Hymns From The Apocrypha

New York death metal legends SUFFOCATION unleash their ninth full-length album, Hymns from the Apocrypha, via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to …of the Dark Light (2017) pushes founder Terrance Hobbs (guitars), Derek Boyer (bass), Charles Errigo (guitars), Eric Morotti (drums), and newcomer Ricky Myers (vocals) to the very edges of extremity. Standout tracks ‘Seraphim Enslavement,‘ ‘Perpetual Deception,‘ and ‘Delusions of Mortality’ are emphatically SUFFOCATION but are enhanced with what Hobbs calls “progressive melodies.” The crushing title track, ‘Immortal Execration,’ and the re-recording of ‘Ignorant Deprivation,’ featuring former throat-man Frank Mullen, are brutal alms to death metal’s heaving masses.

SUFFOCATION were founded in Long Island, New York, in 1988. Since then, they released foundational classics like Effigy of the Forgotten (1991), Breeding the Spawn (1993), and Pierced from Within (1995), with post-reformation slabs of savagery Souls to Deny (2004), Suffocation (2006), and Pinnacle of Bedlam (2013) proving death metal was not only SUFFOCATION’s to own but that it also continued to be a viable art form, all three albums earning accolades at Metal Injection, Decibel, and Deaf Forever. To date, they’ve played over 2,000 shows, giving audiences from the United States and Germany to Australia and Brazil unforgettable blasts and trademark slams. Truly, the group’s global influence is unmistakable and undeniable. Hymns from the Apocrypha isn’t merely another album from the New Yorkers but a statement of intent. SUFFOCATION always have been and are here to slay.

Without gigs, suffering from lockdowns, and having to cope with the physical distance between members—not everyone lives in Long Island—SUFFOCATION’s creative principals conceived Live in North America (2021), featuring Mullen on his farewell tour, under the expert tutelage of Cryptopsy guitarist and burgeoning producer Christian Donaldson. After the pandemic, while SUFFOCATION toured their asses off in the US, Latin America, and Europe, the final pieces of Hymns from the Apocrypha emerged with utmost intensity. The first full song was ‘Seraphim Enslavement,’ with others like ‘Dim Veil of Obscurity,’ ‘Immortal Execration,’ and ‘Embrace the Suffering,’ arriving after tasking, if eventually productive writing sessions in Hobbs’ lair.

Hymns from the Apocrypha’s musical origins began in 2019 and lasted into the summer of 2023—’Descendants’ and ‘Immortal Execration’ were the last songs Hobbs and team penned. The album’s lyrical bent—authored by inimitable frontman Myers—was fashioned throughout the songwriting process. The title track, ‘Hymns from the Apocrypha,’ tackles celestial envy and humanity’s ruin. At the same time, ‘Perpetual Deception’ revisits the Son of Man (Jesus) and his continuous deceit, a nod to the classic SUFFOCATION track, ‘Jesus Wept.’ ‘Immortal Execration’ goes deeper into suicidal thoughts, cruelly bequeathed to humanity. Myers is a formidable vocalist—an absolute monster on ‘Seraphim Enslavement’ and ‘Delusions of Mortality’ — and the right man to formulate wicked lyrics.

SUFFOCATION took about a month and a half to record Hymns from the Apocrypha. They holed up at Hobbs and Boyer’s InLine Studio in Long Island. The duo engineered and co-produced with Christian Donaldson (BENEATH THE MASSACRE, INGESTED), who was also re-enlisted to mix and master, with Dominic Grimard (CRYPTOPSY, SHADOW OF INTENT) assisting. If Breeding the Spawn was SUFFOCATION’s production nadir, then Hymns from the Apocrypha is arguably the group’s strongest-sounding, most sonically punishing album yet. From the growling bass and inhuman vocals on ‘Perpetual Deception’ to the merciless guitar crunch of Hobbs/Errigo and rapid-fire drumming on ‘Embrace the Suffering,’ SUFFOCATION have achieved death metal perfection.

With stunning cover art by Greek illustrator Giannis Nakos (VOMITORY, THE CROWN), Hymns from the Apocrypha is characteristically SUFFOCATION. That is to say, it’s uncompromisingly brutal, artistically gutsy, and aurally heavy. Clearly, SUFFOCATION, as they head into their 35th Anniversary, are at the peak of their potential. Death metal or die!