If you've ever heard a lick of Cattle Decapitation, you know that Travis Ryan isn't much of a fan of the human race, or at least what we're doing to muck up the planet. His take is blunt on the band's new album, Death Atlas (out Nov. 29), and he sat down with Loudwire, having a lighthearted chat about the countless ways we're ringing in our own demise. But there are some things we humans can do to help, and he may hate us all a bit less for it.

The conversation starts at "One Day Closer to the End of the World," the first Death Atlas single. It's message is pretty obvious — our fixation on the now supersedes our care for a sustainable future. "With this record, I delved more into hard facts and more into metaphors," commented Ryan.

"It's a little bit more of a poetic attack at climate change, and where we're headed and our near-term extinction and the sixth mass extinction that's probably going to be human-made," he added.

We discuss "Bring Back the Plague," another gross single off Cattle Decap's eighth album, and how nature may naturally reset itself to counteract overpopulation. "There's always the extraterrestrial option," he pitched, clarifying, "Not aliens, but asteroids. If you look back through epochs, we might just get taken out like the dinosaurs."

"I used to have this, 'Nope, we're fucked' [attitude], but there is hope out there, it's just who is going to make it happen?" So we've established he's got some hope. What gives him this hope though? "Not much. I'm a pretty pessimistic person. But I'm seeing, at least on the social justice awareness side of things, people are thinking a little bit more forward about our future and that's cool. I'm thinking the kids of today, the next generation, that we're all leaving a trash heap for."

So we had to know — what are three things we humans can do to get off Travis Ryan's hypothetical shit list. At the top, is mind your own business. "But at the same time, if you see someone in trouble, help others." He confesses he doesn't really have a shit list — "just don't be a piece of shit. State the truth." The singer quickly changes his stance and urges, with a laugh, that people stop having kids.

Watch the full interview at the top of the page and get Death Atlas at the Metal Blade webstore and follow Cattle Decapitation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Catch them on tour too at the dates listed below.

Cattle Decapitation, Atheist + Vitriol Tour Feat. Full of Hell, Author & Punisher + Primitive Man

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Nov. 22 — Austin, Texas @ Empire Control Room
Nov. 23 — Dallas, Texas @ Gas Monkey Bar & Grill
Nov. 24 — Houston, Texas @ White Oak Music Hall
Nov. 25 — New Orleans, La. @ The Parish @ House Of Blues
Nov. 26 — Orlando, Fla. @ The Abbey
Nov. 27 — Fort Lauderdale, Fla. @ Culture Room +
Nov. 29 — Atlanta, Ga. @ Hell @ Masquerade +
Nov. 30 — Richmond, Va. @ Canal Club
Dec. 01 — New York, N.Y. @ Le Poisson Rouge
Dec. 02 — Boston, Mass. @ Brighton Music Hall
Dec. 03 — Philadelphia, Pa. @ The Foundry @ The Fillmore
Dec. 04 — Toronto, Ontario @ Opera House
Dec. 05 — Chicago, Ill. @ Metro
w/ Atheist, Primitive Man, Author & Punisher, Vitriol
Dec. 06 — Lawrence, Kan. @ Granada Theater
Dec. 07 — Denver, Colo. @ The Oriental
Dec. 08 — Grand Junction, Colo. @ Mesa Theater
Dec. 10 — Albuquerque, N.M. @ El Rey Theater
Dec. 11 — Mesa, Ariz. @ Club Red
Dec. 12 — Los Angeles, Calif. @ Decibel Pre-Party @ The Regent
Dec. 13 — Las Vegas, Nev. @ Fremont Country Club
Dec. 14 — Fresno, Calif. @ Strummers
Dec. 15 — Berkeley, Calif. @ UC Theatre
Dec. 17 — Seattle, Wash. @ The Showbox
Dec. 18 — Portland, Ore. @ Bossanova Ballroom
Dec. 19 — Sacramento, Calif. @ Holy Diver
Dec. 20 — Pomona, Calif. @ The Glass House
Dec. 22 — San Diego, Calif. @ Brick By Brick
+ No Author & Punisher

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