SUICIDE SILENCE is a very important representation of Deathcore. For many years they released killer records that maintain their signature material as one of the most brutal in the scene. Even after the sad passing of Mitch Lucker, the band still managed to get back on their feet and continue with their legacy until their last released turned out to be completely unsuccessful and disappointing for fans’ standards. With that in mind, it is evident that this Californian band is back to make things up to us with an absolutely great comeback.
Surprisingly (or not), SUICIDE SILENCE managed to put out probably one of their best records of their career after “experimenting” and “trying new things” which only resulted in a style of music that nobody asked for. Become the Hunter (out now, Nuclear Blast Records) contains a wide variation of musical elements that have the power to remind us why SUICIDE SILENCE held the Deathcore flag up high and why they should continue doing so. Opener “Meltdown” meets our heavy expectations, with a sound similar to their 2007 debut The Cleansing. “Two Steps” is a slow headbanger, but heavy as hell. “Feel Alive” slows down the tempo a bit and slams the shit out of the listener at the beginning, but then continues with some some great fast-paced guitar and solo work.
“Love Me To Death” has a similar sound to The Black Crown. The guitar tapping is certainly something different, but in combination with Eddie’s vocals, we know for sure that the heaviness is there. “In Hiding” starts off with some powerful screams. It’s overall the short and sweet deathcore song that the band gave us as a gift and a good tune to set the mood for other new things within the SUICIDE SILENCE style. “Death’s Anxiety” feels like an experimentation of sounds during the first seconds. The heavy inspirational element from KORN guides the first half of the song until transitioning away from any nu-metal elements.
“Skin Tight” is not necessarily what I like about music in general, but the less intense combination of sounds are usually right for a certain situation. “The Scythe” has some nice tapping and a great intro that got me curious for the next few minutes. This technique is unusual in the group’s songs, but surprisingly it builds very well into bringing back the heavier riffs and breakdowns and nailing down Eddie’s punch-in-the-face vocals. “Serene Obscene” has phenomenal strings, even though the expectation is to keep blasting the music. The acoustic instruments set up the essentials to bring some nasty headbanging stuff.
“Disaster Valley” brings up a faster sound and more riffs. It caught my attention since the very first second. This song alternates the vibe and the connection between each one of the sections sounds just very solid. At this point, it’s definitely good news that we get to hear lots of nasty vocals and heavy riffs that we associate with the best version of SUICIDE SILENCE. “Become The Hunter” is a great album closer. It’s probably one of the heaviest as well, and it’s one that I had to go back to listen to many more times. Magnificent work by all members of the band and the production team.
For several years, I used to say that SUICIDE SILENCE was my favorite Deathcore band for many reasons: their live performances, the meaning of some of their songs, their unique stand-out appearance among many other metal acts, etc. Unfortunately, that was lost for a few years, but redemption has happened and I simply can’t wait to hear this new material live in the near future. I’m hoping that it’s played in a tour package featuring other kickass bands, but that’s another story.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Two Steps”, “Feel Alive”, “Love Me to Death”, “Disaster Valley”, “Become the Hunter”
RATING: 8.5/10
-THE ALCALDE
