Suffocation ממשיכים לרצוח

At the top of the brutal death metal pyramid, sit Suffocation, one of the US's best death/grind bands, a band that took metal to the extreme, and still continues to do so. The band's legendary drummer, and one of the inventors of true blast beats, Mike Smith has also recently participated in the well-publicized Roadrunner United project, though a self-proclaimed man of few words, Mike cleared up issue about the band, past and present.

Hi There! I understand you've just returned from some shows in Europe, among them Wacken and Party San, how did those shows go?

The shows were an experience we will never forget,,so many people also dedicated to just the whole scene of metal of all kinds. It’s a party vibe incomparable to anything here in the States. They are all for one when it comes to Metal, here in the states every genre is separated and a festival such as Wacken or Party San just doesn’t happen. It's a shame.

Are you working on any new stuff right now?

Yes we’ve been working out rhythms and such ,but weve also been touring a lot for the Souls to Deny album, we aren’t a band that really wrirtes seriously on the road.When we complete the US tour in November we will be free to concentrate on just the new album. It deserves the focus.

The band has been through quite a few line up changes in the last few years, can you specify what were they, and why did they occur?

Bassist – Josh Barohn (Original), Chris Richards (Replacement), Derek Boyer (Current) – Drugs and lack of focus overcame the Original, Lack of focus and delusion overcame the Replacement. The opportunity of a lifetime is still in the hands of the Current. Drummers – Mike Smith (Original), Doug Bohne (Replacement), Dave Culross (Replacement), Mike Smith (Original, Current-Final) – Two quality drummers had their moment to shine in a band that was well established but internally confused as to direction and goals. When I left I was ready to leave, the scene showed no promise to make a real living doing it, regardless of my love for the music. The reality is you have one life to live and support. At that time it was a feasible decision .

You've also changed labels since your reformation, why was that?

Labels come and go, Relapse approached us seriously enough to roll with. We had a few other offers but you can only choose one so that was the decision that fit best.

How would you define your current music when compared to the music you were playing during what's considered your classic album, Effigy Of The Forgotten?

I think our music has stayed in the exact same frame of mind, We've only grown more lethal in our way of building songs and our goals for the future. We still feel we can submit originality to a scene that seems to be in one mode at times. Creating the music was never the problem. Getting along and agreeing was.

Why did the band originally went into hiatus, and why did it reform?

Lack of Focus, to many member changes, and internal disputes left for a watered down Suffocation. That broke the band apart. the need to perform ,reconnect with the fans and be understood through the music we feel everyday is what reunited us.

The band has always made quite complex death metal, what is the writing process within the band?

Write rhythms individually first, bring them to the table at practice rip, shred and reform them and eventually a song is formed, unless we individually bring full songs to the table which is not unheard of.

The last album's sound is very similar to the one in your Roadrunner area albums, how did you achieve it?

We thought back to how we felt the first time we had something to prove, and just took it from there. Suffocation is truly a band that has no desire to stray from our formula,we know its not outdated so we do our best to keep the fans happy and familiar with what caught their attention to begin with.

How do you feel your material is translated into a live set?

We destroy LIVE. Our songs sound just like, if not better than the album. Suffocation Destroys LIVE.!

Death meal has been widely successful during the band's first years, yet the genre has almost disappeared in today's nu metal plagued America, what kind of reactions is the band getting these days in the US?

We are getting the best reaction we can get for Deathmetal, All of our shows have been great and weve regained a tight relationship with our fans.. Things are going steady and all positive.

Do you feel American death metal bands need to change or modernize their music with the passage of time?

Change is always good and unavoidable, but I don’t think Deathmetal needs to really worry about following the rest of the genres just yet. The world needs to open their minds and understand what it is we are doing first ,then we’ll decide if we need a change.

I understand there's a DVD planned for he band, what will it contain?

Everything that the fans requested on our forum. A complete history and understanding of Suffocation is our Goal.

Out of the current death metal scene, what bands or albums do you feel do justice to the genre?

All bands that are touring are doing justice for the scene.I don’t know of any one band that will save the scene. I like to think that if there is a band to do it ,it will be Suffocation.

The band has always seemed to deal with the darker aspects of life, do you feel that's a requisite for death metal bands, or is that something which specifically fits Suffocation's music?

In deathmetal its easiest to speak of death,pain,and suffering. We don’t need to ,but there are enough sissy, heartbroken ,lovesong bands out there who claim to be metal.We’ll stick to what we know best .The realities of pain and suffering.

What are the band's touring plans for the near future?