Suffocation is an American death metal band. The band was formed in 1990 and has since released a half a dozen studio albums.

Biography

Suffocation recorded the albums Human Waste, Effigy of the Forgotten, Breeding the Spawn, Pierced from Within, and Despise the Sun before breaking up in 1998. Suffocation reunited in 2002, featuring the return of original drummer Mike Smith, though without long-time members Doug Cerrito and Chris Richards. The band released Souls to Deny in 2004 and launched an extensive global touring campaign to promote the album. After over 200 shows, the band recorded and self-released their first live CD, Close Of A Chapter: Live In Quebec City. A self-titled album was released in 2006 through Relapse Records, which again saw the launch of an extensive worldwide touring jaunt--they even managed to get featured in an advertisement for the History Channel's program The Dark Ages in 2007. They are currently compiling material for a live DVD, although the release has been delayed due to the theft of video footage, and because they were waiting for their contract with Relapse Records to run out.

On June 4, 2007, Suffocation and Relapse Records officially parted ways. They will embark on a European tour in 2008. Their next studio album Blood Oath is nearly complete and will be released through Nuclear Blast records.

Style and influences

Suffocation fused the predominant rhythmic styles of early death metal with complex song structures. They are generally credited with inventing the brutal death metal subgenre, introducing many innovations such as very low death growl, hands-together blast beats, an intense complex palm muting powerchord pattern, and extremely fast tremolo picking. In addition, their overall complexity and instrumental virtuosity was and has been influential in the development of technical death metal. As a result their style is often described as "brutal technical death metal." As both brutal death metal and technical death metal are today some of the most prolific genres in extreme metal, the band is generally regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of death metal. Their influence extends outside of these genres as well, for example influencing many grindcore bands; stylistically, their 1991 Human Waste EP was the first ever death metal release, according to Death Metal Magzine, to incorporate elements of hardcore, punk, doom metal, and grindcore.

Discography

Studio albums

• Effigy of the Forgotten (1991)
• Breeding the Spawn (1993)
• Pierced from Within (1995)
• Souls to Deny (2004)
• Suffocation (2006)
• Blood Oath (2009)

Miscellaneous

• Reincremated (demo, 1990)
• Human Waste (EP, 1991)
• Live Death (Split, 1994)
• Despise the Sun (EP, 1998)
• Live in Quebec - The Close of a Chapter (live album, 2005)
• The Best of Suffocation (compilation album, 2008)

Band members

Current members

• Frank Mullen – vocals (1990–1998, 2003–present)
• Terrance Hobbs – guitar (1990–1998, 2003–present)
• Guy Marchais – guitar (1990, 2003–present)
• Derek Boyer – bass (2004–present)
• Mike Smith – drums (1990–1994, 2003–present)

Former members

• Doug Cerrito – guitar (1990–1998)
• Josh Barohn – bass (1990–1991, 2003)
• Chris Richards – bass (1991–1998)
• Doug Bohn – drums (1994–1996)
• Dave Culross – drums (1996–1998)
• Kevin Talley – drums (1998 tour only)
• Todd German – guitar (1990 replaced by Doug Cerrito)