Search - Suicide Silence :: Cleansing

It's Heavy, But I Don't Necessarily Understand The Hype

LeftManOut | TheCityThatNeverSleeps, FL | 11/22/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Suicide Silence are the latest band to throw their hat into the ever-growing death-metal/hardcore hybrid genre that has been gaining such popularity over the last few years. Their Century Media debut "The Cleansing" is as heavy as they come, but many who have been hearing the hype about this band (myself included) will probably be left wondering why this is getting such attention.



So to address the positives on the record. "The Cleansing" is probably as heavy a record as you're going to hear anywhere. The vocals adhere to strict deathmetal philosophy, so there are plenty of high pitched shrieks balanced with a good deal of guttural growls. Listeners who hate metal bands coming out and trying to sing epic-melodic choruses or tying the music down with insatiable hooks won't find any of that here. The musicians backing the band are extremely proficient. The guitar riffs are razor sharp and never off cue, and coupled with the excellent drumming it's easy to see why many regard the band so highly. There's no sacrifice of intensity found throughout the record at all, so if you are looking for an album that is going to hit hard from start to finish "The Cleansing" definitely holds that quality.



However there's just something about this one that doesn't really click. Suicide Silence aren't innovative in anyway at all. Now granted there are very few bands out there right now who can honestly say they are doing their own thing and not taking cues from anyone, but there's nothing remotely special about this sound. Considering there are numerous bands at this very moment playing this exact same style (anyone familiar with Animosity, Despised Icon or Job For A Cowboy is probably well aware of that) and a handful that are doing it a lot better (namely All Shall Perish and Embrace The End) it begs the question, what's so special here? Maybe it's the intensity, but a record can't be carried on that alone.



A big problem with "The Cleansing" is that it is very monotonous. Now granted this isn't necessarily the most innovative genre on the planet, it mostly come downs to how heavy a band can be, but it's nice to feel like one is hearing an album that has different layers. Unfortunately this record doesn't seem to have that. It's almost guaranteed that 4 or 5 tracks in the listener is going to feel like he or she has heard everything the band really has to offer. And the bad thing is they have. It would have been nice to see the band change things up a little bit here and there, and even experiment some, but unfortunately Suicide Silence doesn't.



Bottom line: If deathcore is your thing, you'll probably be pleased with Suicide Silence. However if you're looking for music that goes above and beyond the calling of what most other musicians are doing, "The Cleansing" isn't going to fill that void.

"

Amalgamation Of All Things Heavy

Patrick F. | St. Louis, MO | 06/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Suicide Silence, a extreme metal band from Riverside, CA, is a very polarizing band. Metal fans either love them, and will defend them to the death, or hate them and think they are trendy and not "true" metal. Personally, I ignore music genres and just listen to see if I like the music. I heard this band and immediately wanted to check them out some more, so I purchased their debut album "The Cleansing."



I heard first single "Unanswered" and immediately loved Mitch's vocals. His low, guttural vocals are great and his shrieking highs are very good, and I love the way he trades off and on. I know, I know, these type of vocals have been down before but I love how Mitch delivers them and how they sound, bottom line.



1. Revelations (Intro) N/A

2. Unanswered (2:16) 10/10

3. Hands Of A Killer (4:14) 9/10

4. The Price Of Beauty (2:46) 10/10

5. The Fallen (4:07) 10/10

6. No Pity For A Coward (3:12) 9/10

7. The Disease (4:23) 10/10

8. Bludgeoned To Death (2:34) 10/10

9. Girl Of Glass (2:53) 10/10

10. In A Photograph (4:32) 8.5/10

11. Eyes Sewn Shut (2:59) 10/10

12. Green Monster (3:38) 9/10



Overall: 12 tracks @ 40:12 9/10



"The Cleansing" has solid songs that build tension and then release that tension at the perfect times. Many people don't like the fact that they rely on breakdowns but if you listen you will hear that every song has it's own type of breakdown and none of them are generic. "Girl Of Glass" features a breakdown that is highly addicting and is really just a big riff. "The Price Of Beauty" has a Suffocation type breakdown that is anvil heavy.

And songs like "Eyes Sewn Shut" and "Bludgeoned" have those sludgy, and slow, half time breakdowns that are, again...just heavy.



These dudes play extremely heavy music. They were inspired by KoRn, Slipknot and extreme metal bands like Morbid Angel and Suffocation. When a Suicide Silence song comes on, you know it's them, and that is extremely hard to do anymore.



Lyrically "The Cleansing" takes aim at the belief in a God ("Unanswered", "The Fallen", "In A Photograph" and "Eyes Sewn Shut"), it also critiques capitalism, modern society, the human race, and self-pity.



Overall "The Cleansing" is one of my favorite heavy CD's. It's not the most varied album and it's not prog, experimental, or super technical but if you want a heavy, heavy CD with extreme vocals and mosh inducing breakdowns, then this band is for you.

I don't care if you wanna call them deathcore, new nu-metal, death metal, or whatever, I just don't care and I just know that I love this album.



For fans of: old KoRn, Slipknot, Whitechapel, breakdowns, modern death metal."

Brutal, but boring

Walter Negrelli | 11/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It seems like most of the low reviews are biased. Its hard to give an unbiased rating on a hardcore album if you don't like hardcore. I enjoyed this album very much. Very brutal, great vocals. Bludgeoned to Death is my favorite track right now. The reason I didn't give 5 stars is because there is not much variation on this cd. It does get a little dull listening to the album in one sitting. However if I put the ipod on random and Suicide Silence comes on, I like it."