With 2006s Karma. Bloody. Karma, San Diego’s Vegetarian grinders added a sickly pallor to their chaotic deathgrind, and while that element seem to have been reigned in and the cleaner tones of Humanure and To Serve Man making a return, the resulting balance between sludgy oozing throes and deft caustic grindcore makes for an album that sees Cattle Decapitation further elevate their actual musical status.

When I say The Harvest Floor is cleaner than KBK, I should clarify its in production only as Billy Anderson’s production seems less earthy and dirty, perhaps aided by Zach Ohren drum recording? However, musically, The Harvest Floor is, like KBK, a volatile and disturbing musical assault that melds the expected blasting, squealing trappings of deathgrind, the band’s sociopolitical, Vegan diatribes and Travis Ryan’s snot spewing, truly other worldly vocals.

The band’s development from PETA’s death metal mouthpiece to a truly evolved act has been impressive, and The Harvest Floor, while less experimental than KBK, still oozes with a truly sickening atmosphere and presence that matches the band’s fervent idealogy. Throw in guest appearances from Jarboe (Swans), Jackie Perez Gratz (Grayceon) and Ross Sewage (Impaled) and the resultant album finally fulfills the potential and growth that the band has hinted at for a little over a decade.

Bookending the album are two more varied, moody standouts featuring the guest performers in various, more prominent capacities: opener “The Gardeners of Eden” and closer “Regret & the Grave” are perfect tempo setters in the albums overall guise with Jarboe’s haunting shrieks and Gratz’s solemn cello accenting the discerning melodies, scrawling fervor, brittle blast beats and psychotic vegetarian atmospherics. In between, there plenty of more direct grinding, death metal slice and dice with ample stuttering, lurching and heaving throes as heard on “A Body Farm”, “Tooth Enamel” (as a dento-phobe, that opening sample makes my skin crawl) “In Axetasy”, “The Ripe Beneath the Rind” and “Into the Public Bath” that seem to be the missing link between Cephalic Carnage, Naplam Death, Autopsy, a PETA infomercial and the infamous ‘cow in a meat grinder’ footage.

Another quality release from a band that was once considered somewhat of a gimmick, but now the band’s political intensity is matched by their musical offerings.

[Visit the band's website]

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