Castrator – No Victim EP (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)
Thursday, 16th April 2015
The latest significant entry to the brutal death metal genre, Castrator is a bit of a supergroup, as well as an international act with members from the US, Mexico, Sweden, Norway, and Columbia. The band is trying to go for a more “anonymous” approach, using only their initials, but with a little research (not to mention the distinctive vocals) it becomes pretty clear who we are dealing with there. This is monstrously heavy death metal that cuts all the fat off the bone, and is sure to have plenty of appeal. Oh, and was it mentioned that Castrator is an all-female band?
In a means of attempting to level the brutal death metal playing field, there’s nothing different about Castrator as you listen to them than any other band. Therein lies the point – the metal genre has done plenty of diversifying over the years. It shouldn’t matter who is behind the instruments. All the normal bells and whistles are here. Brutal vocals, violent riffs that still retain just enough memorability to keep you coming back for more, and even a bit of atmosphere provided by some melodic soloing. The band members’ expertise in death metal songwriting is quite evident and they safely avoid many of the genre’s many pitfalls. One piece that is particularly interesting is the lyrical content, which takes the frequently misogynist content of brutal death metal and flips it on its head. Song titles alone, such as “Honor Killing” and “No Victim” do tend to paint a picture that does a nice job of turning the tables lyrically (not to mention “The Emasculator”).
With only four songs, No Victim ends as quickly as it starts. However, the EP’s short runtime is made up for by a very strong showing and you’ll find yourself scurrying towards the repeat button to blast through them all again. No Victim doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it sure is a nice breath of fresh air.
