ITP REVIEW: SUFFOCATION BLOOD OATH

BAND: SUFFOCATION (USA-New York) GENRE-DEATH METAL LABEL-NUCLEAR BLAST RELEASE DATE (BLOOD OATH): 7/14/09 (North America) 7/3/09 (Europe)
PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG): BLOOD OATH (2009-NUCLEAR BLAST), THE BEST OF SUFFOCATION (2008-COMPILATION-RELAPSE), SUFFOCATION (ST-2006-RELAPSE), THE CLOSE OF A CHAPTER-LIVE IN QUEBEC (2006-self released), SOULS TO DENY (2004-RELAPSE),DESPISE THE SUN (1998-EP-VULTURE RECORDS), PIERCED FROM WITHIN (1995-ROADRUNNER), LIVE DEATH ( SPLIT-1994-? ), BREEDING THE SPAWN (1993-ROADRUNNER), EFFIGY OF THE FORGOTTEN (1991-ROADRUNNER),HUMAN WASTE (1991-NUCLEAR BLAST) REINCREAMATED (1990 demo,)
BEST RELEASE (S): EFFIGY OF THE FORGOTTEN, PIERCED FROM WITHIN, SUFFOCATION
SUFFOCATION (USA-NEW YORK)) "BLOOD OATH"
TRACKLISTING (BLOOD OATH:)
01. Blood Oath
02. Dismal Dream
03. Pray For Forgiveness
04. Images Of Purgatory
05. Cataclysmic Purification
06. Mental Hemorrhage
07. Come Hell Or High Priest
08. Undeserving
09. Provoking The Disturbed
10. Martial Decimation
11. Pray For Forgiveness [instrumental version] [N. America bonus]
12. Dismal Dream [rough mix un-mastered version] [N. America bonus]


ITP RATING: ***1/2
PRODUCTION: ***
SONGWRITING: ***
PERFORMANCE: ****
SUFFOCATION are the god fathers of the slam death sound, often imitated but never with the relevance, originality and technical brutality of these New York Death Metal legends. After splitting up in 1998, SUFFOCATION returned to the extreme metal scene in 2003 to right any wrongs, as the time and the market was right for these New York death metal legends to reclaim the throne, and honer the great potential that they had.
After two quality comeback releases on RELAPSE RECORDS, "BLOOD OATH" is SUFFOCATIONS NUCLEAR BLAST debut.
Keep in mind, BLOOD OATH is released in different formats, limited edition jewel case, the tracklisting is different for all those formats featuring bonus tracks of un mastered material.
BLOOD OATH opens unassumingly enough with the title track, a mid paced tune, somewhat simpler and slower than previous SUFFOCATION tunes, with time changes and breakdowns. "Dismal Dream" has an almost melodic feel, but it's still brutal death metal. At 53 seconds, "Dismal Dream" an anthem of sorts professes it's love of inevitable death with it's down tuned, mid paced, doomy brutality.: "My dismal dream, I live and breathe, I realize, I can not be".
"Pray for Forgiveness" is classic SUFFOCATION, tight, brutal with FRANK MULLEN'S dark monotone growls, good solos, if not still a little mid paced, but engaging.
"Images of Purgatory" is a quality song, with the brutality, excellent rhythm and lead guitar work.
"Cataclysmic Purification" has the down tuned, creepy brutality, slowing down for a breakdown at 1:02 before picking up on the technical brutality then slowing down for dark, almost doomy, mid paced ambiance.
"Mental Hemorrhage" is classic SUFFOCATION, with a technical opening riff, slowing down for a breakdown, then speeding up..SUFFOCATION has this down pat, with the time changes,, and classic death metal rhythm guitar riffs, ala Terrence Hobbs. At 3:04 into "Mental Hemorrhage" get ready for a train wreck in the pit.
"Come Hell or High Priest" is another quality tune on BLOOD OATH, this tune should get the pit moving as Suffocation play tight and free flowing. Guy Marchais and Terrence Hobbs find a nice groove of slam death and creative riffing in this tune.
"Undeserving", kicks off with a quirky time change, before slamming into a good death metal groove, then slowing down for a dark, doomy breakdown..Then SUFFOCATION bring the slam groove, and this sounds interesting..And then you're knocked on your ass in the pit.Of course, after your pick your ass off the ground, you remember WHY you like SUFFOCATION and those of us whom yearn for a classic death metal sound, in a sort of dark nostalgia.
"Provoking the Disturbed" has all the elements of SUFFOCATION's patented New York death metal sound, with odd time signatures as at 1:52 the song takes a left turn, into dark, doomy territory picking up again into a classic SUFFOCATION slam death metal mosh match.
"Marital Decimation" is raw, fast, brutal and a sword up your ass, with a godly solo right up your sphincter. Grooves, time changes, and awesome brutality.
Tracks 11, and 12 are the un-mastered version of "Pray For Forgiveness" and the rough mix of "Dismal Dream".
While BLOOD OATH is NOT SUFFOCATION's best effort as the band would be hard pressed to pull another classic like "Pierced From Within" and Effigy of The Forgotten" off, BLOOD OATH has it's moments of high octane, brutality with it's breakdowns, time changes. Consistency is the key here, and while the songwriting is lacking, there are sparks here and there, riffs that will make you remember the glory days of death metal. I preferred the production on their self titled, and the songs on "Effigy of The Forgotten", and "Pierced from Within". Half of BLOOD OATH lags in mid paced death metal, however the second half of BLOOD OATH has it's moments, and if the CD had been better written, within a consolidation of brutal/ fast and the mid paced doomier aspects, this would have been a potential progression for SUFFOCATION.
While BLOOD OATH is nothing new to the SUFFOCATION formula, I feel that SUFFOCATION are yet to reach their full potential, I would shutter to think if they do, and the carnage they will leave in their path.

ITP RATING: ***1/2
PRODUCTION: ***
SONGWRITING: ***
PERFORMANCE: ****
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-