Band: Cattle Decapitation
Title: The Harvest Floor
Label: Metal Blade Records
Distribution: Rough Trade
Release date: 02/02/2009
Review: CD

For the recording of this sixth album (the fourth for Metal Blade, by the way), the vegans of Californian act Cattle Decapitation entered the Sharkbite Studio with Billy Anderson (Melvins, Neurosis, Swans, Brutal Truth, High On Fire a.m.o.). I won’t call this album predictable, because it is not (or at least not whole the time), but in fact it does not bring something new either. The Harvest Floor mainly continues where Karma.Bloody.Karma ended. More specific, this means that the ultra-technical Death Metal / Grindcore exhales a spirit familiar to Carcass and Cannibal Corpse. The compositions are very intelligent and well-thought, and the technical elements (both rhythmic as leading) are superb. The tempo varies from fast to blasting, but a few moments are somewhat slower and that’s just fine. And even though this album doesn’t bring anything renewing at all, The Harvest Floor is a must. More than before, the whole fits and it makes me hungry. Hmmm, a nice piece of red meat would do… Never mind, the song structures, the variation, the performance (instrumental and vocal), the sound + production, and the gore atmosphere, if you’re trusted with this band, then you know what to do. If not, then think about both higher mentioned comparisons and then you’ll know what to do. Oh yes, the album has duration of 37:36 minutes and features guest performances by e.g. Jarboe (Swans), Jackie P. Gratz (Amber Asylum, Grayceon), Ross Sewage (Impaled, Ghoul, Exhumed), John Wiese (Sunn O))), Bastard Noise) and Dino Sommese (Asunder, Carcinogen, Dystopia).

83/100

Ivan Tibos.