Metal & Mike: Serving Up Rarities With CATTLE DECAPITATION
While we still have to wait until next year for a brand new Cattle Decapitation record, the band have a special surprise coming out today for fans. From the Metal Blade Records vault comes a collection of demos and rare tracks in the form of Medium Rarities. Fans are able to order the collection from a variety of vinyl colors based on how they like their meat prepared (playing into the band’s cheeky humor).
Among the titles on the album is the once lost bonus track “Rotting Children For Remote Viewing”, meant to be included on the band’s Japanese version of To Serve Man record (which was never released). The idea of compiling all these songs together started many years ago; but upon losing that bonus song, the band decided to shelve the idea. But one day, while going through the label vault, Metal Blade’s Heather Pearson discovered the track; this excited Cattle Decapitation vocalist Travis Ryan, revitalizing his want to release the collection of rarities.
Ryan recalls when he first discovered the bonus material had disappeared, along with the excitement of finding it. “[In putting together these rare songs], there was such a huge gap between [the] conception of the idea and execution. Ten years to be exact! We came up with the idea in 2007 or so and started on it in 2008. I thought for sure someone had to have the extra track that we sent them for the Japanese issue of To Serve Man that never came out, but I hadn’t made sure until it was too late. We had announced the release and everything, but when Metal blade went to look for the track on their end, it was gone. I haven’t talked to our old drummer since probably the day or so before we let him go way back in 2003, so I never bothered hitting him up to see if he had it. And after talking to everyone else, nobody else seemed to have their copy of this damn track, so we shelved the entire thing until it was found recently.”
Speaking to how he feels having all the material ready for release, he shares, “Its cool to see it coming out finally, but it all was put together years ago for the most part so it [has] been a whirlwind. Haven’t really had time to process it all. I think that will really happen when I hold the physical in my hands. Then it should sink in. Its been a long ass time, so it almost feels like it’s been out for years already!”
With all the demos and bonus material, including songs from the band’s split with Caninus, Medium Rarities is full of delightful treats. For Ryan, the track that sticks out the most to him is the band’s cover of Carcass’ “Burnt to a Crisp.” “Our version isn’t the greatest,” he says, “but I always thought of the Carcass tribute [album] we were on in the earlier days to be quite an achievement. Especially back then; we were one of the more underground bands on it, and had only had a couple albums out by then and yet to sign to Metal Blade. That’s the nostalgic track to me.”
For 22 years Cattle Decapitation has been taking the metal world by storm. Now seven studio albums into their career, Ryan and the crew continue to craft gruesome and annihilating music. Medium Rarities is a wonderful celebration of that hard work (as well as an excellent treat for fans). Ryan reflects on how far the band has come over the course of their career and what he would like to see from himself as an artist.
“I’m pretty blown away by what we saw happen when you decide to start taking chances. We had come so far, and [at one point] I wasn’t personally sure how much we had left in us; and then we all of a sudden had a musical epiphany. Started experimenting and most importantly, having fun with songwriting. Not just playing what we think our fans want to hear, but focusing more on what we want to hear. It’s important to do what you want, ignoring conventionality if you have to. That’s always been my forte, and it doesn’t always work, but its something I’m glad I started doing — just reaching outside the box and further out on that limb.”
He adds, “We’ve done a whole hell of a lot of work since 2002, and I’m very proud of our work and what we’ve accomplished. I never thought a world where something so ridiculously titled could find its place in the metal world was one that I existed in. When I tell people what I do for a career that takes me around the world, it sounds unbelievable even to me when I’m telling it. Especially because of the name. Its mind-boggling to me. It really shows anything can happen. Who knows? Moving forward, I just want to eventually make that square peg fit. I think we’ve done a good job so far, but there’s always room for improvement!”
And for those itching to know … studio album number eight is almost on the way. “We’re six songs through now, [and] I’m three songs in lyrically. [The] title, cover concept, and layout concepts have been figured out for about a year now! It’s looking like it won’t be released until a year from now as we don’t hit the studio until April/May; and the vinyl industry still bogged down, so that’s a good 5-6 month wait just for that! Writing sounds fucking great, folks who are fans of the last couple records won’t be disappointed. We have new blood in the band that’s hungry, and that’s one of the best things you can have going into a new release.”
You can check out the track “An Exposition of Insides” below and order the record here. You can find past Metal & Mike articles here, as well as follow me on Twitter.
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