“Death always wins, his molten torch forever burns / And to the ashes and the ground we are returned…” As morbid as the excerpt from the chorus of “The Geocide” may be, extreme metal collective Cattle Decapitation certainly have a valid point. Everybody dies. In addition to exemplifying that sentiment lyrically, the band also does so musically as the music is brutal to the nth degree. Edgy vocals, hellish guitars, and hard-hitting drums capture the geocide (more on that to come) on this pessimistic highlight from the band’s 2019 album, Death Atlas. “The Geocide” earns the distinction of being the first metal record the grace Music to Atone to. It’s inclusion on the playlist is justified – there’s atonement! How so? Well, it’s atonement for a careless human race who are ultimately getting in their own way.
What is this geocide that Travis Ryan and company reference? Well, much of Death Atlas explores the Anthropocene, the most recent geological time period. Eschewing the technical, essentially, the Anthropocene is the most human-influenced time. When humans get involved into many things, well, there’s almost always adverse effects. “The Geocide,” hence, sings apocalyptically about how Earth was destroyed, thanks to humans.
“Suddenly all of humanity’s
Past accomplishments and vanities
Individuals and families
Human bureaucracies
Lost in the calamity
Those who thought this was a fallacy
And those who knew the end was coming.”
The sole verse is damning, while the chorus is even more unsettling, as the aforementioned excerpt (at the top) confirms. Of course, the final two lines of the chorus also speak to the irresponsibility of humans when it comes to matters of Earth:
“Life exists to infuriate, berate, and subjugate
The hapless mortals shit-birthed on a human-altered planet Earth.”
Basically, in the hands of Cattle Decapitation on this apocalyptic, badass, epic track, well, humans have totally messed things up – understatement. The takeaway should be, we as a human race need to be much more responsible. At this point, honestly, we are embracing a sense of “Fuck the future / Fuck all mankind” as Ryan sings on the outro.
You can learn more about Cattle Decapitation here:
About The Curator - Brent Faulkner
Slightly eccentric with interests that seem to know no ends, restless ‘Renaissance Man’ is the best way to characterize Brent Faulkner, a native of Kentucky. A certified music educator, multi-instrumentalist, and composer known for his incredibly sharp ear, he lives and breathes music of a variety of styles. In addition to passion for educating, performing, and writing music, he’s equally passionate blogging and writing about it, managing his own site, The Musical Hype (https://themusicalhype.com). When he’s not intensely analyzing music, you can find him reading or watching a movie, reality television or some sporting event.
