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Origin	Long Island, New York, USA
Genre(s)	Brutal death metal Technical death metal
Years active	1990–1998, 2004–present
Label(s)	Relapse, Roadrunner, Free Agent
Website	www.suffocation.us

Suffocation is an American brutal technical death metal band. The band was formed in 1990 and has since released many highly-regarded releases,^{[citation needed]} including the first album ever released by metal label Relapse Records, 1991's Human Waste EP.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Style and influences 3 Discography 3.1 Studio albums 3.2 Miscellaneous 4 Band members 4.1 Current members 4.2 Former members 5 References 6 External links

Suffocation recorded the albums Human Waste, Effigy of the Forgotten, Breeding the Spawn, Pierced from Within, and Despise the Sun before breaking up in 1998. Suffocation reunited in 2003, featuring the return of original drummer Mike Smith, though minus long-time members Doug Cerrito and Chris Richards. The band released Souls to Deny in 2004 and launched an extensive global touring campaign to promote the album. After over 200 shows, the band recorded and self-released their first live CD Close Of A Chapter: Live In Quebec City. A self-titled album was released in 2006 through Relapse Records, which again saw the launch of an extensive worldwide touring jaunt. In 2007, Suffocation was featured in an advertisement for the History Channel.^[1] They are currently compiling material for a live DVD, although the release has been delayed due to footage that was planned for the DVD being stolen, and also because they were waiting for their contract with Relapse Records to run out.

On June 4th 2007, Suffocation and their label, Relapse Records officially parted ways.^[2] However, the band is still active. They will embark on a European tour in 2008, after which they plan to begin work on their next studio album.

Suffocation fused the predominant rhythmic styles of early death metal with complex song structures and a unique melodic sensibility. They are generally credited with inventing the brutal death metal subgenre, introducing many innovations such as very low death grunts, hands-together blast beats, and breakdowns with heavy use of palm muting. In addition, their overall complexity and instrumental virtuosity was and has been influential in the development of technical death metal. As a result they are often described as "brutal technical death metal," and are classified as such on The Metal Archives.[1] As both brutal death metal and technical death metal are today some of the most prolific genres in extreme metal, the band is generally regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of death metal. Their influence extends outside of these genres as well, for example influencing many grindcore, metalcore and deathcore bands.^{[citation needed]}

Suffocation is placed amongst peers such as Immolation, Mortician and Incantation as being part of a genetic fragment of death metal known as "New York death metal", or "NYDM" for short. However, each of these bands has a very distinct sound, and as such the term NYDM generally refers to the early 1990s New York scene, and not a particular style of death metal. It is worth noting that the term as it is used today often refers to the New York brutal death metal/goregrind scene, which includes bands such as Skinless.^{[citation needed]}

• Effigy of the Forgotten (1991)
• Breeding the Spawn (1993)
• Pierced from Within (1995)
• Souls to Deny (2004)
• Suffocation (2006)

• Reincremation (Demo, 1990)
• Human Waste (EP, 1991)
• Live Death (Split, 1994)
• Despise the Sun (EP, 1998)
• Live in Quebec - The Close of a Chapter (Live album, 2005)

• Frank Mullen - vocals (1990–1998, 2003–present)
• Terrance Hobbs - guitar (1990–1998, 2003–present)
• Guy Marchais - guitar (1990, 2003–present)
• Derek Boyer - bass (2004–present)
• Mike Smith - drums (1990–1994, 2003–present)

The band is arguably known for having two black musicians (drummer Mike Smith and guitarist Terrance Hobbs) which is rare in the extreme metal scene.

• Doug Cerrito - guitar (1990–1998)
• Josh Barohn - bass (1990–1993, 2003)
• Chris Richards - bass (1992–1998)
• Doug Bohn - drums (1994–1996)
• Dave Culross - drums (1996–1998)
• Kevin Talley - drums (1998 tour only)
• Todd German - guitar (1990 replaced by Doug Cerrito)

• Suffocation's official website
• Suffocation Interview with Mike Smith
• Interview with Mike Smith and band space
• Photos from paris 2007