Karma.Bloody.Karma

This is the fifth studio album by Cattle Decapitation, and it is the last non-perfect album they would release. This album yet again evolves the sound of Cattle Decapitation, this time latching onto technical death metal, instead of their classic deathgrind sound. This is in my opinion a huge improvement, and is a harbinger for the things to come.

The filthy deathgrind sound found on Humanure is partly abandoned in favor of a cleaner, more surgical technical deathgrind sound, an improvement that pushes the band closer to sound they would eventually find on albums like The Harvest Floor and Monolith of Inhumanity. The songwriting has also improved, and it is on this album that they first begin experimenting with incorporating melody and longer song structures.

The core of what Cattle Decap is, is still very present on this album, their transition into more technical and polished deathgrind does not at all remove them from their sound, this is still very much recognizable as Cattle Decapitation, which is one of the things this band does best. Their ability to change their sound a lot, yet still making it feel like a natural evolution of their sound. The guitars have gone from thick and filthy on Humanure, to sharp and serrated on this album, the vocals have taken on a more brutal sound, and lastly the production is less muddy and more polished.

The riffs have dropped many grindcore elements in favor of more concise and hard-hitting riffs, with pinch harmonics sprinkled in here and there, which only adds to the cutting feel of the riffs. Combined with the tighter and more technical drumming, this makes for a great display of the band’s musical ability. The biggest distinction from their older releases though, is the incorporation of melody into a lot of the songs. Songs like ‘Unintelligent Design,’ ‘Suspended in Coprolite,’ and most prominently ‘Alone at the Landfill’ shows this best, where the songs culminate in a slower melodic part, although we do not get to see Travis’ melodic growls until the next record.

‘Alone at the Landfill’ is by far the most melodic song on the entire album. The eight minute behemoth is also the longest track they had ever made up until the release of Death Atlas. Its grandiose opening consists of a slow, almost melancholic riff, akin to how the opening of their later tracks like ‘Solastalgia’ and the title track of the aforementioned Death Atlas. This song culminates in a slow, doomy section, with droning vocals and almost somber piano, which makes for a pretty unique track, and the first time they do anything like this.

In stark contrast to the incorporation of melody, is the incorporation of more chaotic elements, where we see some grindcore influences shine through. The absolute best example of this is the short sub-two minute track ‘Bereavement.’ This song does not hold back, consisting fully of unrelenting chaos which escalates through its duration before culminating in a crescendo of frenzied harsh noise. This is my absolute favorite track from this record, as even though I love the melodic elements and how they came to influence the band going forward, the pure violence that this track consists of is just so hard to beat.

Karma.Bloody.Karma is an absolutely astonishing release, yet it does not even manage to fall into Cattle Decap’s top 5 albums, which speaks more of the band’s musical ability than it does this album’s quality, as it is one of the best deathgrind releases of all time. The brutal technicality, vicious chaos, and oddly beautiful melody are all balanced perfectly, creating a record that will stand the test of time.

Highlight tracks: Bereavement, Unintelligent Design, Alone at the Landfill