Search - Suffocation :: Blood Oath

Reminds you of all that elements that made you love Suffocat

Zander Haberstaft | Miami, Florida | 07/15/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Marking their 20th anniversary of being around (formed in 1989), Suffocation manages to release their best product since "Despise the Sun". You gotta give 'em credit for sticking around after all these years, while many a cookie cutter death metal bands have come and gone (sometimes the problem is, they don't go away.) So when I got the CD and saw the sticker with the quote, "Best thing they've done in ten years" I was skeptical because how many times have you heard/seen that on the album packaging only to find out that it is far from true? "Blood Oath" is a brilliant exception.



After re-forming after the post-late-90s breakup, Suffocation's output has left a lot to be desired. "Souls to Deny" was a hackneyed, poorly put together album made for the sake of putting out an album. The self-titled album of 2006 signaled something different, it displayed the fact that the band is willing to toy with their style and try different things (sometimes to the chagrin of their fans.) Ultimately, the last half of the last album took the overall product down a notch.



Here we find the band that has found their groove and feels right at home in their song writing ability. Guy Marchais works well with the band as opposed to clashing with it in prior efforts. The dual guitars of Marchais and Hobbes are a treat to be sure, but the booster in the reformed band was obviously Derek Boyer. The guy is well worth his pay delivering some of the best bass lines heard in a death metal album ever. Mike Smith has always been a wild card in Suffocation (odd since he's the founding member), sometimes delivering good performances and sometimes sticking to a rigid Morbid Angel type of drumming. I have to say though, this is his best drumming. The double bass with the quarter time on the bell in the opening track, to the genius beats and changes on "Cataclysmic Purification" -it's all busy, different and blends the styles of the entire Suffocation portfolio together well. Frank of course delivers a convincing performance on vocals. He doesn't do some of the multilayered growls that were heard on the last albums. This time around he opts for a more low-mid-range-intelligible vocal approach (although to call anything Frank does "mid-range" is somewhat disingenuous.)



The albums vision favors the progressive song over the more linear death metal approach. Think more "Pierced from Within" than "Effigy" or "Human Waste". Still though, there are fast songs, slower mid-tempo songs, and songs that go all over the place.



I don't have any problems with this album. Production is well done, the sound of all the instruments sounds good together. Derek Boyer's bass sometimes sounds "twangy" which might bother some, but overall it's a very even mix heavy on the low end and somewhat mellow at the high end.

Easily as good minute for minute as "Despise the Sun" or "Pierced from Within" were when they came out.

"

A bit different, but still 100% Suffocation!!

Frank Rini | Maryland | 07/14/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Blood Oath marks a bit of a change in style for Suffocation. When the band first released Effigy of the Forgotten in '91 I think I can go on record as saying that was probably one of the most brutal albums during that time and they stayed that way for a while. With bands getting faster and more intense Suffo have opted for a different approach, as they have matured. This album is more melodic and less blasting than what I am accustomed to with a Suffo album. Groove/chugging slower sections and mid tempo beats are the main focus on this release. There are even some slower doomy sections that I thought were quite cool. Album opens up with the title track. A normal Suffo opener comes blasting out the gates. This song starts off with fast double bass at a mid tempo speed. There are some melodic/slower parts to this track. The song is flat out awesome. Dismal Dream starts things off next and is more typical Suffo-blast type of stuff. One thing you will notice upon first listen is that Derek Boyer can play the hell out of a bass. It sounds awesome. The only problem is that the guitars get too buried in the mix and at times the production is muddy. The blast parts are where this is prevalent, where the guitars get lost in the shuffle. The slower sections the guitars come through and sound great, wish the production was more even. Mullen sounds great through and through. He doesn't step outside the box as a death metal vocalist, you know what you're getting w/him behind the mic. Mega powerul voice for a guy of his stature. Mike Smith rages on drums, as usual.



As I listen to the cd more, there are just a bunch of sections that seem like retreads of older material. Less memorable songs that are less catchy. They rerecord Marital Decimation from the great Breeding the Spawn cd. It sounds awesome, with some new twists. Problem is this song is like 16 yrs old and is one of the highlights of the cd. I would have liked more memorable songs and this album is more of a grower than an instant 'This album rules'-so I ask you all give it a chance if it first does not grab you by the throat. With some incredible cd's already released this yr with Napalm Death, Job for a Cowboy, Mumakil, Suicide Silence, Oceano, Asphyx, Cannibal Corpse etc and Despised Icon, Dying Fetus, Belphegor all set to release cds later in the year, it will be interesting to see how the new Suffo holds up with the fans, since this is a bit of a departure for them. The cd cover is awesome and the shirt that came along w/the package is awesome as well. It is time for Suffo to get a decent support slot in the states with a big name band to open the doors for them, they deserve it!!!"

Bleed for the oath!

Donald Roberts | Melbourne, FL | 07/24/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"this album takes repeated listens before it finally gels, and even then it's not as memorable or accessible as their prior albums. For some reason, Blood Oath reminds me of Morbid Angel's Heretic album. There is obvious influence by Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal, even Immolation sprinkled throughout. The new sound is refreshing but ultimately comes off as an exhausting exercise in brutality devoid of any catchy chorus lines or outstanding riffs. Lyrically, this is probably Frank Mullen's weakest contribution to their discography but his voice has stayed true to form. All in all, a solid performance from the true titans of death metal that ultimately is overshadowed by its predecessor. Neither Obituary, Deicide or Cannibal Corpse could capture the magic of their prior albums; Suffocation is no different. Rather than rehashing their self-titled album, though, they've opted for a rawer, darker sound that harkens back to old-school Suffocation. This album will not propel them up the death metal hierarchy but it will still lay to waste the new generation of brutal wanna-be's."