a doom-laden conclusion of crying guitars and painful shrieks. It sounds like Esoteric but with more sorrow and less energy. To me, this is a good thing. In keeping with their disjointed style, "Alone in the Landfill" segues directly into the title track, which begins with a violent burst of noise.

The greatest attribute of Karma.Bloody.Karma is its creativity. As far as I know, no one out there is trying to do anything like what Cattle Decapitation are mastering on this album. Its meandering sound in no way compromises the onslaught of its power. In many cases, giving the listener a break, even if momentary, from nonstop crushing intensity actually increases the intensity once the guitars come back full force. Cattle Decapitation are very good at doing this, and it's well worth the tired thematics for the innovative music.
www.cattledecapitation.com
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Cameron Higby-Naquin

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