suffocation_2007_04

» Suffocation 2007 04 07

Reviewed by Thomas
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Special guest: Visceral Bleeding
City: Gothenburg, Sweden
Venue: Musikens Hus
Date: 07 April 2007
Visceral Bleeding set length: 35 minutes
Suffocation set length: 50 minutes

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Visceral Bleeding

I hate it when the concerts start prior to the time being announced. When I arrived Visceral Bleeding had already started playing, and they looked kind of lonely as they stood there on stage bashing out their death metal. However, the band seemed to be in a good mood even though I could only count to three people that stood somewhat near the stage. Although they did what they were supposed to do, and you cannot blame them for not trying to get the audience started, even if parts of the band looked a bit stiff on stage.

(sorry, no setlist)

4 chalices of 10

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Suffocation

I was shaking and shivering with abstinence. Damn, it had been over five weeks since I last attended a concert. So I had to do something about it, and then I saw it, Suffocation was playing nearby. Did not knew much about them and I had hardly heard them, but this kind of music performed live seemed to be able suit my needs in an excellent way. So without really knowing what to expect and with no further expectations to talk about I went there to get myself a fix of a needed daily dose of metal.

In fact, I got just what I needed from Suffocation. Some pure good old US death metal of the extreme kind. I do not know if I normally would have liked this much as I actually did, too extreme is perhaps not the word I am searching for, but too much lack of melodies for my taste. Nevertheless, the brutal death metal with some apparent hard-core vibes spiced with some splendid technical playing and some crazy beating on the drums made it worthwhile in my opinion. This was the last show on this European streak for Suffocation, and somehow I think you could sense that they had their mind already at home. Nothing wrong with the intensity or the performance from the band, but they did appear a bit tired at times.

Suffocation bring out some truly amazing drum-patterns, I would like to know the bpm from the double bass-keg drumming when Mike Smith was going at it with full speed. Believe me, it was furious. Guitar-wise you get more than the heavy brutal riffing and grinding from these guys. Neck-breaking leads and solos of technical playing from Terrance Hobbs and Guy Marchais, combined with the drums separates Suffocation from the ordinary extreme death metal band, and there lies their strength. In addition, to that you can add some truly dark guttural screams from Frank Mullen and a thundering yet fast-fingered bass from Derek Boyer.

Apparently, it was a bad turn-up with people in Stockholm the night before this, and the turn up here was, well, let just say that there was plenty of room to move around in. Somehow I find that to be a bit strange, I am well aware of that extreme metal doesn't exactly assemble a massive horde of followers in the general population, but something tells me that there are so many more that listens to it than what comes to the concerts. Suffocation, that has been around since the early nineties, should have a lot more fans than those that were gathered here this time. Anyway, at least I got what I came for and even if it was not any spectacular and out of the ordinary show, this was what I needed for the moment, some brutal and technical death metal, the American way.

(sorry, no setlist)

5,5 chalices of 10