UMUR
"Karma.Bloody.Karma" is the 4th full-length studio album by US, California based grindcore/death metal act Cattle Decapitation. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in July 2006. It´s the successor to "Humanure" from 2004 and features the exact same lineup who recorded the predecessor.
While the music style on the early releases by Cattle Decapitation were grind influenced death metal, stylistically the scale had tipped a bit more towards death metal on "Humanure (2004)", although that album still featured plenty of grindcore elements. On "Karma.Bloody.Karma" the scale tips even more to the death metal side of the band´s sound, but there are still bursts of blasting deathgrind featured on the album.
"Karma.Bloody.Karma" is what I´d characterize as a pretty creative death metal release. Cattle Decapitation were (and are again on this release) a pretty unique act because of their animal rights/anti-human lyrical themes and image, but the music is also in the more unconventional end of the death metal/deathgrind spectrum. The vocals are a combination of deep growling and higher pitched screaming, which as such isn´t that special, but lead vocalist Travis Ryan has a powerful and commanding delivery, which works perfectly on the album. The instrumental part of the music is loaded with creative and unconventional guitar riffs and at times also rhythms, and Cattle Decapitation at all times make sure that their listeners are kept on their toes. This is very extreme and very busy music, and definitely not an easy listen, but given a few spins it´s abundantly clear that these guys have a unique vision for how their music should sound and be presented.
The material on the 12 track, 40:44 minutes long album aren´t always particularly memorable and not all tracks stand out, but there are some pretty remarkable tracks on the album which deserve a mention like "Suspended in Coprolite" and "Alone at the Landfill". The latter for example features a haunting ambient closing, which is quite effectful, and it is often when the band slow things down, that they create their most memorable moments. The chaotic deathgrind moments are also great and played with skill and conviction, but those sections just aren´t as catchy and memorable.
"Karma.Bloody.Karma" features a raw, dark, and brutal sounding production, which for the most part suits the material well. A little less "cardboard" sounding drums, and a more powerful guitar sound could have elevated the production to a higher state, but it´s alright and effectful as it is. Upon conclusion "Karma.Bloody.Karma" is the next logical step in the career of Cattle Decapitation. Moving away from grind and closer to death metal while maintaining their experimental/adventurous edge is working well for them here and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.