Suffocation
Bio
“We will always be pushing for an extreme edge”. Not our words but those of Derek Boyer, who’s been the bassist for Suffocation for the last 20+ years.
Suffocation formed in 1988 in New York and to this day, their full-length debut ‘Effigy of the Forgotten’ (1991) is one of the most brutal debut albums ever. Vocalist Frank Mullen’s pioneering low gutturals and his one-dimensional vocal attack were a blueprint for many death metal vocalists who followed in his footsteps. Another undisputed classic followed with ‘Breeding the Spawn’ (1993). In 1998 they disbanded but subsequently reformed five years later. The new incarnation showed no desire to stray from the path of malignant brutality established by the original line-up and the atmosphere of oppressive fatality remained intact. The aptly titled ‘Pinnacle of Bedlam’ (2013) is as venomous and technically accomplished as their early output, reaffirming their status as one of the most influential death metal bands around. In 2015 Ricky Meyers took over as live vocalist from founding member Frank Mullen, who retired from touring. In 2019 Myers joined full time and ‘Hymns of the Apocrypha’ (2023) marks his first contribution on a full-length recording.
