ALBUM REVIEW: Live In North America – Suffocation

SUFFOCATION are, without a doubt, one of the most technically skilled and all out brutal death metal bands of all time. With a host of classic and well loved albums like Effigy Of The Forgotten, Pierced From Within and …Of The Dark Light, the band have been producing quality records for the past thirty years, and, despite a whole host of line-up changes over the years, they show no sign of letting up yet.

Of those line-up changes, the departure of long-time vocalist and original member Frank Mullen has to be the biggest shock.  When it was announced that he would be leaving SUFFOCATION in order to pursue other projects, there was a wave of disappointment, leaving a huge hole in the band who grew with Mullen and his distinct and commanding death metal voice. That huge hole has been filled however, with Ricky Myers of DISGORGE stepping into Mullen‘s formidable shoes. It is not as though he is just diving into the role however, as he had been filling in for Mullen on numerous occasions when he decided that he would be stepping back from touring, which was before he decided to leave the band.

For those of us disappointed that we never got the chance to see SUFFOCATION live with Mullen on vocals, the band’s latest live record, entitled Live In North America, captures them on their last tour in the US with him. Many might lament not seeing the original vocalist of SUFFOCATION in the flesh, but this has to be the next best thing. It’s a real treat for any fan of the band, and a fitting swansong for one of the greatest voices ever to grace the death metal genre.

With a career spanning set, SUFFOCATION devour anything that gets in their way and the sound of the band is formidable throughout. This is a lesson in pure death metal, and classic tracks like Effigy Of The Forgotten, Funeral Inception, Souls To Deny, Pierced From Within and Infecting The Crypts are all delivered with razor sharp precision as Mullen and the rest of the band all put in commanding performances.

Live In North America is a fitting end to a chapter in the history of SUFFOCATION and celebrates the band’s legacy with Mullen on vocals, one of the greatest to ever do it. We shouldn’t be worried going forward either though; Myers might have huge shoes to fill, but he has proven he is more than capable of doing so. With the quality of songs on display here and the energy the band still have, the future definitely looks bright for SUFFOCATION as they begin a new chapter in their storied death metal history.

Rating: 9/10

Live In North America is set for release on November 12th via Nuclear Blast Records. 

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