ALBUM REVIEW: The Cleansing (Ultimate Edition) – Suicide Silence
Anniversaries are a peculiar thing. The days bleed into one as the years slip by; however, often there are little pinpoints in time where something in the past has happened. These can be a good anniversary, such as the anniversary of starting a job that you love. Other times, they can be more poignant. For California deathcore band SUICIDE SILENCE, 2022 is a peculiar year, with three anniversaries. 2022 marks ten years since the tragic and untimely passing of original lead singer Mitch Lucker, who died from injuries sustained in a motorbike accident at the age of 28. It also marks 20 years since they became a band, and 15 since the release of their debut album The Cleansing.
To celebrate the last of these three anniversaries, the deathcore legends have released the ultimate edition of The Cleansing. Such releases can be a polarising thing; are bands just using this to make more money? Is it worth the money? Sometimes special editions are not worth the money, especially because they sometimes only have a couple of extra songs tacked onto the end. Thankfully, this is not the case for the ultimate edition of The Cleansing.
Alongside the first 13 songs of the original album – a frantic, raw and stellar debut which still sounds new to this day – the band have added a whopping 15 extra tracks to this release. These are the pieces people are really intrigued by here. Granted, they’re not all new songs; in fact, there are only three songs that are new, while the other 12 comprise a mixture of live tracks and rehearsal tapes.
The first of the three new songs is called A Dead Current – previously only available on the UK exclusive edition of the record – and naturally it sounds like it could fit right in on the original release. It’s a well-produced and fast-paced song which, like most of the band’s music, is definitely not for everyone. The deathcore screams could put a lot of people off, but of course the song feels right at home on this album. Swarm is the next new song. It goes for a different approach this time. Where A Dead Current was more focused on screaming, this one focuses on guttural vocals. It makes the song sound harsher still, and again fits perfectly on the album. The final new song is a cover of DEFTONES‘ Engine No. 9, its instrumental start of frantic guitars making it sound different to the previous two songs. Even as a cover, it once again fits right in at home with the other two songs. Unfortunately there is only one complaint. Why weren’t these songs included with the original album?
The next eight songs are from a live show in Paris. Usually, live songs would not sound natural on a studio album; however, that is not the case here. Thanks to the production on the album, each song sounds like it needs to be here. On the other hand, the production does mute the audience interaction, therefore making the tracks hard to differentiate between the live songs and the studio songs. The only indicator of the songs being played live are occasional moments of the band commanding and thanking the crowd.
What is perhaps the most intriguing part of the album is left right up until the end; the final four songs are rehearsal tapes. Some fans might be disappointed to realise that these tapes are instrumental only. However, others will be intrigued by the individual instruments used in the songs. The tapes are great if you want to learn how to play a particular part, such as the drums, but they do end up sounding similar.
Ultimately though, The Cleansing (Ultimate Edition) is definitely worth the money. There are a load of extra songs. Despite quite a few of the songs falling a bit flat, there is something for everyone. The three new songs are an absolute highlight of the album, as they bring something new to the table, whilst also offering up something old. Whilst being a little weaker, the live songs and the rehearsal tapes are still worth checking out because there is something for the hardcore fans. This is one anniversary worth celebrating.
Rating: 8/10
The Cleansing (Ultimate Edition) is set for release on June 24th via Century Media Records.
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