Suffocation - Blood Oath

August 14, 2009

Reviewer: Rottenbucher

On their third album since reforming, Suffocation clearly blows past expectations and recapture Brutal Death Metal's throne. Twice as heavy, much more furious and brilliantly brutal, Blood Oath is the most ferocious Suffocation album since Pierced from Within.

Right from the start, the band hits like a megaton bomb. The undulant title track weaves webs of nauseating riffs.  While a more than adequate start, the things explode with the jaw dropping "Dismal Decay." Drummer Mike Smith is simply phenomenal while the rest of the band somehow manages to keep up with the ever-changing tempos. The song lunges and lurches between blistering speed and severely dense slow parts. "Pray For Forgiveness" continues Smith's quest for supremacy while Terence Hobbs and Guy Marchais unload skull-liquefying riffs and knee-jerking spastic fits. Worth mentioning is the fact that the band is willing to slow to a crawl in some places. Even at a snail’s pace or just chugging along, Suffocation has never sounded this heavy.

The dueling riffs of "Images of Purgatory" set the stage for another fitful riff-fest. The band dominates with their trademark grooves while Frank Mullen's abrasive roar is spot on. The jaw-dropping "Cataclysmic Purification" leaps nicely between blistering speed and decimating grooves. Continuing their employment of pulverizing slow grooves, the crawling paces simply add to the oppressive weight of the songs. But that does not prevent the band from lashing out with face-peeling brutality.
"Mental Hemorrhage" proves to be a fitting title with its endless attack while the barriers of brutality and sanity are challenged with "Come Hell or High Priest."  "Undeserving" keeps things on par but again the crawling parts reach out and strangle the listener. "Provoking the Disturbed" has a gloriously epic and erratic feel that takes multiple listens just to comprehend.  Continuing the trend, another Breeding the Spawn track has been re-recorded. "Marital Decimation" sounds not only much heavier due to the production, but the aged song fits in perfectly with the endless chaos of the album

What makes Blood Oath so amazing is that after countless listens, there is always something new ripping out from the songs. Each song is almost tireless and demands full attention otherwise bits of brilliance can be passed over. Smith's performance is career defining and the riffs crafted by Hobbs and Marchais are simply amazing.  Mullen still continues to amazes with his clear yet guttural performance and bassist Derek Boyers commands the low end. The production is immensely thick and spot on. Sometimes things get a bit murky when the band is blazing new paths of brutality, but others the sheer density of the production could cause the album to register on the Richter scale.

Having laid the foundations of Brutal Death Metal, it's very rewarding to hear one of the founders raise the bar this late in their career. The stars aligned on Blood Oath and the album will undoubtedly be hailed as one of the best and most brutal albums of 2009.  Amazingly uncompromising and breath-taking in its controlled chaos, Blood Oath simply slays.  Essential for all Suffocation fans and those that have the gusto to hear the founders of the genre blow away the current competition.

Release Date:  July 3rd, 2009
Label: Nuclear Blast Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Blood Oath
2.  Dismal Dream
3  .Pray for Forgiveness
4.  Images of Purgatory
5.  Cataclysmic Purification
6.  Mental Hemorrhage
7.  Come Hell or High Priest
8.  Undeserving
9.  Provoking the Disturbed
10.  Marital Decimation

Total playing time: 34:50

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