Cattle Decapitation

Cattle Decapitation

Cattle Decapitation is an American deathgrind band from San Diego, active since 1996. Its line-up changes over the years leave only two players, vocalist Travis Ryan and guitarist Josh Elmore, who appear on all eight studio albums. The band releases through Metal Blade Records and is associated with deathgrind, grindcore, death metal, brutal death metal, goregrind and technical death metal.

Formation and early releases

The group starts in 1996 with Scott Miller on vocals and guitar, Gabe Serbian on drums and Dave Astor on bass. Its first release is the demo Ten Torments of the Damned, also in 1996. Miller leaves around 1997, Serbian moves to guitar while sharing drumming duties with Astor, and Travis Ryan joins as vocalist. In 1999 the band records the EP Human Jerky, followed by Homovore in 2000, both recorded at Double Time Studios with engineer Jeff Forrest.

Studio albums and personnel changes

The debut album To Serve Man arrives in 2002. Its graphic cover causes distribution problems in Germany, where a distributor declines to handle the release. In 2001, Serbian leaves to focus on other projects, and guitarist Josh Elmore and bassist Troy Oftedal join, allowing Astor to concentrate on drums. Astor leaves in 2003 and is replaced by Michael Laughlin, who stays until 2008, when Dave McGraw takes over. The 2004 album Humanure features artwork depicting a cow excreting human remains, which is reportedly censored in some retail contexts. Troy Oftedal leaves in August 2009 because of musical and personal differences.

Later albums and recent activity

Monolith of Inhumanity is released in 2012 and receives generally positive critical reception. The band tours with other extreme metal acts and appears at events such as Metal Blade Records’ Scion A/V Showcase in 2012. Material written in 2014 leads to The Anthropocene Extinction, which includes the advance track “Manufactured Extinct” and is released in 2015. Recording for Death Atlas begins in 2019, and the album is issued later that year. In 2022 the band debuts “We Eat Our Young” during a concert while announcing a new album, Terrasite, which is released in 2023.

Documentary and membership changes

In 2018 bassist Olivier Pinard joins and touring rhythm guitarist Belisario Dimuzio becomes a full-time member, expanding the group to five members. In 2025 Pinard leaves to focus on other commitments. A documentary film, From This Flesh: A Cattle Decapitation Story, is released in 2025 and covers the recording of Terrasite and the band’s history.