cover art by Ettore Aldo del Vigo
(We present Todd Manning‘s very enthusiastic review of the new album from Suffer, which was released by Wise Blood Records on March 29th.)
Most death metal bands define themselves by emphasizing one aspect of their sound. Maybe it’s speed or lack thereof, technicality versus primitivism, seeing how guttural they can be, and so on. On their latest, Grand Canvas of the Aesthete, which just came out on Wise Blood Records, South Dakota’s Suffer take a different approach; they define themselves by the balance they strike of all the elements of death metal that they incorporate.
It’s apparent from the opening title track that songwriting is the primary focus. The trio creates hook after hook without oversimplifying the structure, a trap too many “catchy” death metal bands fall into. The track gives plenty of twists and turns without losing its anthemic quality. Modern Carcass is an important touch point here, but these veterans are not content with imitation. The somewhat technical riffing often breaks into head-nodding chugs that wouldn’t be out of place on a Suffocation song.
“Ashen Frolic” expands the palette without losing the blueprint. Cannibal Corpse blast beats spar with grooves. “Plentiful•Copious•Bountiful” starts with a fantastic solo and moves to Suffocation-inspired blast beats and Slayer feedback squalls. Yet the mid-paced sections invoke a combination of Necroticism and Heartwork-era Carcass with The Bleeding-era Cannibal, a formula for success to be sure.
“Inhalant Caustic Foray” nods toward Death and honors the legacy well. It features some ripping guitar work. In fact, if there is one prominent feature on the album it’s the consistently great guitar playing. If this came out in the ‘90s it would be considered “technical”, however nowadays it’s just really great. Suffer is tasteful in their virtuosity. Guitarist/vocalist C.R. Petit complements brutality with great harmonized melodies. “Carnal Flesh Parade” specifically features a great melodic break midway through the song that adds layers of nuance to the death metal bacchanalia.
The lead work deserves equal praise. “The Fetching Cranley Gardens” features a quick atonal scrape leading into a short but excellent solo. “Plentiful•Copious•Bountiful” is a guitar masterclass. The solo finds a fantastic middle ground between Chuck Schuldiner and Michael Schenker that more guitar players should aspire to.
“Pernicious Precarious Mess” illustrates that the rhythm section should not be underestimated. They maneuver a variety of complex patterns, beats, and shifts with both power and grace. Their attention to detail allows the guitar to not over-complicate matters and lets the song remain balanced and technical but not confusing.
The album closes with “Human Primal Cuts”, a tune that is the culmination of everything these gentlemen do so well. The song is catchy but far from simplistic. It gravitates around a crushing, stomping riff that they return to throughout. Yet, when they do move away from it, they explore several intriguing ideas, including more great guitar leads.
Suffer are obviously death metal connoisseurs. The Carcass influence is real but it’s just a jumping-off point. These guys know metal, death and otherwise, and concoct a mixture of death metal’s most essential albums and distill their essence into something original. They craft powerful songs and invite repeated listening.
Suffer was formed in 1989 and their experience shows; decades of listening, absorbing, and performing is obvious in how they craft their own material. While we can certainly appreciate innovation, Suffer give the true death metal fan everything they need. If you’re one of the faithful, grab this immediately and soak in the brutal goodness.
https://suffersd.bandcamp.com/album/grand-canvas-of-the-aesthete
https://www.facebook.com/SufferSD/