Cattle Decapitation


Anyone who's familiar with Cattle Decapitation knows that they are very vocal about their opinion of animal rights. Their lyrics, artwork, and interviews all show just how ardently they support the movement. Why do they insist on using their music as a platform for animal rights messages? “To protest the meat industry,” says vocalist Travis Ryan.

While some may question the band’s use of gore to convey their message, Travis insists that their gruesome imagery is the only way to get the point across in the death metal scene. “It’s one sure way to light a fire under people’s asses,” he explains. He hopes that those who initially like the band’s art for its brutal and disgusting nature will eventually realize that “there’re always two sides to every story.”

Want to know more about Cattle Decapitation’s creative tactics? Well, read on to find out why Travis went veg and how Cattle Decapitations’ tactics help teach others about animal rights:

Was there any one thing that made you decide to go vegetarian, and how long have you been vegetarian?
Personally, I’ve always had a distaste for meat. Growing up, I would eat pepperoni and bacon but rarely would eat a hamburger. I think I just never paid attention to what I was eating. I remember people saying pepperoni was made from “lips and assholes,” and that made me think a little more about it.

How did you come up with the name “Cattle Decapitation”?
Basically, I think [the band] just wanted to take the vegetarianism/gore thing a bit further. It’s just an ironic thing.

Your album covers are very graphic social commentaries on animal rights. Why did you choose to use such explicit art, and how does it help convey the animal rights message?
For one thing, it’s safe to say we’re classified as “death metal.” With that scene, it’s simply the only way to do it. Gore. Obscenity. People that just may like the art because it’s gory and disgusting but don’t realize we’re vegetarian will one day realize it, whether they agree with our lifestyle or not. Those people will then realize there’s more to us and hopefully everything else around them. I know of plenty of people that have changed their diets simply because of the overly disgusting and brutal nature of the lyrics. So I think it does a lot of good, this disgusting imagery. People react much more vibrantly to the offensive.

What do you find to be the most effective “tool” to reach into minds that seem very closed to the idea of animal rights and vegetarianism?
Using a person’s lack of awareness or ignorance against them. People hate that. They don’t know for sure what they’re eating. It could contain traces of rat feces, bacteria, or even someone’s bodily fluids, you just don’t know. I also like to equate their love of meat-eating or carnivorous urges to organized religion. I think most people are brought up to use meat as the primary part of their diet and are never really given an alternative, so they just grow up thinking, “This is the way it is.”

What advice do you have for someone who’s thinking of going vegetarian but hasn’t made the switch yet?
To look into all the meat alternatives they can because there are a lot out there. There are more veggie alternatives now than ever, and it’s also getting cheaper to be vegetarian. There are plenty of things you can make at home that are cheaper [than meat] in the long run.

Want to find out about more bands like Cattle Decapitation? Check out Decibel Magazine and The Gauntlet. Or just head over to “Recent Features” on peta2.com for interviews with bands like Dillinger Escape Plan and Shadows Fall! Or sign up for PETA2 E-news to get all the latest band news and contests e-mailed straight to your inbox. The possibilities are endless!