The Suffering

Delivering a thundering metal onslaught with a sturdy hardcore spine, The Suffering live up to their dour name on a debut album of unbridled aggression. Members of the band are hardly strangers to playing abrasive music with scene veterans from notable acts such as Bleeding Through, Light This City, Mean Season, First Blood, etc. And all respect to the past, of course, but when The Suffering divert somewhat from former paths, opting instead for a noisier, bleaker, and more earache inducing brand of metal, it definitely stands on its own throat-punching merits. Their insistence on a non-stop attack, along with a pointed lyrical approach can really only be described as utterly relentless, combining break-neck speed and jarring breakdowns into an all-out musical tempest. Add to that the searing guest vocal spot on "Preach" from Aaron Weseman of Disembodied fame, and the deed is certainly done. File under uneasy listening.