Shaking your fist at the sun for exposing this place to us. Anger, rage, resentment, depression, anxiety, a poor outlook on our species both on a day-to-day level, a broader, worldly level as well as a philosophical level." For example, the lyrics of "A Photic Doom" " are more of just a metaphor for being alone in your head and turning away from the life that is exposed by the light of day. " We see the nymph stage of this human/cockroach hybrid that is more of a fully grown being that has just molted from its ootheca stage, startled, confused, frightened but also pissed off and ready to join the rest of its brood in finishing humanity's job of destroying the Earth." When asked where he is coming from lyrically on this record, Ryan frankly states " from a place of distress. " The combination of the two meaning 'earth-eater', as a metaphor for humanity's role in the destruction of the planet, and is a play-on-words of the very fitting word 'parasite'." This is vividly brought to life in the artwork by longtime collaborator Wes Benscoter. The title is a word invented by Ryan that brings together 'Terra-' meaning earth and '-site' derived from the Greek word '-sitos' which means 'food'. The ambient and effect-laden guitar presence also takes up a much larger part of the whole experience." " The trademark Cattle intensity is always there, but this time at paces that range from frantic to controlled and driving but with more focus on menacing heaviness. The whole record sounds like a somber panic attack like mourning the loss of a loved one at Mach 3," says Elmore. There is a deep richness to the guitar tones and a more prominent bass guitar presence, the drums parts are assaultive, but tasteful and Travis' vocals are as varied as they've ever been but with an added emotional depth. " All the Cattle hallmarks are there ripping blasts, abrasive and aggressive guitar/bass riffs and Travis's varied vocal approach but this record just feels different. Roaring to life with the savage yet hauntingly melodic "Terrasitic Adaptation" and advancing through the likes of the relentless "We Eat Our Young" and culminating with the ten-plus minutes of "Just Another Body", it is an album that constantly shifts dynamics, and demands a variety of emotional responses. Every member of their current lineup - Elmore, Ryan, guitarist Belisario Dimuzio, bassist Olivier Pinard and drummer David McGraw - has grown to fill their musical niche in the band, and learned how to get the best out of each other, making for their most accomplished work to date. Written both separately and during sessions together in San Diego - which required certain members to regularly fly into the city - the record came together naturally, though not without personal struggle. I've always found daytime horror to be really unsettling so I wanted to make sure what was going on on the cover took place in the light of day, which also finds its place within the lyrics." I already had the concept idea from years back and since Death Atlas was so dark and brooding, I wanted a completely opposite effect - I wanted this to take place in the daylight. " I wanted to do the 180° opposite of Death Atlas. In approaching the newest record it was not only necessary to keep the musical trajectory the band has been aiming towards since the beginning, but also to further explore the ambient/textural elements that were part of Death Atlas." As such, Terrasite pushes their sound further into more epic and varied territory, and in the hands of vocalist Travis Ryan the governing concept takes a new and disturbing direction. " Everything about that album - the concept, artwork, music, etc, was a final statement. " After a record like Death Atlas you have to make a turn," states guitarist Josh Elmore. With 2019's Death Atlas they reached the apex of this, perhaps leading some to believe they had no place left to go beyond such an achievement, but now they return with Terrasite, which is as bold a statement as they have ever made. Though many bands have tried, no one articulates the real apocalypse humanity is facing as vividly and succinctly as Cattle Decapitation.
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