On the title track of Cattle Decapitation’s 2004 album
Humanure, vocalist Travis Ryan growls the line “Here’s to your
health.” But don’t get the wrong impression, as he isn’t exactly
trying to foster a warm and fuzzy feeling. In the same song, he
invites the listener to “defecate upon the self, felch the goddamn
sphinct, and gurgle its disgusting contents.”
Not exactly appetizing, you say? Perhaps, but if Cattle Decapitation
wants listeners to feel like shit — and remind them that they
literally are shit — then it does so with a sense of purpose.
Since forming in 1996, Cattle Decapitation has managed to drive home
its point over and over and over in no uncertain terms, including on
new album The Harvest Floor. Through various album titles and
brilliant cover art images by artist Wes Benscoter (adorning his fourth
CD album), the band flips the script on what humans do to cows. To
Serve Man (2002) depicts skinned human corpses hanging from meat
hooks; Humanure shows a cow excreting human skulls…you get the
picture.
Each time out, one wonders how much further the band can go using
essentially the same device. With Harvest Floor, Benscoter and
the band hit a bull’s-eye and, perhaps for the first time, convey a
sense of true horror with an image that puts humans on the ramps
leading up to a slaughterhouse.
Still, this begs the question: Where can Cattle Decapitation go from
here? The answer? Into your intestines — for real.
That’s right — in a fitting twist, the band has now achieved
true heavy-metal immortality by having a vegan burger named after
it.
“It’s different from other vegan-vegetarian stuff because it’s
not imitating meat at all,” explains bassist Troy Oftedal.
Never mind that Oftedal works as a cook at the joint that serves it,
Hamilton’s Pub & Cafe in the band’s hometown of San Diego, and even
concocted the burger himself. The decision to name it after the band
was his manager’s, not his. And, as Oftedal explains, most people who
order the burger have no clue who or what Cattle Decapitation is.
“It’s a lot of older people who definitely aren’t into metal or punk
or hardcore or anything like that,” he says. “It’s like, ‘Can I get
the…What is that called?'”
Perhaps management should considerhanging some of the band’s album
coverson the wall?
Oftedal laughs out loud.
“I don’t know how well that would goover,” he says.
NEWSFEED
Willie D, longtime member of the Geto Boys and CEO of
Relentless Entertainment, was arrested on wire fraud charges by FBI
agents Wednesday night at Bush Intercontinental Airport. U.S. Attorneys
allege D, whose real name is William Dennis, took money from
overseas buyers for electronics such as Apple iPhones, then gave the
buyers tracking numbers for packages that were never sent. Dennis was
arraigned Thursday in federal court.
Danseparc DJ Shu Latif, whose recent
tête-à-tête with the Sarah Palin camp over
the www.crackho.com Web
site made it to The Huffington Post last week, is working
on a documentary about Numbers and would like to talk to anyone
who frequented the venerable Westheimer dance club, especially in the
’80s. E-mail her at slatif@gmail.com.
LOCAL MOTION
Top Sellers
Sound Exchange
1846 Richmond, 713-666-5555
1. Insect Warfare, Insect Warfare (LP)
2. Thee Oh Sees, Help (LP/CD)
3. Bardo Pond, Peri (LP/CD)
4. Golden Axe, “Kill ‘Em Allah” (7″)
5. Homopolice, “Ass Fucker” (7″)
6. KGBeasley & the Leather Violence, “Sonic Bondage” (7″)
7. Born Liars, “Don’t Pick Up the Phone” (7″)
8. Pestilence, Resurrection: Macabre (CD)
9. Tara Jane O’Neil, Ways Away (LP/CD)
10. Candlemass, Death Magic Doom (CD)
AIRWAVES
The Mix
KHMX, 96.5 FM
Top songs, May 15
Data from www.yes.com
1. Pink, “Sober”
2. All-American Rejects, “Gives You Hell”
3. Kelly Clarkson, “My Life Would Suck Without You”
4. The Fray, “You Found Me”
5. Taylor Swift, “Love Story”
6. Nickelback, “If Today Was Your Last Day”
7. Shinedown, “Second Chance”
8. Lady GaGa feat. Colby O’Donis & Akon, “Just Dance”
9. Theory of a Deadman, “Not Meant to Be”
10. Plain White T’s, “1,2,3,4”
(lists compiled by Chris Gray)
This article appears in May 21-27, 2009.