ALBUM REVIEW: Fyra – Suffocate For Fuck Sake

In 2008, a little-known group of Swedes released a sophomore album with a title so obnoxiously long it felt tailor-made to irritate anyone having to write a review that was less than essay length which, over the years, garnered quite a cult following in the post-rock and post-metal worlds. The band themselves, on the other hand, dropped off the face of the earth until resurfacing four years ago. That band is the wonderfully-named SUFFOCATE FOR FUCK SAKE and they stand on the cusp of releasing their fourth album in the seventeen years since their formation, simply titled Fyra. 

Don’t mistake this for any less complex just because of the album title, though. Fyra is an expansive, emotional journey recounting four different people’s stories, chronicling their experiences with addiction and its effects on both them and their families. Such heavy material is challenging territory to say the least but they’re no strangers to tackling difficult subjects. Previous album In My Blood examined the forced sterilisation of mentally challenged people in Sweden in the 1970s that was translated into their own crushing blend of post-rock, ambience and screamo. 

Known for weaving dense soundscapes interspersed with spoken word samples taken from interviews and podcasts along with elements of ambient and electronic music, SUFFOCATE FOR FUCK SAKE craft a consistent narrative over the stories told on Fyra that both plumbs the depths of despair and the long road to eventual recovery.

Both in themes and in sound, then, this is a record of extremes. Starting with opener From The Window, which begins with a spoken word sample before moving into a slow, purposeful build and interludes that only add to the emotional devastation, there’s a claustrophobic atmosphere that feels tense, volatile and desperate. It stands in stark contrast to later moments like the serenity of the closing moments of Here that, despite opening with a similarly tense and closed-in burst of chaos, unfurls in its final minutes with eerie female vocals.

15 Missed Calls begins with rabid howls of “How much can you take / Before your body breaks?”, sounding like a desperate plea for help that goes unanswered through walls of distortion interspersed with samples. All Our Memories pulses like a heartbeat initially, a throbbing drumbeat giving way to tortured screams, layering together to create an uncomfortable soundscape that owes as much to ambient music as it does screamo. Despite its comparatively lighter textures in its lack of guitars, it’s no less heavy emotionally. 

Similarly, The Surface is serene in its ambience at first but instead of a feeling of closure, it’s instead reminiscent of the calm before a storm, a sense of impending dread coursing through its veins. To Fall Apart is frenetic initially and does indeed sound like a collapsing mind with a blast of heavy guitars and blastbeats giving way to a throbbing bass drum sample. Finally, closer Quiet lives up to its name for the first two minutes before spending the next two in a fit of emotional catharsis. 

SUFFOCATE FOR FUCK SAKE eschew more traditional structures, instead letting songs evolve and breathe as they move through various textures and moods. Coupled with the post-rock and screamo sensibilities, this experimental approach builds a cohesive tapestry of sounds that is less conventional songs and more akin to several movements flowing together. Emotionally fraught, it’s a tumultuous journey examining the throes of addiction while still offering a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Rating: 8/10

Fyra is set for release on April 16th via Moment Of Collapse Records.

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