We all have heard of the many wonders of New York City. From the beautiful architecture of the towering skyscrapers to the world famous restaurants for those who desire nothing but the best in taste bud stimulation. But beneath the beauty of this majestic place lurks something ugly, distorted, and heavy; death metal! N.Y. has always been a generator of some of the best death metal bands since the birth of the genre. From bands like Immolation and Mortician, this city bleeds for it’s death metal community. Now with the release of Suffocation’s latest blistering piece, ….of The Dark Light, it shows NYDM will never die!
…Of The Dark Light (via Nuclear Blast) is the eighth studio album from the NYDM legends. This is a long awaited follow-up from the band’s crushing 2013’s album Pinnacle of Bedlam (via Nuclear Records). Recorded at Full Force Studio with the expertise of Joe Cinecotta, you can bet those walls were rattling like a crazy mother from those devastating sonic assaults. Just by looking at the magnificent artwork cover by Collin Mark, the design will catch your attention. It features a beautiful humanoid in a dark blacken blue abyss, slowly becoming one with the unknown. You can just feel the hairs stand on end when you look at this artwork, knowing it will be one hell of a journey. The album starts off on a highly aggressive and technical foot with the track “Clarity Through Deprivation.” You can hear the quick precision from both Terrance Hobbs and Charlie Errigo finger work all across this sonic barrage! It proves the young bands still can learn a few things from their death metal ancestors in perfect timing and song construction.
Like most old-school death metal fans, I need some deadly grooves to get my rotten corpse moving in the pit. Lucky for us, groove is not forgotten on this little gem! We have the track ‘Return To The Abyss’ to have you breaking some bones. This song is powered by the blood, sweat, and sacrifices of Eric Morotti (drums) and Derek Boyer (Bass) with their enriched flavor of rhythmic sauce! From the very start to the dreadful end, the track will make your neck muscles spasm and will cause one hell of a head rush. Prepare that icepack after blasting this beast!
Frank Mullen’s vocals are still more intense and demonic than any singer I know in the death metal genre. His vocals all over this album are perfectly executed with so much testosterone and energy, especially on the tracks “…Of The Dark Light” and “Return To The Abyss,” it will melt your face so much that even Leatherface will need a backup!
With the legends in extreme metal going strong like Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, and Dying Fetus still vomitting out great albums, death metal will never die! I give this album 5 tombstones out of 5. Check out the band on tour right now and pick up this album at your local store or buy it through the official band site and to check out the tour dates for a show by you!
Key Tracks: Clarity Through Deprivation, Your Last Breaths, …Of The Dark Light