by Ryan B
Summer is here, my graduation is days away, and a Facebook status update from REVOCATION reminds "Saturday night, no excuse to not party!" I take strong heed and head down to a friend's house with several of my fellow rabble-rousers to tap the keg well before the show starts and line our guts with beer in preparation for the night of grindcore and death metal that awaits us down the street. CATTLE DECAPITATION is the name on the marquee of the Triple Rock tonight, and with REVOCATION in tow, we are to be prepared to be spoiled.
Our entrance is perfectly timed, and REVOCATION take the stage not more than 5 minutes after we get our first tall boys from the bar. The attendance tonight is a little underwhelming, but no matter. Everyone who is here has come because they know the power of this billing; everyone's also a bit tipsy and ready to have a good time.
It's my first time seeing REVOCATION live, and I'm a bit surprised to see that there is a second guitarist on stage left. The press photos always made me assume they were a three-piece. Anyway, their sound is thick and brutal – part thrash, part death metal, all fun. They split the time in half between their new album Existence is Futile, the one album that I'm familiar with, and some earlier albums which I am not. I had imagined I would be hard for such a young band to replicate the technicality of the album, but REVOCATION handle the job with ease. They are 'rocking the fuck out', playing with a command of the stage that normally takes years to hone. Succinctly, these dudes are fucking prodigies, and that's all that needs to be said. If you watch the video I snapped of "Dismantle the Dictator", you'll notice the guitarist gives a knowing smile to the camera at around the -2:40 mark, suggesting "you ready dude? We're about to shred so fucking hard your girlfriend is gonna get hot." …well, only part true, sir. Though I instinctively headbang to such a degree that I forget to keep the camera still, my girl is here for CATTLE DECAPITATION.
Travis and the boys are returning after only a brief time away from the MN metro. Last October they opened the SOULFLY/PRONG show in Maplewood (suburbs, 15-20 minutes outside downtown, for those not from the area), and though their presence definitely didn't waver during that show, it's clear that they are much more at home in the the punk-friendly confines of the Triple Rock in downtown MPLS. Over 10 years into their career, CATTLE DECAP is still on their A-game, bringing the death-grind theatrics like no one in the biz. As always, I'm most impressed with how insane Travis is on the mic. He clearly has no problem delivering in any and every range possible, and his versatility brings an animated life to the band's persona that cannot be understated. Combined with the technical prowess of guitarist Josh Elmore and the backing of a strong rhythm section, the band quickly captivates the small-yet-passionate crowd, inciting the floor into a frenzy that lasts until the band leaves the stage.
Beer was flowing all night, as it should at any metal show, but thankfully I had the good sense to record these photos and videos to aid my recollection. Now, if only I could remember where I put my keys… maybe it's for the best.
LIVE VIDEOS:
- CATTLE DECAPITATION "Into the Public Bath"
- CATTLE DECAPITATION Live
- REVOCATION "Dismantle the Dictator"
- REVOCATION "Age of Iniquity"
- REVOCATION "Exhumed Identity"
PHOTOS:
Photos, videos, and writing all by Ryan B.
