Cattle Decapitation

Cattle Decapitation is an American deathgrind band formed in San Diego, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup includes vocalist Travis Ryan, guitarists Josh Elmore and Belisario Dimuzio, bassist Olivier Pinard, and drummer David McGraw. Since 2001, none of the founding members remain with the band. Despite not being in the original lineup, Ryan and Elmore are the only constant members on all of Cattle Decapitation's eight studio albums.

History

Cattle Decapitation was formed in 1996 by singer Scott Miller, guitarist Gabe Serbian, and drummer Dave Astor.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The band put out their first material in 1996 with a demo called Ten Torments of the Damned. Scott Miller left the band in circa 1997 and Travis Ryan joined the band. In 1999 their first EP Human Jerky was recorded and in 2000 their second EP Homovore was recorded. The two EPs were both recorded at Double Time Studios with recording engineer Jeff Forrest. Guitarist Gabe Serbian ended up leaving the band 2001 to focus on The Locust. Guitarist Josh Elmore and bassist Troy Oftedal joined the band right after.Template:Citation needed

Cattle Decapitation's first album To Serve Man came out in 2002 and saw controversy in Germany, where distribution company SPV refused to handle the album due to its graphic cover.<ref name="Metal page 169">Metal: The Definitive Guide, page 169</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web

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File:CATTLE DECAPITATION @ Rock Al Parque 2018 - 29683320697.jpg

Dave McGraw in 2018

In August 2009, Cattle Decapitation parted ways with long-time bassist Troy Oftedal because of "musical and personal differences".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Cattle Decapitation's album Monolith of Inhumanity was released in 2012. It received positive reviews upon release.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Cattle Decapitation has toured with extreme metal acts including Suffocation, Cryptopsy, The Black Dahlia Murder, Deicide, Behemoth, Hate Eternal, Krisiun, Revocation, and Job for a Cowboy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The band also participated in Metal Blade Records' Scion A/V Showcase in late 2012.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File:CATTLE DECAPITATION @ Rock Al Parque 2018 - 30751280768.jpg

Travis Ryan in 2018

The band spent the majority of 2014 writing The Anthropocene Extinction.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Alongside the announcement of the album title in May 2015, the band released the first song of the record, titled "Manufactured Extinct".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was released through Metal Blade on August 7, 2015.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On April 30, 2018, two Native American teens were pulled out of a Colorado State University tour by the police for being "too quiet" and wearing "dark clothing."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> When the band found out that one of the brothers was wearing Cattle Decapitation T-shirts, they offered the brothers "free guest list spots for life."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In August 2018, the band announced the addition of Cryptopsy bass player Olivier Pinard, as well as the promotion of touring rhythm guitarist Belisario Dimuzio to being a full time member,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> thus making the group a five piece for the first time. The recording of the seventh studio album Death Atlas began in May 2019,<ref>CATTLE DECAPITATION TO BEGIN RECORDING EIGHTH STUDIO ALBUM Template:Webarchive. loudwire.com. GRAHAM HARTMANN. March 25, 2019.</ref> and was released on November 29, 2019.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

In November 2022, the band announced at a concert in Las Vegas that they planned on releasing a new album in May 2023. At the show, they played the new song "We Eat Our Young" from the upcoming, then unnamed album.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The band released their eighth album, Terrasite, on May 12, 2023.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In mid-April 2025, Oliver Pinard announced his seemingly amicable departure from the band in order to focus on Cryptopsy and his personal life.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In May 2025, Metal Blade Records and NJV Media released the feature-length documentary From This Flesh: A Cattle Decapitation Story. The documentary was filmed during the recording sessions for Terrasite and focuses on the production of the album, as well as the history of the band.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Musical style and influences

Graham Hartmann of Loudwire called Cattle Decapitation technical death metal.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Cattle Decapitation's songs protest the exploitation and consumption of animals, the abuse of the environment and subjects such as misanthropy and genocide of the human race. Much of the band's music is based on putting humans in the situations that animals are subjected to, for example animal testing, slaughter, etc. The band's lyrics are largely concerned with human impact on the environment, the ethics of eating meat and animal rights.

Ryan comments: "Josh and I are what you would call "vegetarian". We've tried and tried to be as up front about that as possible but the entire media world thinks we are hardline vegan, which in turn trickled down to fans and we're just not. I've been vegan at points but I try to be as correct as possible and point blank, there's times on tour where I just don't know if what I've been given to eat has eggs or dairy in it and the road is rather unfriendly to us. We aren't afforded the luxury of going to a Whole Foods at 3 am after a show. At that point it's fucking Taco Bell or something disgusting. You're driving down the road burning fossil fuels and your vehicle is covered in the carcasses of insects and sometimes birds and other animals. So how far does one take it? This is why I can't claim vegan. I live my life with as much compassion as I can for others, the environment and the animals though. At home it's much easier."<ref>INTERVIEW: TRAVIS RYAN OF CATTLE DECAPITATION Template:Webarchive. July 22, 2015. moshville.co.uk</ref>

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".<ref name="Metal page 169" />

Members of Cattle Decapitation have cited Carcass, Cryptopsy, and Suffocation as influences.Template:Citation needed

Members

Current

• Travis Ryan – lead vocals, keyboards, drums Template:Small
• Josh Elmore – guitars Template:Small
• Dave McGraw – drums, percussion Template:Small
• Belisario Dimuzio – guitars Template:Small

Former

• Scott Miller – lead vocals, guitars Template:Small
• Dave Astor – bass guitar Template:Small, drums, percussion Template:Small
• Troy Oftedal – bass guitar Template:Small
• Derek Engemann – bass guitar, keyboards Template:Small
• Olivier Pinard – bass guitar Template:Small
• Gabe Serbian – drums, percussion Template:Small, guitar Template:Small Template:Small
• Michael Laughlin – drums, percussion Template:Small

Timeline

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 id:vocals   value:red         legend:Vocals
 id:guitar   value:green       legend:Guitar
 id:bass     value:blue        legend:Bass
 id:drums    value:orange      legend:Drums
 id:album    value:black       legend:Studio_albums
 id:other    value:gray(0.5)   legend:Other_releases
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 layer:back
 at:07/30/2002  color:album
 at:07/13/2004  color:album
 at:07/11/2006  color:album
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 at:05/08/2012  color:album
 at:08/07/2015  color:album
 at:11/29/2019  color:album
 at:05/12/2023  color:album

 at:01/01/1997  color:other
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 at:11/24/2005  color:other

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 bar:ryan     text:"Travis Ryan"
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 bar:oftedal  text:"Troy Oftedal"
 bar:engemann text:"Derek Engemann"
 bar:pinard   text:"Olivier Pinard"
 bar:serbian  text:"Gabe Serbian"
 bar:laughlin text:"Michael Laughlin"
 bar:mcgraw   text:"Dave McGraw"

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bar:ryan     from:01/01/1997 till:end        color:vocals
bar:miller   from:01/01/1996 till:01/01/1997 color:vocals
bar:miller   from:01/01/1996 till:01/01/1997 color:guitar width:3
bar:serbian  from:01/01/1997 till:07/01/2001 color:guitar
bar:elmore   from:07/01/2001 till:end        color:guitar
bar:dimuzio  from:06/23/2018 till:end        color:guitar
bar:astor    from:01/01/1996 till:01/01/1997 color:bass
bar:astor    from:01/01/1997 till:07/01/2001 color:bass width:3
bar:oftedal  from:07/01/2001 till:03/01/2010 color:bass
bar:engemann from:03/01/2010 till:01/25/2018 color:bass
bar:pinard   from:06/23/2018 till:04/18/2025 color:bass
bar:serbian  from:01/01/1996 till:01/01/1997 color:drums
bar:serbian  from:01/01/1997 till:07/01/2001 color:drums width:3
bar:astor    from:01/01/1997 till:05/01/2003 color:drums
bar:laughlin from:05/01/2003 till:01/01/2008 color:drums
bar:mcgraw   from:01/01/2008 till:end        color:drums

</timeline>

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US Heat. <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US Indie. <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US Hard Rock <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US Billboard 200 <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	GER <ref name="GER-albums">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Dts	To Serve Man Released: July 30, 2002 Label: Metal Blade	—	—	—	—	—
Template:Dts	Humanure Released: July 13, 2004 Label: Metal Blade	—	—	—	—	—
Template:Dts	Karma.Bloody.Karma Released: July 11, 2006 Label: Metal Blade	—	—	—	—	—
Template:Dts	The Harvest Floor Released: January 20, 2009 Label: Metal Blade	16	—	—	—	—
Template:Dts	Monolith of Inhumanity Released: May 8, 2012 Label: Metal Blade	6	32	18	—	—
Template:Dts	The Anthropocene Extinction Released: August 7, 2015 Label: Metal Blade	—	5	5	100	88
Template:Dts	Death Atlas Released: November 29, 2019 Label: Metal Blade	—	—	3	116	56
Template:Dts	Terrasite Released: May 12, 2023 Label: Metal Blade	—	48	17	—	34
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Compilation albums

• Medium Rarities (2018)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Box Sets

Year	Album details
Template:Dts	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Released: 2014 Label: Metal Blade Contains: To Serve Man, Humanure, Karma.Bloody.Karma, The Harvest Floor, Monolith of Inhumanity

EPs

Year	Album details
Template:Dts	Human Jerky Released: 1999 Label: Satans Pimp, Three One G (reissue), Accident Prone (reissue)
Template:Dts	Homovore Released: May 2, 2000 Label: Three One G
Template:Dts	¡Decapitacion! Released: 2000 Label: Accident Prone

Split albums

Year	Album details
1999	The Science of Crisis (with Armatron and Tic War 1) Released: 1999 Label: ToYo Records
Template:Dts	Cattle Decapitation / Caninus Released: November 24, 2005 Label: War Torn Records

Demos

Year	Album details
Template:Dts	Ten Torments of the Damned Released: 1996 Label: independent

Music videos

List of music videos, showing year released and director

Year	Title	Album	Director(s)
2002	"To Serve Man"	To Serve Man	Russ Herpich
2004	"Reduced to Paste"	Humanure	Template:N/a
2009	"Regret and the Grave"	The Harvest Floor	Gary Smithson
	"A Body Farm"		Template:N/a
2012	"Kingdom of Tyrants"	Monolith of Inhumanity	Mitch Massie
	"Forced Gender Reassignment"
2013	"Your Disposal"
2016	"Clandestine Ways (Krokodil Rot)"	The Anthropocene Extinction
2017	"The Prophets of Loss"		Paul McGuire
2020	"Bring Back the Plague"	Death Atlas	Template:N/a
2021	"Finish Them"		Nicholas Vidler
2023	"We Eat Our Young"	Terrasite	David Brodsky
	"Scourge of the Offspring"<ref>Template:YouTube</ref>
	"A Photic Doom"<ref>Template:YouTube</ref>
	"Solastalgia"<ref>Template:YouTube</ref>

External links

• Template:Official website
• Cattle Decapitation at Metal Blade
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