Artist: Suffocation
Label: Relapse Records
Release Date: 4/27/04
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Title: Souls to Deny Artist: Suffocation Label: Relapse Records Release Date: 4/27/04 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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3 | ||
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5 | ||
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Abyss's Review:
Here we are, a year after their reunion at the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival with a new album from Suffocation. It would be an understatement to call this album highly anticipated, as during their hiatus they have emerged as one of the darlings of the underground. In fact, when they were still around I didn't hear nearly as much praise for them as I did after they dissolved. I always thought it was kind of a jumping on the bandwagon thing, but I guess it could just as easily have been a 'don't know what you got 'til it's gone thing' (as was so eloquently expressed by the brutally heavy band Cinderella).Highly anticipated 'comeback' albums are always a double-edged sword when it comes to criticism. On the one hand, the band has an impressive back catalogue to live up to, on the other you don't want to be too hard on a band you really like, but has been out of the game for awhile. The truth is I'm going to be listening to this one for a long time to come, just for the fact that it's a new Suffocation album. It is a great listen when one is in the mood for brutal American death metal.
"One word review: Pummeling." While many might dismiss this as just a rehash of things that have been done to death, further inspection of the riffs reveal the delightful eccentricities that that have made this band stand out during the bulk of their body of work. The riffs are brutal, the blastbeats are break-neck, and the rhythm section is pummeling. But entwined within all of this untamed aggression are intricate, provocative riffs that seem to be constructed outside of the box of average thinking. These, like all of the best work from this band, make for a much more interesting listen than most extreme death metal out there. It is this aspect that made bands like Suffocation and Morbid Angel stand out. This band has generic vocals, and there are a ton of bands out there with impressive rhythm sections - in my opinion it is the riffs that make this band special.
However, I came to the conclusion that I liked this album much more before I spun their older catalogue a few times right after listening to the new one. The end result is this album simply isn't nearly as impressive as some of their older work. While it has some of the same things I love about Effigy of the Forgotten it just is not of the same caliber. It even comes up a little short in comparison with Despise The Sun, as it doesn't quite have the necessary flow to keep it from coming across as awkward in some of the more technical changes.
But the good definitely outweighs the bad on this release, and unless you are extremely picky, or only ever like the first few albums from any band, you would have to categorize Souls To Deny as a rousing success. One word review: Pummeling.
Death's Review:
Any old school death metal fan should be psyched about the return of the mighty Suffocation (with four members from the classic lineup), and their new studio release, Souls to Deny (the first new full-length since 1995's Pierced From Within). Fittingly, the album comes out on Relapse Records, the label where it all began for these progenitors of the New York-style brutal death metal sound. However, it pains me to report that the album lands as somewhat of a relative disappointment. This is not because of anything particularly wrong with the sound or style, which is, as expected, straight-up, no-frills brutal death with the appropriate smattering of technicality. No, Suffocation did not change their sound. Rather, I think this one is just a victim of my heightened expectations. I wanted something groundbreaking, something essential to arise from the reformation of this legendary act, and instead, I got more of the same. Been there, done that - you know what I mean?
"I wanted something groundbreaking, something essential to arise from the reformation of this legendary act, and instead, I got more of the same." Yes, the classic Suffocation records like Human Waste and Effigy of the Forgotten still sound cool to this day, but this type of death metal has evolved somewhat through the years, and other brutal bands like Skinless have advanced the art to the point that the student may have surpassed the master, as they say. Two major factors contribute heavily to this conclusion. First, the production on this album just isn't that good. The album does not sound "alive" enough to create the type of visceral impact that the best modern death metal now can and often does. The production is not unlistenable by any means, but it is well short of state-of-the-art, and for a new Suffocation record, I expect state-of-the-art, god damnit. Second, these songs just aren't catchy enough. There are some cool riffs, but the tunes do not stick in my head. Perhaps this is a further byproduct of the lackluster production values, but it is also attributable to bottom-line lackluster songwriting. In the end, it all boils down to the quality of the tunes, and while these tunes are cool, they are not killer, if you know what I mean.
That said, this record probably deserves four skulls based on classic reputation alone. However, I'll resist the temptation to grade on past glory and instead give Souls to Deny the grade it deserves - three skulls, as this is a good but ultimately fairly average 2004 death metal release. Personally, I like the last couple Cannibal Corpse albums a lot better.
Hel's Review:
Favorite track: “Souls to Deny”A new Suffocation album – the mere thought has had me smiling for months, and now that I have it in my hands, well, I can’t seem to wipe the grin off my face. After their stunning performance at last year’s New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, I knew their reformation would spawn gruesomely wonderful fruit, and indeed it has.
"Souls to Deny is utterly devastating from beginning to end." Though I am ashamed to admit I only own Effigy of the Forgotten, and therefore I cannot give you a full, detailed perspective on how this stacks up against their entire body of work, I can tell you that I believe it is a fantastic return to form. The production is much, much better than on Effigy, and the musicianship is completely up to par. I found the songwriting delightful, as are the lyrics.
This is the album I was hoping for. Souls to Deny is utterly devastating from beginning to end. If you have been a fan of the band in the past, it is your duty to go out and buy this record. Even the cover artwork and packing are stunning, with impaled corpses everywhere. Suffocation is indeed back, and they will lay waste to your eardrums.
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