Prior to the album's release, Full of Hell released the track "Coven of the Larynx" online for streaming in March 2013.[2] On the meaning behind the album's title, vocalist Dylan Walker said: "Rudiments of Mutilation refers to our innate and basic need to suffer and cause suffering. On this record I was able to draw equally from the first hand experience of pain in my own life and the ugliness that is the greater human pulse."[3]
The album was generally well received by music critics. Denise Falzon of Exclaim! gave the album a nine-out-of-ten rating and said: "Rudiments of Mutilation is a difficult and thought-provoking listen, proving once and for all that Full of Hell are not your run-of-the-mill hardcore band."[6] Christopher Luedtke of Metal Injection gave the album a nine-and-a-half-out-of-ten rating and said: "It is sick, unnerving, excellently established moody, violent, and one of the best damn records that will be put out this year."[7] John Consterdine of Terrorizer said the album is, "a relentless 24 minute ride, if you thought the new album from Nails was brutal, that's a walk in the park compared to this."[3]