Brutal Death Metal is in again, although did it ever really leave? These past few years has seen a proliferation of a new generation of musicians take a stab at delivering the most head crushing and indecipherable noises known to man. As with any new wave, many only seem to look at the superficial aspects of the genre and not understand the subtle nuances that make the subgenre so great. Emaciate from Florida is one of the better offerings in this space and are turning heads with their debut demo ‘Beaten Into Paresthesia’.
Emaciate is the union of several current prolific musicians within the Florida scene, bringing together the talents of two members from Exit Life (90s Metalcore revivalists) with Luca of Amnio, who demonstrated his chops in the style by playing a more Brutal Death Metal influenced take on Intestine Baalism on the last album. The demo makes very clear the love and reverence for 90s Brutal Death Metal, with specific nods to Dying Fetus (‘Killing on Adrenaline’ era). What has made Emaciate stand out so easily from the crowd is their juggling of all the elements that made early Brutal Death Metal so special; tight, groovy riffs with a pinch of technicality, dense bass, pummeling drum works and demonic gutturals that occasionally break out into Hardcore shouts.
Given the background of the members, the Hardcore element is always present in some shape but never overpowers the core formula. Slams riffs are perfectly interwoven within the fabric of the song or even serve as great openers (‘Sacred Annihilation’). The chug riffs and quick tom runs snare bursts serve as a great transition between sections or as a build up to the breakdowns (‘Cursed with Sentience’). There is a strong balance between catchiness and brutality that is maintained throughout the demo, never letting it spiral into cliches.
Emaciate have quickly gained respect and a solid reputation in the Brutal Death Metal community for good reason. Understanding the source material they worship as well as having a knack on how to write bludgeoning riffs with that head bopping groove attached to it. I hope to hear more from them in the near future.
