Suffocation
Pierced From Within

THE REVIEW

I am here to talk to you about a groundbreaking band, the legendary Suffocation from New York! Indeed, the band, along with Cannibal Corpse, has created Brutal Death and is a true symbol for death metal itself.

Unfortunately, I find that this band has been very underrated and overlooked compared to their colleagues, Cannibal Corpse, despite being much more important. Of course, I don't take any credit away from the legendary Cannibal, but Suffocation were the first with their 'Effigy Of The Forgotten' to invent a new way of playing death metal. In fact, their colleagues from Buffalo debuted with 'Eaten Back To Life' a year earlier, but the album was very attached to traditional death, and even now, although Cannibal Corpse undeniably play Brutal, they remain very fond of more traditional rhythms. Suffocation, on the other hand, completely changed the game, just think of the guitar riffs, as intricate as they are violent, but also the drum and bass parts, the slowdowns that explode into guitar frenzies and blast beats. As we all know, the band also presents immense technique, just think of the lightning-fast solos of the two guitarists, or the "miracles" of the drummer. And Frank Mullen, with that dark and gritty growl, completes and supports it all. But let's move on to the album in question.

This 'Pierced From Within' is dated 1995 and is considered the best album by Suffocation after the immortal 'Effigy Of The Forgotten', and rightfully so. The album opens with the Title Track and immediately it's a massacre, Frank with his growl devastates us, while Terrance Hobbs and Doug Cerrito grind out riff after riff, increasingly intricate and complicated, leading to lightning-fast solos, where they mix melody with sonic impact by making extensive use of harmonics and other guitar techniques. On drums, we find Doug Bohn, a drummer with very different technical characteristics from Mike Smith, the former drummer who still plays with the band. On bass, we have the immense Chris Richards, a true monster of technique and compactness, delivering truly breathtaking bass breaks while always maintaining the Suffocation style, meaning low and dark. The album flows like this, full of slowdowns, in fact, we find a slightly more reflective and slower rhythm compared to 'Breeding The Spawn', but the impact is almost greater. Indeed, this great group showcases all their feats but never neglects the emotional factor, and the proof is the legendary growler Frank Mullen, who gargles and adds a sick touch to the entire work.

Moreover, the fantastic production doesn't penalize any instrument but instead allows each to express itself. 9 tracks all around 4-5 minutes that never bore, but instead, each has different characteristics from the other, while still maintaining the same unmistakable style. In conclusion, one of the best death metal bands in history (in my opinion, the best), they have inspired many brutal groups since '92 and have laid the foundations for playing this genre.