Originally founded in 1996, Cattle Decapitation's songs protest the mistreatment and consumption of animals as well as the abuse of the environment. Lyrics may also focus on subjects such as misanthropy and genocide of the human race. Much of their music is based on putting humans in the situations that animals are subjected to (animal testing, slaughter, etc).
Their 2002 album To Serve Man saw controversy in Germany, where distribution company SPV refused to handle the album due to its graphic cover. The cover of the 2004 album Humanure, featuring a cow excreting human remains, was reportedly censored without permission from the label in some outlets. Record store owners did not display the album, making it difficult for customers to find and buy it.
Former member Gabe Serbian is a member of the band The Locust.
Metal author and journalist Garry Sharpe-Young once acknowledged the band as "one of the few metal bands whose message hits as hard as their music."
Cattle Decapitation has toured with many death metal bands including Suffocation, Cryptopsy, The Black Dahlia Murder, Deicide, Behemoth, Hate Eternal, Krisiun, and Job For A Cowboy. Their album The Harvest Floor was released in 2009.
The band has been cited repeatedly for being an early influence to bands such as Job For A Cowboy, The Black Dahlia Murder as well as a legion of "deathcore" hopefuls.
In August 2009, Cattle Decapitation parted ways with long-time bassist Troy Oftedal because of musical and personal differences.
Their 2012 album, Monolith of Inhumanity, was met with positive reviews upon release for introducing a more melodic tone - ultimately skyrocketing the band's influence and engaging a new audience. Their latest album, The Anthropocene Extinction, received the same feedback, with Metacritic giving it an 86/100. The Anthropocene Extinctions's lyrical content follows their normal style of the effects of mankind's influence on the environment, such as the Great Pacific garbage patch.
Manufactured Extinct
Cattle Decapitation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life was pristine, resonating impact the instigator's arrival
Densely populating smashing biodiversity
Altered climate accelerating exacerbated by our human activities
We used it up, we wore it out, we made it do what we could have done without
Sacrificing all morality, the ends never justify the means
Technology defines the ages our human history burns its own pages
Under the sun and in the light of day we throw this all away
Instinctual devotion to annihilation
Eradication, mass predation manufactured extinction
The powers that be are you and me
These enemies of inconvenience undertakers
Entire species erased
Millions of acres defaced
Nonrenewable
Fuck this flesh
Curating distress
Composing our dirge
True nature emerged
Under the sun and in plain sight a tragedy has been designed
By hands of cultures intertwined in greed and cruel ways of life
The lyrics to this song are a commentary on the role of humanity in the destruction of the world and its wildlife. The song begins by referring to the "anthropocene," a term used to describe the current geological era characterized by the impact of human activities on the planet. It talks of how once the earth was pristine, but that all changed with the arrival of man. The population of humans rose rapidly, leading to the destruction of wildlife and biodiversity.
Furthermore, the accelerated climate change that resulted from human activities made the situation worse. The lyrics talk about how humans have exploited the planet's resources, in order to make machines that can fabricate the end of all living things. However, the song argues that sacrificing all morality, the ends never justify the means.
The chorus of the song is a call to arms that points out that the powers that be, are the people themselves. The songs' lyrics then go on to describe the devastation that mankind has caused on the environment and wildlife. The song ends by reminding the listeners, that the world was created to thrive, and it is only by changing our ways, that we can save it.
Line by Line Meaning
In the beginning of this, the anthropocene era
At the start of the era where human impact on Earth's ecosystems has become significant
Life was pristine, resonating impact the instigator's arrival
The presence of humans has disrupted the natural order of life on Earth
Densely populating smashing biodiversity
We are rapidly destroying the diversity of life on this planet by overpopulating and destroying habitats
Altered climate accelerating exacerbated by our human activities
Due to our actions, we are causing climate change to accelerate at an alarming rate
We used it up, we wore it out, we made it do what we could have done without
We have exploited natural resources recklessly, without any thought for future generations
Machines to make machines fabricating the end of all living things
Our need for technological advancement has led to the production of machines that are causing the destruction of life on Earth
Sacrificing all morality, the ends never justify the means
Our lack of ethics and morals is causing us to justify harmful actions in the name of progress, without regard for the consequences
Technology defines the ages our human history burns its own pages
Our history will be marked by the technological advancements that lead to our own destruction
Under the sun and in the light of day we throw this all away
We are blatantly disregarding the damage we are causing in broad daylight
Instinctual devotion to annihilation
Our inherent drive to destroy is overpowering rational thought and concern for the planet
Eradication, mass predation manufactured extinction
We are intentionally wiping out entire species through mass destruction and exploitation, pushing them towards extinction
The powers that be are you and me
We are all responsible for the state of the planet, as we are the ones in control of its destiny
These enemies of inconvenience undertakers
Those who resist change or inconvenience in order to protect the planet are viewed as adversaries to progress and are disregarded
Entire species erased
We are causing the complete loss of species from the planet due to our actions
Millions of acres defaced
We are leaving large areas of land desolate and destroyed
Nonrenewable
The natural resources we are exploiting are finite and cannot be replenished
Fuck this flesh
We are disregarding the value of all living beings, including human life
Curating distress
We are actively creating chaos and destruction through our actions
Composing our dirge
We are writing the song of our own demise through our destructive practices
True nature emerged
Our true nature as beings that cause destruction and harm is becoming more and more evident
Under the sun and in plain sight a tragedy has been designed
We are causing a catastrophic tragedy that is in plain view for all to see
By hands of cultures intertwined in greed and cruel ways of life
The culture we have created, which values greed and cruelty over sustainability and compassion, is causing our own destruction
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOSH ELMORE, DEREK PAUL ENGEMANN, DAVID MCGRAW, TRAVIS RYAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jared Fitzgerald
I seriously can not believe how far this band has come. They went from a generic death metal/grindcore band to a band that has solid song structure, musicality, and a uniqueness along with an identity. Don't think I know a band that has come farther than Cattle Decapitation.
Edoardo Casini
100% agree
Rian Vorster
And it makes sense.
Dickey7861
Those melodic vocals and those lows oh my god this is perfect!
Apothecurio
Oh hey
mOOnEatersofficial band
lol
Delante Hicks
Satan I don't think that's allowed on YouTube
BigSkrimp98
Possible dank stash material?
HarmonieNorm19
And these lyrics im dying....
MaajkTarkir
''Under the sun and in the light of day we throw this all away
Instinctual devotion to annihilation
Eradication, mass predation - manufactured extinction
The powers that be are you and me''
That part blew me away. What a fucking beast he is, Travis.