CATTLE DECAPITATION has gathered all the off, odds and ends from their 22-year career, brushed off the sawdust and hay, and cooked them up into a savory, multicourse meal for their compilation album Medium Rarities. Have a seat. Each guest receives a complimentary bottle of Pepto Bismol, and a stomach pump. Let's dig in!

The appetizer course contains a medley of short yet lyrically complex songs; "Birth. Cancer. Death", "No Future", even the single-note, four-second number "The Recapitation of Cattle" all have unique layers of flavor and texture in Travis' lyrics. The flavors may be blood and human filth, but there's also a fetid hint of decay: not too much, just enough in the aftertaste to notice. Reminiscent of PIG DESTROYER with they way they angrily spew pure, Emily Dickenson-style poetics against an avalanche of dissonant, instrumental noise. The key difference is that Travis Ryan's poetry has a lot more subjects on cannibalism and runny feces.

The first course is a colorful tasting of three songs, all curiously in Spanish, "Tripas de Pepe", and "Queso de la Cabeza" paired expertly with "Vino de la Sanguifero". Acidic riffs and heady, aggro vocals make for a real punch to the gut. Course two is a series of hearty rough cuts; demos of "Human Jerky", "Colon Blo", and "Flesh-Eating Disease". Full of gristle, unctuous and chewy, this course is an acquired taste for those who prefer "raw" eating. Covers from CARCASS and THE BIRTHDAY PARTY are served before the second course. THE BIRTHDAY PARTY's "Sonny's Burning" injects some CATTLE DECAPITATION-style instrumental chaos into this Nick Cave classic.

The final course is a full spread of filling songs, dry-aged with some left to rot entirely for maximum flavor. "Rotting Children for Remote Viewing" and recent single "An Exposition of Insides" in particular focus on well-seasoned vocals cutting through the fat of Josh Elmore's drums and Oliver Pinard's bass. A compilation of all the band's nasty bits and foul imagery, Medium Rarities is a sordid listening affair for only the hardiest of constitutions. In lieu of dessert, there is a bucket under your chair to use as you please.
Medium Rarities comes out November 23^rd.