SUFFOCATION - USA

SUFFOCATION - BLOOD OATH - NUCLEAR BLAST  
I can’t be the only one who’s been mostly underwhelmed by Suffocation’s output since the ’04 reunion. Aside from the verging-on-impressive self-titled ’06 record, these forefathers of brutal death have thus far done little that resembles anything inspiring and, though credit must be given for never straying from the brutal path, that simply isn’t enough to warrant the extended reunion hype. Souls To Deny was a disillusioning disappointment and though the self-titled album righted some of the wrongs, Blood Oath is back into Souls To Deny’s ordinary territory. Sad to say it, but Blood Oath miserably and, unfortunately not so shockingly, plays like the kind of album we’d expect from a third-rate Suffocation imitator signed to some obscure, Eastern European label. Depressing. - James Tape

SUFFOCATION - HYMNS FROM THE APOCRYPHA - NUCLEAR BLAST  
Drop the needle anywhere on the 2023 album by Suffocation and the death metal will be impressive and pure. More than three decades and nine albums later and death metal stalwarts Suffocation have not only remained true to their superior art, but in fact have improved in many ways. It is possible. Imagine that! Who knew?
The first album post perennial singer Frank Mullen, who departed in 2018, contains slow, mid-paced and fast segments that impress, a crackling bass that is often better heard during the slower segments, killer drumming, a living and breathing production and vocals that are better than anticipated (courtesy of a drummer!). Ricky Myers of Disgorge is not Frank Mullen, but no one is. His gruff vocals straddle the line between his predecessor Mullen and Matt of Cryptopsy. The drum’s snare sound is slightly too light, but the toms and bass drums come to kill. The frenzied solos almost belie their amazing technicality. The engineering distributes sound across different channels with care and manages to combine the perfect crunch of old and the airier production space that newer bands prefer. The music itself could not be any tighter. One common criticism, that sadly applies to this album as much as most bands, is the rattling, ineffectual and weak bass drums. Listen to Immortal Execration for example. The drummer is putting a lot of energy into his pedals and no power comes across. Modern productions are sometimes pathetic.
Otherwise, noteworthy moments include Perpetual Deception where at the 6:36 mark the machine gun rattles off its bullets, which ricochet across the frail bodies of all those former death metal bands that wimped out, disbanded, went techno, industrial or alternative. Then the band switches into heavy riffing and boom slams and crushes the corpses to the wall. This album, as mentioned, excels at both fast and heavy. Dim Veil Of Obscurity begins with riffing and sound straight out of Heartwork era Carcass. That is a surprise. Either way, the lead guitar is nearly insane here. Delusions Of Mortality comes out swinging with that much more impressive drumming and the dual vocals, which are strewn throughout this record, not to mention Suffocation’s discography. The vocals effects ramp up. Ignorant Deprivation is taken from the band’s Breeding The Spawn early album. Why another self-cover version? Perhaps the band wants to contrast its old versus new line-up. Except it is Mullen on guest vocals here. The bass sound, if anything, proves the band is at least not being lazy. Elsewhere, metal songs should avoid fading out.
I knew this would be great the moment I laid eyes on its cover artwork - Even if Frank Mullen is sadly retired - and I was right. - Ali “The Metallian”