- Album list
- Singer Intro
Suffocation is an American technical death metal band formed in 1988 in Centereach, New York. The band consists of vocalist Frank Mullen, lead guitarist Terrance Hobbs, bassist Derek Boyer, rhythm guitarist Charlie Errigo, and drummer Eric Morotti. Suffocation rose to prominence of death metal and created a blueprint for the genre for the 1990s with their 1991 debut album Effigy of the Forgotten, and have released seven studio albums since formation. The band's raw death metal style uses growled vocals with a downtuned guitar sound, fast and complex guitar riffs and drumming, open chord notes, breakdowns, and a sophisticated sense of songwriting.
Musical style and legacy
Suffocation's death metal style is influenced by grindcore. The band uses 'outrageously guttural vocals with a bottom-heavy guitar foundation, blistering speed, unparalleled brutality and sophisticated sense of songwriting, complex time changes and lead and rhythm guitar acrobatics' and frequent breakdowns.
With their debut album, Effigy of the Forgotten, Suffocation rose to prominence of death metal and created a blueprint for the genre for the 1990s, retaining their style after the reunion in 2003. Decibel Magazine stated: 'Effigy of the Forgotten was a benchmark for extreme music, as it sacrificed neither virtuosity or brutality, becoming a signpost for thousands who were still contemplating how to incorporate scalar runs, rapid-fire palm-muting and hummingbird-wing-quick picking into riffs, while opening up rhythmic dimensions and the scope of the blast beat.'
Blabbermouth.net described Suffocation as 'American death metal's most consistent and punishing standard-bearers' and their style as 'brutal death metal'. According to AllMusic, Mullen is one of the best vocalists in death metal. Decibel Magazine stated: 'One of Suffocation’s trademarks, breakdowns, has spawned an entire metal subgenre: deathcore.' Suffocation is one of the pioneers of technical death metal.
Members
Current
Frank Mullen – vocals (1988–1998, 2003–present)[note A]
Terrance Hobbs – lead guitar (1988–1998, 2003–present)
Derek Boyer – bass (2004–present)
Charlie Errigo – rhythm guitar (2016–present)
Eric Morotti – drums (2016–present)
Former
Mike Smith – drums (1988–1994, 2003–2012)
Josh Barohn – bass (1988–1991, 2003–2004)
Guy Marchais – rhythm guitar (1988, 2003–2016)
Doug Cerrito – rhythm guitar (1988–1998)
Chris Richards – bass (1991–1998)
Doug Bohn – drums (1994–1996)
Dave Culross – drums (1996–1998, 2012–2014)
Kevin Talley – drums (2014–2016)
Live musicians
Bill Robinson – vocals (2012)
John Gallagher – vocals (2013)
Ricky Myers – vocals (2014–2016)
Kevin Muller – vocals (2017–present)
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