Review by Brian on July 22, 2015.

Cattle Decapitation have come a long way in there almost 20 years of existence. Forming way back in 1996 as a grindcore act, they released a demo, EP, and their debut full-length in 2000. With the release of 2002's To Serve Man, they started to transition to a death metal act. Over the next decade they began to get more progressive with each release finally putting it all together on their last release Monoliths of Inhumanity. To be quite honest folks, I don't care much for anything prior to Monoliths of Inhumanity. Last time out Cattle Decapitation made the best record of their career. This is a dangerous time for a band. Do they push forward and grow or just plateau?

The Anthropocene Extinction sees the band progressing and building of their last release. The biggest jump forward is in the vocals. Travis Ryan has always had the varied vocals, here he has total command of all of them and actually has added a few new vocal stylings to the mix. He's upped the use of his semi-clean sing/scream vocals, which I love. There is more dare I say sing-a-long chorus type moments. "Not Suitable for Life" is a perfect example of this. Musically it's a step forward as well. There's more melodic moments, more catchy elements in general. Please die hard Cattle fans, don't let this scare you. There is still all the death/grind there too. "Pacific Grim" incorporates all these in one killer track. There are also what I am going to call Symphonies era Carcass moments. "Clandestine Ways" fits into this category. The albums most interesting song and my favorite is "Circo Inhumanitas" It's absolute brutality gives way to a catchy chorus and is as close to a traditional song that the band has ever written. This is a formula that is starting to be used a lot more on this release.

Cattle Decapitation have become a force in the progressive death metal genre. It's a rarity that a band releases their strongest albums after 7 or 8 records, which is exactly what Cattle Decapitation have managed to do. Another step in the right direction and continuing to grow. The Anthropocene Extinction is another monolithic release from animal rights activist from San Diego and their best to date.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Brian on July 22, 2015.

Cattle Decapitation have come a long way in there almost 20 years of existence. Forming way back in 1996 as a grindcore act, they released a demo, EP, and their debut full-length in 2000. With the release of 2002's To Serve Man, they started to transition to a death metal act. Over the next decade they began to get more progressive with each release finally putting it all together on their last release Monoliths of Inhumanity. To be quite honest folks, I don't care much for anything prior to Monoliths of Inhumanity. Last time out Cattle Decapitation made the best record of their career. This is a dangerous time for a band. Do they push forward and grow or just plateau?

The Anthropocene Extinction sees the band progressing and building of their last release. The biggest jump forward is in the vocals. Travis Ryan has always had the varied vocals, here he has total command of all of them and actually has added a few new vocal stylings to the mix. He's upped the use of his semi-clean sing/scream vocals, which I love. There is more dare I say sing-a-long chorus type moments. "Not Suitable for Life" is a perfect example of this. Musically it's a step forward as well. There's more melodic moments, more catchy elements in general. Please die hard Cattle fans, don't let this scare you. There is still all the death/grind there too. "Pacific Grim" incorporates all these in one killer track. There are also what I am going to call Symphonies era Carcass moments. "Clandestine Ways" fits into this category. The albums most interesting song and my favorite is "Circo Inhumanitas" It's absolute brutality gives way to a catchy chorus and is as close to a traditional song that the band has ever written. This is a formula that is starting to be used a lot more on this release.

Cattle Decapitation have become a force in the progressive death metal genre. It's a rarity that a band releases their strongest albums after 7 or 8 records, which is exactly what Cattle Decapitation have managed to do. Another step in the right direction and continuing to grow. The Anthropocene Extinction is another monolithic release from animal rights activist from San Diego and their best to date.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Ryan on December 14, 2015.

Drawing analogies between bands is one of my bad habits. At my worst I give you, dear reader, a woefully imprecise description. No two objects are exactly the same, and the closer the similarities, the less interesting the comparison. It’s easy to problematize your description of an original artist when using this method, particularly when talking about the great Satan.

Still, reference points can be helpful. The early releases of Iron Maiden are often attributed a more punk aesthetic and sound, despite Steve Harris’ oft expressed disdain for the genre. Well bollocks to Harris and all his musical genius, I’m tempted by a juicy bit of speculation: what might Maiden sound like if they took a different musical route? Let’s imagine the boys ditched most of their prog trappings, opted for regular bouts of trem picking, and maintained a speedy tempo with a more direct vocalist. Satan is about as close as you can get to answering my query.

Atom By Atom is Satan’s fourth full length, and the second release since the reunion of the Court in the Act lineup. It’s something of an unexpected success story, both because Satan had a pair of failed follow-ups in the ‘80s* (one released under the name Blind Fury), and because Brian Ross has become a minor legend with Blitzkrieg. Ross could have shoved himself into the meat grinder indefinitely. He spent roughly thirty years toiling in the shadows of the underground, cranking out surprisingly strong tunes with any number of musical mates who dropped by.

But Satan is an actual band, and they fired one of the last shots of the NWOBHM. Given the context of the UK in 1983 it was a gloriously (and somewhat blasphemously) ambitious shot. Talk all you want about Venom and Motörhead, and the hard road they paved for thrash metal; you’re not wrong for doing so. Satan removed most of the blues and the sleaze from that sound, and wrote a thesis of pure paranoia. Songs and guitar solos remained short and sweet, but still delivered tasty treats such as extra riffs, true harmony, and call and response. More than thirty years hence, Satan continues delivering these essential goods.

It’s difficult to parse the changes from the constants on Atom By Atom, perhaps in part because the NWOBHM is back in style. Brian’s voice is deepened and coarsened by age, and these cats likely listen to the sounds that they helped inspire, but the musical and lyrical themes remain. They’ve gone from bleeding edge to bled dry to passe to retro cool and patently never gave a shit at any particular moment. What’s surprising is that they still sound so… fun!

That’s not something a band like this is supposed to pull off now. The kids declined into old codgers, yet my ears are besieged by manic energy and youthful enthusiasm. Satan’s debut delivered a premature taste of thrash, and they have returned from the mutagenic slime pits to give the gift of speed metal. Really, speed metal. Hardly anybody plays speed metal anymore. It’s a footnote in history. This conceit works because of some truly remarkable songwriting ability, and a set of blokes who get on as if they’d never parted company. That’s more than any sane person asks from a reunion. Thankfully, Satan are thoroughly unreasonable.

Rating: 9 out of 10


*former Satan members also released three albums under the name “Pariah,” though sadly I have never listened to them

Review by Adam M on October 16, 2015.

An energetic platter of traditional metal is put on by Satan. There is a glorious old school feel to this album and it takes a couple of listens to unlock. Each song bleeds the trait of being true of the metal genre and has this classic feeling wrapped up nicely. The songs are also very metal with an emphasis on the guitar riffs in the foreground.

The vocals present have that nasal feel that Mark Shelton from Manilla Road contains. Like the music, they take a bit of time to get used to, but do suit the music very well. The overall vibe of the band is straight from the classics and though this music has a standard aura, some will appreciate it from time to time. There is certainly some bravado and glory to be had with this album, but it takes some time to get into the riffs. As such, these guitar licks are memorable and potent. This album still fails to break away and grab legendary status. This is because there is nothing overly new or original to be found with this album. The album feels a little too ordinary at times and one would wish that Satan would take more risks. Still, within the context of old school music, there is a refinement to a great degree with Atom by Atom. The tracks are tight and focused in their approach.

There is also a sense of fun in what the band is doing. It seems they genuinely enjoy performing each track and this bursts through the exterior. Although those liking classic metal will find the most enjoyment here, there is certainly room for those simply looking for well-constructed songs performed. It might not be complete classic bliss, but Atom by Atom is a very solid listen.

Rating: 8 out of 10