CATTLE DECAPITATION Frontman Slams 'Stupid' BLABBERMOUTH.NET Detractors

JoeWho from Wormwood Chronicles webzine recently conducted an interview with CATTLE DECAPITATION lead singer Travis Ryan. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Wormwood Chronicles: It's been well documented that you guys protest the meat industry. I was wondering, have you converted a lot of your fans over to being vegetarians?

Travis Ryan: Yes, a surprising amount actually, because of the lyrics and everything. See, we've never preached, it's like the lyrics do that themselves, you know? Plus nobody wants to be told what to do. So the best means is just through simple suggestion. I get pissed when I see people like stupid Blabbermouth posters, or whatever, saying shit like, "I don't need these vegan asshole f*gs shoving this shit down my throat." We never once preached anything, you know? There's a few little things in the lyrics that are very blatant, but the blatancy is usually for pure comedic value... for me, at least. I always thought old punk lyrics were so stupid because, it was just like, "Fuck the government," you know what I mean? There's no substance there, there's no thought, or art really at all.

Wormwood Chronicles: Are you currently involved with any new organizations that you'd like to make people aware of?

Travis Ryan: Not necessarily... Well, actually, we might do one or two benefit compilations. The other guys wanted to look for more animal rights oriented groups, and I suggested these organizations that help prevent horses from being put to sleep because,they broke a leg at the race tracks and shit like that. I mean, in one week at a San Diego race track alone, it's something like five horses in seven days that they put to sleep. That's fuckin' ridiculous, there is no reason for that. Just anything that deals with the human involvement of the earth, ecology, or animals... we stand behind anything that breaks those chains.

Wormwood Chronicles: This might be kind of a silly question, but, anyway... I've seen you guys live before, and I notice you have a very unorthodox vocal technique. When you sing live, you're always sticking your tongue out! Would you care to explain your unusual approach?

Travis Ryan: Um, well, I think some people think that I do it just for looks, but it's totally functional. It's like this air pocket that I somehow create in my mouth that allows me to hit these really ridiculous highs. They're kind of like ghost highs that don't really exist. It's working off the amplification and actually the highs that are on the EQ and stuff, you know? It's just this little thing I developed from playing live because, in the studio I never did that stuff until like the last album or something... about four years ago is when I started doing it. I also try to emulate that old CARCASS sound of highs and lows together. It actually developed from trying to do that. (Chuckles) But it ended up being a totally different purpose and sound.

Wormwood Chronicles: Do you ever have people come up to you and ask, "Hey, when you perform live, is that a cow tongue?!"

Travis Ryan: Yeah, or "Is that an inward technique?" It's like, "Shut up!" That shit doesn't work. Doing that inward thing creates one sound, that's it. You can't do anything with it. That's stupid!

Read the entire interview at www.wormwoodchronicles.com.