Death metal may not be where I cut my teeth, but I’ve definitely found a home in the genre over the years. And whether you like it simply for the music, the brutal beatdowns, or the often horrific cover art, New York’s Castrator has you covered. With its members hailing from bands like Gruesome and Derkéta, among others, you know things are going to be particularly brutal. And the band’s debut EP, No Victim, is just that—a terrific effort tastefully steeped in old school sounds.
All of the classic death metal traits are on full display right off the bat: the deep, guttural vocals, the punishing drums, the interplay between lead and rhythm guitars, you name it. All at once, the band both hearkens back to bands like Deicide and Immolation—the glory days of the genre—while simultaneously sounding fresh and new. Opener “Honor Killing” blasts from the word “go,” and hits you like a battering ram with the almost inhuman speed and ferocity.
“Brood” gets the blood pumping again, and I can’t help but use the term “brutal” once more to describe it. Castrator has the edge and attitude of bands like Dying Fetus through the faster sections, while pulling things back a bit to create more of an Obituary vibe in the slower sections. An all-guns-blazing guest solo from Immolation guitarist Robert Vigna only solidifies the attack.
“The Emasculator” opens with movie dialogue from Hostel 2 and it’s hard not to squirm a little as you listen. If there ever existed a more perfect pairing of movie dialogue, song title and music to match the grim picture painted here, I’ve yet to see it or hear it. We close out with the title track, in a similar fashion from what we’ve heard thus far. After No Victim‘s 14 quick minutes, one thing is clear: Castrator should be around for a long time. The only negative here? With such a short, delicious sampling, the wait for a full-length will be positively excruciating.
-Josh
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