Suffocation

Suffocation is a death metal group from New York, United States, active since 1988. It is recognised as a New York death metal band and is associated with brutal death metal, death metal, metal, and technical death metal.

Formation and early line-up

The band forms in Centereach, New York, in 1989, with Frank Mullen, guitarists Guy Marchais and Todd German, bassist Josh Barohn, and an unnamed drummer. Its name comes from the Morbid Angel song of the same name. By 1990, Terrance Hobbs and Doug Cerrito join on guitars and Mike Smith joins on drums. The band signs to Relapse Records in 1990 alongside Incantation and Deceased.

Recorded work and style

Suffocation releases nine studio albums. Its first EP, Human Waste, appears in 1991, followed by its debut full-length album, Effigy of the Forgotten, recorded at Morrisound Studios and released through Roadrunner Records. That album becomes influential in shaping death metal in the 1990s and is later regarded as a benchmark for extreme music, establishing a blueprint for 1990s death metal. Its sound is marked by growled vocals, guttural vocals, downtuned guitars, fast and complex riffs, complex time changes, blast beats, rapid riffing, breakdowns, and occasional slam passages. The album Breeding the Spawn follows in 1993, then Pierced from Within in 1995, which is supported by touring in Europe, North America, and Mexico.

Breakup and reformation

After the EP Despise the Sun in 1998, the band disbands. It reforms in 2003 with Mullen, Hobbs, Smith, Marchais, and Barohn, though Barohn is soon replaced by Derek Boyer. Later releases include Souls to Deny (2004), Suffocation (2006), Blood Oath (2009), Pinnacle of Bedlam (2013), and ...Of the Dark Light (2017).

Later activity

Founding vocalist Frank Mullen gradually retires from full-time touring after 2013, and Ricky Myers takes over vocal duties with various temporary stand-ins. The current line-up includes Terrance Hobbs, Derek Boyer, Charlie Errigo, Eric Morotti, and Ricky Myers.

Influence and recognition

Suffocation is recognised as a pioneer of technical death metal and a key influence on brutal death metal and deathcore. Guitarists Hobbs and Doug Cerrito are noted as a highly influential duo in the genre. The band cites early influences including Slayer, Destruction, Death, King Diamond, Atheist, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Led Zeppelin, and Iron Maiden. In 2016, Loudwire names it the 23rd-best metal band of all time.

Recent release

Hymns from the Apocrypha is released as the band’s ninth album and receives Album of the Month from Metallian.