Cattle Decapitation - To Serve Man (2002)

 

 Cattle Decapitation formed in San Diego in 1996. Cattle Decapitation's songs protest the mistreatment and consumption of animals, the abuse of the environment and touch subjects such as misanthropy and genocide of the human race.

The lineup originally featured David Astor on bass and Gabe Serbian on drums (both were then also members of the Locust) as well as an unknown guitarist/vocalist, who allegedly vanished without the other members knowing anything about his whereabouts. Seeking a replacement on vocals, the group turned to Travis Ryan, who had actually been playing drums for another San Diego metal band, Strangulation, in addition to serving as vocalist in a gore metal group called Anal Flatulence. With Ryan on board, Astor moved from bass to drums, and Serbian moved from drums to guitar. This lineup quickly released two albums, the Human Jerky LP (on the Nevada label Satan's Pimp) and the Homovore CD/LP.

Next, they added a bassist, Troy Oftedal, with whom they recorded their third full-length, To Serve Man, released in the fall of 2002 on Metal Blade, a move that would expose them to a more death metal-oriented audience (as opposed to the primarily hardcore/grindcore one that they had been playing to before). To Serve Man saw controversy in Germany, where distribution company SPV refused to handle the album due to its graphic cover. Also in 2002, the band added a second guitarist, Josh Elmore (formerly of 7000 Dying Rats), who eventually took over as their sole guitarist after Serbian left in order to devote himself more fully to the the Locust. Serbian plays drums in the Locust, replacing Astor, who ironically had left the Locust so that he could more fully devote himself to Cattle Decapitation. Astor left after To Serve Man and was replaced by Creation Is Crucifixion drummer Michael Laughlin for the 2004 release Humanure.

 

 

-Tracklist:

 1. Testicular Manslaughter     02:50
2. I Eat Your Skin     01:54
3. Writhe in Putressence     03:16
4. Land of the Severed Meatus     02:21
5. The Regurgitation of Corpses     02:02
6. Everyone Deserves to Die     02:35
7. To Serve Man     03:06       Show lyrics
8. Colonic Villus Biopsy Performed on the Gastro-Intestinally Incapable    02:56
9. Pedeadstrians     03:26
10. Long-Pig Chef and the Hairless Goat     02:08
11. Hypogastric Combustion by C-4 Plastique     02:36
12. Deadmeal     02:34
13. Chunk Blower     03:05

34:49

 

-Line up:

• Travis Ryan : Vocals
• Dave Astor : Drums
• Josh Elmore : Guitars
• Troy Oftedal : Bass.

 

Label: Metal Blade Records.

Recorded at Trident Studios. The band claims there were absolutely no vocal effect processing used on this recording.

 Cover artwork: Wes Benscoter.

Band logo: Mike Miazo.

It's the first album by the band to feature their iconic logo in its earliest design.

Producer: Juan Urteaga.