Suffocation is American Brutal Death Metal band that was formed in 1988 in Centereach, Long Island, New York, United States. Suffocation are widely recognized major innovators of death metal. They had a massive influence on the genre and pioneered the balance between brutal and techincal sounds commonly heard in modern death metal. Frank Mullen is considered as one of the most emblematic death metal vocalists, as well as one of the first to use a very deep "death growl" vocal style and his hand chop, of course.
Panzerschreckrieg said, mention brutal death metal to any person knowledgeable of the metal genre and the band Suffocation is sure to be brought up. Hailing from New York, Suffocation is considered a legendary death metal band. They definitely have left their mark on the genre, widely credited with creating the brutal death metal subgenre. Their influence is undeniable. The album’s title is tribute to Atheist’s former bass player, Roger Patterson. The artwork was done by Dan Seagrave, who also did the artwork for Like An Ever Flowing Stream. It was released after their Human Waste EP, and features many of the same songs from the EP.
You may also read Autopsy - Severed Survival (1989)
You may also read Autopsy - Severed Survival (1989)
The album kicks off with evil, fast riffs that have a very thick guitar tone. The first song also features what’s considered the first, “breakdown” in this genre. This was ahead of its time for 1991, and you can hear guitar players ripping off Cerrito and Hobbs in many brutal death metal and deathcore bands today. They waste no time going to work here and give you no room to breathe. Frank Mullen’s vocals are very well executed and go great with the riffs. The riffs are brutal and chunky, yet played swiftly with a good hint of melody. That’s one of the things this band has been given so much credit for – being able to play with brutality but also incorporate melody.
Personally, this album was really great for me. It's so deep, low, dark, and brutal as well. The problem is just the sound's quality. Well, it's 1991... Perhaps we should ignore it. But, Breeding the spawn still worse if we talked about the quality of recording. Beside that, this album was one of my favs Suffocation's album. They just achieved what it's called catchy riff. It's brutal, but it also catchy too. Brutal is not always about fast riff, sometimes nice riff and easy listened song also make it a great composition. If you were a die hard fans, absolutely this album was one of their masterpiece.
Well, on this album they included Reincremation and Involuntary Slaughter too, their demo album a year earlier. That couple song was also badass. Liege of Inveracity, Effigy of the Forgotten, and Infecting the Crypts were top 3 on this album (Jesus wept also great song too).
If you browse through the lyrics of most brutal death metal bands, you’ll find that little effort is really put into making lyrics. A lot of time they just focus on shock value, with vapid statements and nothing all that thought provoking. Suffocation is an exception, however. A lot of the lyrics are really thought provoking. Lyrics delve into topics such as questioning of religious ideas, apocalyptic destruction, and death. A lot of the lyrics are written intelligently. For a good overall idea of their poetic value, read the lyrics to Liege of Inveracity, Effigy of the Forgotten, and Jesus Wept.
One of the great things about this album is its ability to blow you away with brutality, while still having melody and a degree of catchiness. They definitely know how to create hooks to give you a reason to listen once more. The song “Jesus Wept” features one of the best and most iconic hooks in death metal. How can you not like those riffs and the way Frank Mullen growls between those guitar lines?
All in all, this is an essential album to listen to. Even if you don’t enjoy the music, (you most likely will if you enjoy death metal) you should still listen to it because of its influence on metal. It is truly a metal gem and an instant classic.
Track List
- Liege of Inveracity
- Effigy of the Forgotten
- Infecting the Crypts
- Seeds of the Suffering
- Habitual Infamy
- Reincremation
- Mass Obliteration
- Involuntary Slaughter
- Jesus Wept
If you like it, please buy it on their official website/merchandise.
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