Where Have You Been All Our Lives?  Cattle Decapitation Starts the Compelling “Death…At Last!” Tour at Brick by Brick, San Diego

January 18th, 2022

            Two years, two months almost to the exact date, from the release of Death Atlas.  2019’s Album of the Year, in my humble opinion, brought forth a new side of invoking musicianship, bleak emotion, captivating lyrical concepts, all in I would feel is their most outstanding work in more than a decade.  Unfortunately, with the pandemic and shows stopping for well over a year and a half, Death Atlas wasn’t given the proper number of tours and performances to be displayed.  Fortunately, hoping we’ll be at some kind of new normal going forward, Metal shows in particular have been booming and announced since mid-2021, with Cattle Decapitation returning to North America, bringing alongside several unique style of bands, a little something for everyone.  Starting off 2022 in style, the Brick by Brick in San Diego would host the first date of the “Death…At Last” tour, a fitting hometown crowd to start it all off.

            The last time I visited San Diego, and this venue, was the Vader/Abysmal Dawn/Hideous Divinity/Vitriol show, about 2 years from tonight.  So much time has passed, and it was a pleasant sight to see the same joyous, dedicated faces that help keep the music and Metal scene ever strong.  The venue was already well-packed at this point, with me fascinated by the amount of shirt designs Cattle Decapitation had on display.  You’ll be gleefully shocked, and I was told by the tour manager walking in that some of the designs were expected to sell out that night alone, get them while you can.

            To my own shock, Cave Bastard made quite an account of themselves opening the show.  From the San Diego area, and a with a familiar face onstage, Troy Oftedal formerly of Cattle Decapitation.  Starting this band back in 2014, the recognizable riffs, curving melodies and quite interesting placement of the tremolo-picked notes, you can hear some of these in the To Serve Man and Humanure records.  But make no mistake, the music was different overall to the former, as guitarist Adolfo Acuna performing these brilliant changes on the dissonant, open chord picking, constant changing of the melodies, as said previous, interesting.  Not interesting as a wishy-washy description to say it was okay, interesting because it felt like a concept, with the waves and notes flowing through a brilliant storyline.  Vocalist Stephen Pearce’s strong range of harsh wording, piercing (I had to), high screams, and able to use the vocal patterns and lyrics to accommodate, as well as accent Sergio Carlos’s cymbal counterpoints.  “The Kreist” was the highlight of their set, solely playing only from their latest record, Wrath of the Bastard, a 7-minute beast that creates a soft lullaby around the end, erupting into a headbanging manifesto from the audience, with beautiful manic chords that signified the void.  Outstanding performance from Cave Bastard, an utter shame they’re only playing this show on the tour.  A review of Wrath of the Bastard, out shortly.

1.  Anti-vaxxtermination

2.  Chaos Unearthed

3.  Wrath of the Bastard

4.  The Kreist

5.  Fools of Enslavement

            Extinction A.D. came out and wasted no time energizing the now-nearly to capacity Brick by Brick.  Keeping the theme asides hearing some of Creeping Death years ago, asides the headliner I have not heard or seen the rest of the bill.  Thrash Metal/Crossover from Long Island, New York, the energy felt just like it, Punk style energy, booming hits from Mike Sciulara, playing with such clean aggression, but keeping the groove in powerful spirit, and with priority.  The crowd moved for much of the set, vocalist/guitarist Rick Jimenez keeping an eye on the stage for movement, and fun for everyone in attendance.  Their newest record, Culture of Violence, out in mid-March, represented a few tracks tonight, particularly “Heads Will Roll”, lead guitarist Ian Cimaglia providing nifty solos and impressive ability, following Sciulara playing harmony alongside.  For some odd reason, Extinction A.D. had the shortest set of the night, barely 20 minutes, and I felt it prevented the momentum of their set from reaching higher peaks.  Nevertheless, I’ll be attending the LA show on Thursday, just to watch, and curious to see if they’ll play a longer set.  For the energy, intense old-school Punk vibes, and a diverse, exciting drummer to see, Extinction A.D. was a killer time to witness.

            In terms of cheers and knowing the material, Creeping Death got arguably the best reaction out of the headliner tonight.  In the vein of Death Metal/Hardcore, Creeping Death’s low-end on the guitar sound was a pummeling attack, Bass guitar heavy but didn’t swamp the rest of the instruments in mud.  Eric “Rico” Mejia provided that low-end, bumping the intensity with their swift Thrash style riffs.  With only one album released from Creeping Death, Wretched Illusions, most of the record was represented in their setlist, “Ripping Flesh”, the ending of that track, in-your-face melting riffs palm-muted to the heaviness delight of the crowd.  I actually found their latest EP’s material, The Edge of Existence, to have a more Death Metal base than the former and was only slightly more up my alley.   Vocalist Reese Alavi’s growls were sinister, a touching gurgle they performed, narrating some of the high-end lyrical points of the songs as well, and kept the crowd easily engaged.  Lead guitarist Trey Pemberton’s tremendous stage presence and wicked tremolo dive-based solos, had many of the phones in the crowd, wanting to remember each shot they took.  Effortless playing the material, while jump-kicking in the air, often spinning around simultaneously, was infectious and took the audience by surprise.  I loved the pop and cheers they received after their set, and knowing how much Los Angeles loves their Thrash, I can only imagine how chaotic it’ll be when Creeping Death performs on Thursday.

1.  Doused in Flames

2.  Skinned Alive

3.  Specter of War

4.  Edge of Existence

5.  Bloodlust Contamination

6.  Humanity Transcends

7.  Ripping Through Flesh

8.  Sinner’s Torch

            Personally speaking, the most controversial aspect I saw tonight, came during The Last Ten Seconds of Life.  I felt I was taken back to 2007, where the Metalcore bands popularity took over North America, playing in Death Metal tours, either sticking out like a sore thumb, or their fans drowning out the rest of the audience.  It certainly isn’t a genre I’m generally fond of, although there are definite exceptions out there, but I’ll give The Last 10 Seconds of Life credit, there was plenty to like during their set.  While the booming volume and velocity in the guitar work was present here, as Metalcore bands often have, more times than not, the riffing between the lyrics felt mischievous, split-second fills you wish they would perform again, and some creative blasting in between the breakdowns from Steven Sanchez.  Guitarist Wayne McLoughlin’s Core style breakdowns and palm-muting chugs weren’t of the lazy kind, one note played in a few styles, and repeat.  Rather, they were blended near equally with the quick higher-note tremolo sequences, and I felt were balanced nicely. John Centorrino’s low growls and sometimes the mid-barking vocals, talented and grimacing.  All sorts of the crowd were having a blast upfront, and all across the stage, even a Wall of Death ensued.  Overall, I found more parts of The Last Ten Seconds of Life more enjoyable than I briefly assumed hearing them first play.

            Unfortunately, there was a large distraction throughout the middle to end of their set:  Hardcore Dancing.  Listen, there’s generally a reason why most Metalcore bands these days, don’t particularly play the same lineups with Black/Death Metal bands.  The audiences mostly couldn’t be further different, and the attitudes between one another can often, and case point tonight, lead to unnecessary fights and/or violence.  There’s a difference bumping into someone shoulder to shoulder, and going out of your way in one stance, swinging fists and kicks in the air to really hurt someone, losing balance in the process.  Someone did just that, falling down assuming a fan pushed them, pushes that innocent fan, gets hit, security comes and escorts him out, looking like a fool.  The point of a mosh pit is to properly feel the music hit you physically, not to be violently physical to others.  You look like an idiot, and maybe San Diego, because of the popular Metalcore scene they’ve had at shows like The Soma for years, would tolerate that.  Something tells me, the Los Angeles show probably won’t feel the same.  Be careful, be safe in the mosh pit, and don’t be one of those wondering why you got kicked out, stupidly punching someone for no good reason.  There’s plenty to criticize on the Metal side, no doubt, but Hardcore/Metalcore dancing, in my opinion, is completely unnecessary these days.

            Rant over, and after Josh Elmore’s guitar cabinet took a little time to be replaced, it didn’t cut into Cattle Decapitation’s set whatsoever, and the final, glorious curtain, was about to be raised triumphally.  The sound was punchy, blasting loud and ferocious from the jump, as Cattle Decapitation’s music needs to be witnessed and heard.  With another 2 years (I still can’t believe the time that we’ve all lost) absorbing and connecting to the newest album, seven of the main tracks to Death Atlas were represented tonight, and even to the last performance in 2020, the entire portion of that album was the strongest in their set.  Travis Ryan needs hardly any introduction, and the evolution of his already magnificent vocal/growling range, comes alive in the chorus to “Bring Back the Plague” and the slow interludes in “Time’s Cruel Curtain.”  The stage presence and movement from his signature lower headbang, as well as the remarkable attention to detail within rolling certain words to an exhilarating high, and providing quality, subtle diction with it, truly make him one of the most diverse and fantastic front men, next to Frank Mullen and Peter Tagtgren, to name just some of the best on that list.

            While some of the lightning in the beginning of their set, at least from my vantage point, slightly distracting, the axe-members were well-recognized and shined brightly onstage.  Taking the role as lead guitarist for about 20 years now, Josh Elmore’s frantic, signature sweep picking, frenzied start-stop riffs, as well as now embodying this new level of atmosphere, mood and attention to detail in these songs.  The Mammoth of a title track in “Death Atlas”, has more than one occasion of bringing the listener on a rollercoaster of embracing the light and the void, with guitarist Belisario Dimuzio matching these shattering notes effortlessly, proving once more that Cattle Decapitation’s sound is optimally heard with 2 live guitar players.  David McGraw was as usual magnificent, and because the lighting at times felt a little too much, it was difficult to properly watch those insanely timed fills of his.  The first blastbeat of “Forced Gender Reassignment” blew the crowd away and invoked the mosh pit to increase in proper pace, performed with such ease and precision.  Bassist Olivier Pinard could have been slightly more in volume, but the complexed chords that sometimes were parallel with the guitars, and also different fills as its own lead, it’s no surprise that he plays with Cattle and Cryptopsy, simultaneously.  Cattle Decapitation’s 70-minute set begged for more from the crowd, even well after their encore of “Manufactured Extinct”, showing how strong the scene for Extreme Metal still is in San Diego, giving the band a proper send off for the rest of the tour.

            So much time has passed since the pandemic, impacting all of us in some certain way.  Despite Death Atlas already 2+ years old, the material has become a true staple for Cattle Decapitation fans, showing the brilliance of what seems to be still in the midst of their prime.  It’s a no-brainer to catch this tour, go at your own peril, and potential disposal.

1.  The Geocide

2.  Vulturous

3.  Your Disposal

4.  Bring Back the Plague

5.  One Day Closer to the End of the World

6.  Forced Gender Reassignment

7.  Plagueborne

8.  Finish Them

9.  Clandestine Ways (Krokodil Rot)

10.  Time’s Cruel Curtain

11. Death Atlas

Encore:

12.  Manufactured Extinct