Emasculator – The Disfigured and the Divine (Review)

This is the debut EP from international death metallers Emasculator.

Featuring the vocal talents of the singer of Unfathomable Ruination, (also ex-Abnormality), Emasculator are here to bring the death metal carnage. The Disfigured and the Divine contains 21 minutes of brutal death metal caved up into seven bloody chunks.

Emasculator have an old-school brutal death metal sound and style, enriched with a technical edge and a few tricks learned from modern death metal. The end result is compelling and very satisfying to listen to.

The songs are skilfully crafted and completely hit the spot. It’s ultra-aggressive and savage, yet also boasts a level of songwriting ability that elevates the material above the norm for the style. Whereas a band of lesser ability might concentrate on brutality alone, Emasculator have put thought into dynamics, structuring, and pacing, ensuring that their songs leave a mark long after the bruises have healed. There are also some crushing riffs, and more than enough guitar parts with jagged spikes to really get their hooks into you.

There are touches of melody and even of macabre atmosphere in places, enhancing the core brutality of the music. The standout interlude The Unassailable is an obvious reference point for this on the EP, but it’s tastefully incorporated into the songs themselves in places too, albeit less blatantly than this track, (the end of Thesmophoric Rites is a particularly strong example). When all is said and done though, this is only a small part of Emasculator’s sound, but it’s there, and it works a treat.

I’ve always liked the singer’s voice ever since hearing Contaminating the Hive Mind way back in 2012, so it’s great to hear her in full devastating flow once more. On these songs she’s as ferocious as you’d expect, with a fierce roaring voice that dominates.

This is a really good first EP. It’s simply a very enjoyable, above average slab of murderously good brutal death metal. Emasculator have made me excited for what they might do next.

If you’re a fan of bands such as Brodequin, Cryptopsy, Carnophage, Deeds of Flesh, Devourment, Disavowed, Hour of Penance, and Suffocation, then you won’t want to miss out on this scorcher.