For the longest time I’ve ridiculed Cattle Decapitation. And rightly so: despite their efforts to tighten and strengthen their music, their discography for the most part has been anywhere from mediocre to just plain crap. But that all changed on their last release Karma Bloody Karma. Cattle Decapitation actually released an album that was- dare I say- good! It wasn’t great, and wasn’t going to shake the foundations of the extreme metal world, but it was good enough to turn your head and go “Shit, maybe they’re figuring out their craft after all.” Now I was actually anticipating their next record: partly out of genuine interest, partly out of morbid curiosity to see if it wasn’t a one time thing, and partly to see if they would actually try to go back to “controversial” album covers. Being the cynic, I estimated the second option would occur and that it would return to filth.

Damn, I’m glad my cynical side was wrong for once. Cattle Decapitation‘s latest work The Harvest Floor is actually pretty fucking good. And when I mean “good,” I don’t mean the kind of “good” that Karma Bloody Karma was. That was simply good. This is genuine good. Cattle Decapitation more or less took the writing influence they developed, expanded it with a FUCKLOAD of progressive influences and stylistic elements, and then elevated every damn aspect of the music: the vocals, the guitars, the drumming, etc. are all tighter, faster, and more precise. The music now sounds more or less like a cross between the last album, DiSalvo-era Cryptopsy, parts of Cephalic Carnage, and various different technical grindcore acts, complemented with some atmospheric parts that would fit at home on a Profound Lore release. And the best part? They all fit together with nary a hint of disjunction.

It also kinda helps that the album has a shitload of guest appearances, from Swans‘ Jarboe to Ross Sewage from Impaled and Ludicra to Dino Sommese from Dystopia and Asunder. The Harvest Floor sounds more like a progressive death metal/grindcore concept album than what we’ve come to expect from Cattle Decapitation. But fuck, if this is Cattle Decapitation‘s future I welcome it with open arms. This shit is actually good.

Naturally, the reply to this being a good album would be “Yeah, given their other releases there’s nowhere to go but up!” But it’s not the case: The Harvest Floor is a solid death metal and grindcore record through and through, regardless of Cattle Decapitation‘s past. I can actually recommend this to fan and non-fan alike. HATCHI MATCHI! What’s next: Bolt Thrower going power metal?

…Nah.

(As a side note: I still prefer Animals Killing People for my animal rights propaganda, but that is neither here nor there.)

Review byNecro-tron