Where to begin? Well, how about ‘Effigy of the Forgotten’? In the days when you couldn’t simply discover a million bands and their respective discographies at the click of a button, an old copied tape could be like the holy grail. Such was the case for myself with Suffocation’s debut. Actually attempting to track down an authentic copy of albums of this ilk during the mid-to-late-nineties was difficult to say the least; especially given my rural location. Various trips to London’s record shops couldn’t even uncover this particular gem. And it wasn’t in fact until 2002 that I actually managed to get my hands on a copy. It’s not difficult to imagine then what an awesome privilege it was to have Frank Mullen, Terrance Hobbs and Mike Smith sign this holy grail of mine during their comeback tour in 2004. (The gig that night was, coincidentally, my favourite of all time.) I did, and do still consider ‘Effigy of the Forgotten’ to be the absolute epitome of death metal.
Away from their debut, every release from the band’s first era was essential in its own way – from ‘Human Waste’ to ‘Despise the Sun’. Since 2003’s reformation, three solid albums have appeared, with 2009’s ‘Blood Oath’ of course being the most recent. Stepping away from the barbarism of its predecessor, ‘Blood Oath’, for me, saw the band in its least shattering form to date, with much of their emblematic speed and spontaneity buried. The beginning of ‘Pinnacle of Bedlam’, however, is quite the contrast. In fact, it sounds as if the band are collectively half-way through a beat as the opening track, ‘Cycles of Suffering’, unceremoniously explodes out. Initially fast, a host of methodical, ear-raping riffs soon take over to provide nuance and tangents, including a brief breakdown. The most striking aspect of all is the return of Dave Culross behind the drum kit, whose devastating work on 1998’s ‘Despise the Sun’ of course made him the logical replacement for Mike Smith. Producing constant fills with various parts of his kit and generally mixing up drum patterns, the guy once again compliments the dynamics of Suffocation’s music perfectly. Check out that opening solo section for proof…
Next up is ‘Purgatorial Punishment’, which opens up in almost tentative fashion before eventually settling into a grinding pace courtesy of the guitarists, Terrance Hobbs and Guy Marchais. Of particular note on this one is a brief passage of speed in which the guitars are accentuated by some very quick and precise pedal work from Culross; this accentuation being a theme which ultimately applies to the entire album. ‘Eminent Wrath’ plays out in similar fashion; featuring blazing solos (from the start), intimidating riffs, bursts of immaculate blasting and cymbal abuse. There’s really all sorts going on in the searing riffs, with the highlight coming around the 2:25 mark, when everything stops and one of those riffs emerges; you know, one of those riffs which so obviously precedes a hammer blow to the head. And so it does.
Incredible. Three paragraphs in and I haven’t really mentioned Frank Mullen. What can you say about the beast that it is Frank Mullen? Well, his voice may have a slightly drier timbre these days, but his delivery is still as imposing as ever. This is evidenced greatly on the fourth track, ‘As Grace Descends’, where he sounds especially irate. Without doubt the fastest track on offer, some supremely tight, technical riffs cascade over the helpless listener like vast waves. A brief, unexpected foray into discordant weirdness enables the bass to envelope all, before the solo leads back to the killer main riff. The intensity of it all, driven by Culross’ precision and power showcases Suffocation at their best. ‘Sullen Days’ on the other hand, proves to be another mid-paced fury. Its main point of interest – aside from more excellent riffs – is an eery intro and outro, which vaguely recalls ‘Torn Into Enthrallment’. The following (title) track then goes for that familiar crushing/blasting approach. At one point things threaten to go out of control before instead swinging into a soaring, reflective solo. Blows of contrasting guitar work towards the end here are very nice; again, working excellently in tandem with the percussion.
Another album highlight comes in the form of ‘My Demise’, which has a particularly rough feel to it. Largely responsible for this is the riffing, with one particularly murderous, see-sawing example bringing to mind the visual image of a knife as it plunges in and out of some hapless victim. Compounding it is Mullen, who sounds like he has descended to another layer of hell. Of the remaining tracks, ‘Inversion’, pulses away with guitars which sound as if they are simultaneously degenerating and gaining momentum; while ‘Rapture of Revocation’ proves to be an aggrieved grizzly bear of a number. Having not properly scanned the track list, it was about five seconds into the closing assault before I realised that yet again, Suffocation have rerecorded a track from ‘Breeding the Spawn’. In this case, ‘Beginning of Sorrow’. Given the poor audio quality of their second album (which requires turning your CD player up to deafening levels in order to get the full effect), it’s great to hear tracks from it with greater clarity. Although contemporary renditions like this don’t have that rabid, early edge, the direct and pummeling approach ensures that the listener is given a real kick in the head.
It’s certainly interesting to observe the contrast in songwriting between today’s more intricately technical approach and the crazed one from 1993. Yet regardless of how they go about it, Suffocation are always more than capable of putting most other death metal bands to shame, as ‘Pinnacle of Bedlam’ proves. Punishing is the key word here (to misquote Mr Kipling the pie merchant, it is ‘exceedingly brutal’). Of equal importance though is the dynamic performance of the musicians, which is what ultimately makes ‘Pinnacle…’ an improvement on ‘Blood Oath’. Almost like a mix of ‘Pierced from Within’ and ‘Despise the Sun’, there are some flashes of utter brilliance to be heard on it. The only pedantic criticism I can throw at the band is that maybe a bit more full-on speed might have been good to get the adrenaline pumping further. Otherwise, this is their finest work outside of the 1990s.
(9/10 Jamie Wilson)
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