Cattle Decapitation
26th February 2020
Whammy! Bar, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Connor Crawford.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t take another twenty years to come back!”
These were the very last words that Travis Ryan growled as he stood upon the now long gone but never forgotten Kings Arms stage two years ago, at his feet a writhing mass of human limbs, soaked in sweat and grinning from ear to ear as they basked in the afterglow of Cattle Decapitations first ever New Zealand appearance.
And thankfully it did not take another twenty, instead only two before the Californian extreme metallers once again descended upon our shores, the faithful hordes – amongst which Danny Carey and Adam Jones of Tool could be counted last night, this time flooding through the doors of Whammy! Bar to ensure a coveted place on the barrier, those that saw them the first time around already salivating at the idea of being eye level with a band that takes no prisoners.
Their latest album Death Atlas is steeped in misanthropic lyrics that speak of the world’s demise with a deep satisfaction; the plagues of humanity washed away, so that earth may once more begin anew, free from our need for mass consumption and greed. It has been described as a masterclass within itself, anyone who foolishly doubted Ryan’s belief in his own words only needing to be front and centre as Cattle Decapitation burst forth with ‘The Geocide’; the five-piece line-up spewing a tidal wave of brutality. The additional savagery of having a three-guitar attack of Josh Elmore, Belisario Dimuzio and Olivier Pinard on bass bringing with it a crushing weight that rammed its foot down onto the audience’s throat and questioned why they deserved to exist.
Stretching back a few years to the album Monolith of Inhumanity, a record that is perfection personified and will forever stand the test of time, ‘Your Disposal’ side-stepped, it’s brief melodic intro soon cracking open as the surge of blast beats courtesy of the daemon that is Dave McGraw on skins came smashing through, Ryan’s aching and at times tormented vocals clawing at the faces of those in front.
While there wasn’t much room to initiate a maelstrom of hair and skin in the pit, the energy of the audience still pulsated as bodies crushed themselves against the barrier, bowed heads and raised horns saluting the band before them, Ryan ensuring everyone got a front row seat as he got up close and personal during both their latest work in the form of ‘One Day Closer to the End of the World’ before fan favourite ‘Forced Gender Reassignment’ tore flesh from bones, its initial chugging rhythm seeing heads nodded in unison before unleashing the madness.
Temperature soon rising, the room almost felt like an oversized living organism, fans moving as one to the music – something that has always been first and foremost to Travis Ryan – both band and crowd joined together in this cathartic ritual of cleansing; ‘Plagueborne’ from the powerful 2015 album The Anthropocene Extinction driving the performance deep into the very concrete that lay at their feet. ‘Finish Them’ once again reiterating Cattle Decapitations views on society’s mass consumerism, it’s chokehold on Mother Nature one that disgusts them all, their anger and frustration palpable. Never afraid to make their stance clear, their forthright approach to both their music and lyricism is what has seen them continue to gain following in a world where lies and deceit are handed out daily by those that see themselves in power.
Coming towards the end of the set, Ryan genuinely thanking all, Cattle Decapitation laid down a double header of ‘Time’s Cruel Curtain’ and the epic title track from Death Atlas; the nine minute opus (which features guest vocals from Laure le Prunenec of Igorr and a spoken word intro by Jon Fishman of Phish) demonstrating that the band are only ever gaining in remorseless strength, refusing to sacrifice their sound yet continuously challenging themselves in the pursuit of evolution. The encore of ‘Manufactured Extinct’ a final exchange of gratitude and respect between both parties.
Cattle Decapitation have continued to display their undeniable prowess time and time again throughout both their live performances and albums – but was there ever any real question about them wearing the crown?
For last night the kings of death metal walked amongst us.
Were you there at Whammy! Bar for this crushing extreme metal gig? Or have you seen Cattle Decapitation perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- The Geocide
- Your Disposal
- Bring Back The Plague
- One Day Closer To The End Of The World
- Forced Gender Reassignment
- Plagueborne
- Finish Them
- Clandestine Ways (Krokodil Rot)
- Time’s Cruel Curtain
- Death Atlas
- Manufactured Extinct [encore]
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