Review: “The Disfigured and the Divine” by Emasculator

“She is seen making the ultimate sacrifice for others. She has severed her own head and is feeding her followers with her life force, her own blood. In giving, she is also receiving nourishment. She has overcome death and will soon return her head to its place. She is standing on a love-making couple, meaning she is above the life-procreation-death cycle. She can also be interpreted as a mother figure who sacrifices for her children, as mothers sacrifice and even risk their lives for their babies during childbirth.” ~ vocalist Mallika Sundaramurthy, speaking on the cover artwork she painted of the Hindu Goddess Chhinnamasta

Brought forward to coincide with the their appearance at this year’s Texas Domination Fest, the release of “The Disfigured and the Divine“ by International Brutal Death band Emasculator via New Standard Elite has been a long time coming. Forming in 2021, the group comprises Mallika Sundaramurthy (Nidorous-NSE, Unfathomable Ruination, ex-Abnormality), Morgehenna (PoonTickler), Teresa Wallace (Cartilage, Muldrotha, Feast) and newest member Cierra White (Harboured, Oak, Ash & Thorn). Hailing from Czechia and the United States and released a two track demo titled “Depraved Disfigurement” a year later. Two years on they return with an album which delves into themes of the Goddess in mythology and legend, womanhood and motherhood, overcoming obstacles, justice, spirituality, the human experience, and growing into power. The title symbolizes the state of the Divine Feminine as experienced in the modern world; highly controlled, often under attack, suppressed but ever-present, potent, important, fierce and beautiful.

Mixed and mastered by engineer Josh Welshman (Defeated Sanity, Brodequin), as a record “The Disfigured and the Divine“ has a sound which is raw and old school without sounding like a demo. At some point along the line, a balance has been struck to give it the tape trading sounds of old rather than polishing it like surgical steel and making it clean and crisp. That plays to the bands strengths give that the guitar style is heavily influenced by the early 2000’s Underground Brutal Death Metal scene and bands such as Disgorge, Disavowed and Inveracity. The bloodshed begins with “Ecstasy in Disseverment (of Self)“, a cut which finds Sundaramurthy thinning the herd and decimating the weak with her savage vocal performance. Curiously it’s not totally indecipherable with her throat an instrument of mass destruction but there are points where she reaches Slamming levels of brutality. The drum sound is reminiscent of that of Mauricio Marín of Twitch Of The Death Nerve and Goreinhaled fame, a little on the raw side but not too muddy and with the sheer level of footwork that White gets through that’s vital to its success. Sinister and menacing “In Resplendent Terror” is a gallop to blood mountain on horseback, armed and ready for battle, the chugging guitars kicking and squealing all the way. A rhythmic bludgeoning from start to finish, the quartet don’t spend too much time on nuances, textures, leads or solos, instead going straight for the jugular and obliterating everything in their path as they do so. “Thesmophoric Rites” hints as Skeletal Remains as being an influence, the buzzsaw guitars having a bit more groove to them as they cut flesh from bone.

After three slabs which hit like a piano from the 30th floor landing on your skull as you walk the streets below, “The Unassailable” finds Vishal Singh assisting the band in providing an interlude with ethnic flavours. Tribal drums accompany clean vocals as the guitars take a break and that moment will no doubt be used to towel down when the band play live. A brutal assault on the senses “Eradication of the Asuras” has some lethal staccato riff moments as the band bludgeon the discerning listener to death one note at a time. White produces some really interesting fills before a fleeting down tempo moment that catches you off guard; why the track comes to an end after 133 seconds when it feels like there is more to give is anyone’s guess. “Age of the Goddess” finds Daniela Dahlien Neumanová lending her throat and the two vocalists go toe to toe on frenzied and frantic riff attack accompanied by restless and relentless kit work. What’s impressive about it is how dark the atmospherics are, the band able to set a suitable tone without losing any of their neck snapping energy. Fierce and fiery “Supreme Void of Acephalous Being” is the soundtrack to a brain haemorrhage but with some solid groove parts in amongst the violent turbulence. Sundaramurthy’s vocal devastation creates a disturbance in the fabric of space and time and by the end you’re either bleeding out the eyes or wishing you were… [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Ecstasy in Disseverment (of Self)
2. In Resplendent Terror
3. Thesmophoric Rites
4. The Unassailable (ft. Vishal Singh of The Fractured Dimension, Amogh Symphony, Feathers of Jatinga)
5. Eradication of the Asuras
6. Age of the Goddess (ft. Daniela Dahlien Neumanová of Noisebleed, The Corona Lantern, Diligence)
7. Supreme Void of Acephalous Being

“The Disfigured and the Divine” by Emasculator is out 27th September 2024 via New Standard Elite