ALBUM REVIEW: Death Atlas – Cattle Decapitation

For the past two albums, CATTLE DECAPITATION have been truly pushing the boundaries of what death metal can be. Having always been one of the premier acts in the genre, their ability to take elements of technical death, brutal death, slam, and even deathcore has resulted in them being a diverse and hugely rewarding band to listen to, and their introduction of faux-melody on the exceptional Monolith of Inhumanity album just proved how much more the band had to give. After a four year wait since their exceptional The Anthropocene Extinction, CATTLE DECAPITATION return with one of the bleakest albums of the year, but also one that is full of surprises. 

Death Atlas is striking in all its forms. The album artwork is as emotive and powerful as any song on the lengthy track listing, and it continues the band’s long lasting trend of delivering incredible album packages. Death Atlas feels momentous, and it’s bolstered by the lengthy introduction that feels like a blockbusters opening credits. This gives the album a sense of grandiosity, and when we finally get a taste of new CATTLE DECAPITATION it hits all the harder. 

Immediately noticeable is the increasing intensity across all the elements of their sound. Where Be Still Our Bleeding Hearts bathes more so in the guttural harmonies that are becoming a trademark of the band, the following Vulturous culminates in a disgusting display of brutality. Following a similar trajectory is Bring Back The Plague, one of the early singles from the record and a real standout track for displaying the all round songwriting talent the band possesses. The song also serves as a real standout for Travis Ryan and his impeccable vocal performance across the album. Absolute Destitute sounds like razor blades erupting from his throat, and his performance throughout the epic nine minute finale cements him as one of the best vocalists ever to have been. 

The message of Death Atlas is not a subtle one, and whilst some people may not appreciate having a constant message bashing them on the head, Death Atlas feels in many ways to be a direct sequel to The Anthropocene Extinction. Looking into the same topics of human impact on the environment and the blindness humanity has to their own downfalls, Death Atlas feels far more urgent in its messaging, and also far more bleak in its findings. Where previous albums have had the blessing of fiction to lessen their impact, Death Atlas comes at a time when this topic of climate change is front and centre in everyone’s minds and news feeds. 

CATTLE DECAPITATION are able to embody the original shock value death metal bands of old once had better than any other modern act at the moment. The sense of impending doom, and the general unsettling atmospheres that drip from every song comes together to create a genuinely terrifying experience. Obviously bolstered by the intense musical performance and exceptional calibre of songwriting, Death Atlas achieves immensely at providing a gripping and enthralling listen from start to finish.

CATTLE DECAPITATION have gotten better and better with each album they have released. Even on this, their eighth album, the band are still sharpening their tools to finer points, and given how the band have always played with melody, Death Atlas represents the best the band have ever sounded, and the truest combination of all their integral parts. From the near black metal influence on With All Disrespect and the epic, progressive finale of Death Atlas, CATTLE DECAPITATION continue stretch their influences and result in being a truly exciting death metal band, and one that also challenges the limitations of the genre itself. Death Atlas is brutal in every single way conceivable. Even when putting on it’s prettiest smile, the smell of rot still erupts from this album. 

Rating: 9/10

Death Atlas is set for release on November 29th via Metal Blade Records.

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