Search - Suffocation :: Souls to Deny

Excellent

Frank Rini | Maryland | 07/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"O.K. let's have some fun w/ratings. People are way too serious on amazon and think of themselves as 'real' reviewers-give me a break. When I listen to this cd it reminds me of pizza. I am Italian and I LOVE pizza. When I chew on pizza I savor every moment and appreciate the joy it creates. The latest Suffo. cd does the same. When I heard they were reforming a few yrs. ago I was very excited-think pizza again. Let's get the (-) stuff out of the way first. This is in regards to the 'critics' or people claiming they are suffo. fans, but just want to bring the band down. The naysayers say Frank's vocals are too high, the cd is not brutal enough and that 'Effigy.. blows it away, the production is bad and that Mike's drumming blows. Such a shame that these people call themselves people. Suffo. have returned and kids it's not 1990 anymore, this is 2004. So if you're expecting another 'Effigy then go eat a stool. They have matured as they have on every release. The cd is brutal, no debates there. I like how they tie 'Deceit' & 'Tomes of Acrimony' together (musically)-almost like a concept album. There are some serious slams on the cd, of course not like their earlier releases, but again people let's all move forward together and leave the nit-picking to the stools.



I know Suffocation and am proud that they have released such a kick-butt cd. The production is great and so what if Mullen's voice is a little higher then earlier releases. He is getting a little older but his pipes are still working great. He is still one of the best death vocalists out there. New addition of Guy 'sorry I can't hook my friend Frank Rini, who used to sing for Internal Bleeding, up w/a shirt because I am too cheap' Marchais on guitar was wise. Guy has been in the scene for yrs. and is a damn good guitarist. So even though he would not hook me and my friend and former bandmate Chris Pervelis up w/a shirt I forgive him, because we both know I can take him in fisticuffs. Back to the review, the ultimate is to eat some good pizza and listen to 'Souls To Deny'. Keep on truckin' suffo!! Buy or Die!!!"

You can't Deny this one...

James D. Deabenderfer | Aurora, IL, USA, Earth | 12/29/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Suffocation is back. I thought it would never happen, but it did (gee, these words of mine taste great, but they need salt!). After 1998's Despise the Sun, Suffocation had a very solid legacy behind them. To attempt to top that is a daunting task, to say the least; and considering their place in the death metal heirarchy 6 years ago, to stand out amongst the endless sea of bands in the scene these days would be an equally difficult fight. Reforming officially last year, Suffocation [founding member/returning drummer Mike Smith, vocalist Frank Mullen, lead guitarist Terrence Hobbs, returning original bassist Josh Barohn (since replaced by Derek Boyer), and newcomer Guy Marchais on rhythm guitar) have done just that.



Souls to Deny was engineered, produced, and mixed by Suffocation and their sound man, Joe Cincotta. The overall sound of the record is clear and powerful; reminiscent of Effigy of the Forgotten if it had gotten the Pierced from Within treatment, minus the bass overloads. It's among their most cohesive CDs, even though it is apparent that these are relatively stripped down compositions, by Suffocation standards (songwriting was somewhat rushed)That having been said, it's a really solid album, and as good a comeback as any of us could have hoped for.



Starting off is "Deceit", the song that was the focal point of Suffocation's first, if unofficial, video last year. Fading in with a breakneck whirlwind blast, "Deciet" treats us to a lot of trademark Suffocation-style licks right off the bat. Frank sounds as pissed as ever (the vox are a little processed, but not in any way that affects his tone or my firm belief that it is really Frank - if anything it sounds like they're ensuring clarity and seperation in the mix with the effects used - don't panic, heads!). At 1:55-2:34 we are treated to a stop-and-go midpace mosh as only Suffocation can deliver. The harmonious tails on these riffs (2:03-2:05) bring back do many memories for yours truly. This whole song is just chocked full of what makes Suffocation... well, Suffocation. HAH! In "To Weep Once More", we are treated to a mutated version of the end riff from "Brood of Hatred" (circa '95, on Pierced from Within). I like it when bands redo old material, but taking that riff (which was underplayed, in my opinion) is a lot more fascinating. They keep this one fairly midpace throughout, never letting the tempo get past a healthy headbang (0:49-1:26). This song further illustrates this album's sound: that of a bastard child of Pierced and Effigy - to great effect. "Souls to Deny" starts out with some eerie chants, orchestration, and chorus, before snapping necks with the blasting opeing riff (One has to wonder is this song was slated for the intro, and changed at the last second...). This song is as brutal as a charging rhino, but with the finesse of a boa constrictor. This song has every aspect of true-to-form Suffocation: marching plods ala' "Breeding the Spawn" (1:15-1:44), the aforementioned blasts in the verses, along with the windwill-inducing midsection (2:02-3:07). This is a Suffocation mission statement if I ever heard one. "Surgery of Impalement", the fourth track on the CD (and first up for video treatment), is the song that sounds the most like prime Pierced-era Suffocation. It's a meaty, aggressive track. The solo section (1:21-1:51), as well as the break that follows (1:51-2:08) are definitely standouts. I would have to say this is one of the tunes that came out exactly the way they wanted it to from the get-go. "Demise of the Clone" brings us past the halfway mark with the most ambitious timing changes seen on the CD thus far (0:00-1:09, especially 0:57-1:07! Whew!). "Demise of the Clone" also has some of the most over-the-top melodic riffing on the CD (check out the tail on the verse riff that first appears at 0:46-0:49). Out of nowhere they bring on the mosh (2:51-3:44), and expertly morph that into a blast, holding that tempo straight through to the end of the tune. "Subconicously Enslaved" also sounds reminiscent of an underrated riff from Pierced from Within, but I cannot put my finger on it (perhaps it merely sounds familiar because I have been listening to the disc so much). This song, overall, has a feel closer to that of Effigy mixed with Despise the Sun, a sound I never thought I'd hear. As much as I thought I'd never say it, having Mike back in the band really made a big difference in the feel of the songs, and makes up for Doug Cerrito's abscence (I would really have liked to see Terrence, Mike, and Doug write together again... *sigh*). The most off-the-wall standout part of "Subconicously Enslaved" is without a doubt the outro (3:38-4:23), with it's awkward and powerful time changes. Next to last on the record is "Immortally Condemned". Wow. Yep, that's Suffocation, alright (0:05-0:27)! I'm still in so much awe of the fact that these guys actually pulled this reunion thing off at all, that the fact of this CD crushing as many bones as it does is staggering, in and of itself. "Immortally Condemned" is a case-in-point. Suffocation is one of the few bands I can think of that can throw a slow midection in (1:29-3:23) admidst an otherwise hyped up tune, and have it not sound like a cut-n-paste job. Finishing out is the destructive song, "Tomes of Acrimont". The opening riff owes as much to Slayer as it does to all the Suffocation riffs that came before it (0:00-0:50). It's nice to hear that kind of influence exists on someone who influences so many. Suffocation have proven themselves adept at writing songs that are fond reminders of past achievements without rehashing old ideas (Check out the classic break from 1:04-1:33). They apparently know me well, as they saved the most brutal part of the album for last. After a breakneck stop, with Frank's vocal lowering and echoing into the abyss solo, Mike kicks it into gear into... the riff that began the album (3:50-3:58). I like the approach... it makes the album easier to listen to on repeat (which I do often).



What can I say about Souls to Deny? It's a true-to-form return for death metal's kings of brutality, one we all hoped for, but were skeptical would ever happen. Is it perfect? No. The next album will probably have more pre-production and writing time under its belt (and what a scary thought that is, given the already complex nature of the songs on here, if not by Suffocation standards). Thanks for proving me wrong, guys. It's nice to have you back."

There is only ONE Suffocation...

green eyes7713 | toilet,TX | 11/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The masters return with Souls To Deny,all in all,a very solid release...This one reminds of Effigy in a way...I mean,both albums are different but they both feature awesome drumming from one of death metal's finest drummers,Mike Smith,his drum fills and double bass work never gets boring,the guitar riffs and leads still sound original,and vokillist Frank Mullen has one of the best growls in the genre,deep and throaty from the bowels of hell,but you can still actually make out some words...I think that is a great "comeback" cd...of course it's not going to be another Pierced,Effigy,or Despise The Sun,it's like 7 or 8 years later,with different members,and it's obvioulsy a differnt time period,i think people just set themselves up for dissappointment,you can't make the same cd everytime...plus these people that complain couldn't make half the cd these guys make...standout tracks besides all of them in my opinion are:Deceit,To Weep Once More,and Immortally Condemned...An awesome "comeback" cd,if you are any kind of Suffocation fan than this is highly recommended!!!"