UMUR "Pinnacle of Bedlam" is the 7th full-length studio album by US, New York based death metal act Suffocation. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in February 2013. There´s been a lineup change since "Blood Oath (2009)" as drummer Mike Smith has left to be replaced by Dave Culross (mostly known for his long stint with Malevolent Creation). It´s the second time the latter is involved with Suffocation as he also layed down the drum tracks on the "Despise the Sun (1998)" EP. The rest of the lineup who recorded "Blood Oath (2009)" are intact.

From the first notes of the opening track "Cycles Of Suffering", it´s abundantly clear that Suffocation have not slowed down or become less brutal, nor have they any intention of taking any prisoners this time around. It´s not like it´s a surprise, but I´m still greatly impressed by these guys every time they release a new album. While "Sullen Days" (which is also one of the highlight of the album) is the only track on the album that I consider slightly innovative in terms of sounding different from the band´s trademark sound, and lack of innovation is usually considered a negative trade, Suffocation have over the years proven to be an exception to that rule. They are proof that no matter how "retro" sounding music you play, it´s all about how you deliver the music and how skilled you are as a composer. And that´s where Suffocation excel. The music on "Pinnacle of Bedlam" does sound slightly more contemporary/current than most of the band´s output, but that is probably mostly due to the sound production (some of the breakdowns also have a deathcore touch).

The playing is as always on a high technical level. Precision breaks, multible tempo changes (including blast beats, über heavy breakdowns and everything in between), blistering solo work and those sub woofer deep growls courtesy of Frank Mullen. Tracks like the above mentioned "Sullen Days", "Cycles Of Suffering" and the title track are killer death metal, and while not all tracks on the album stand out equally much, they are all on a high compositional level and delivered with a rawness and brutality that few can rival. As usual Suffocation have opted to re-record a track from "Breeding the Spawn (1993)" in "Beginning of Sorrow" (they´ve re-recorded tracks off that album several times throughout the years). Mike Smith makes a guest appearance on "Beginning of Sorrow".

"Pinnacle of Bedlam" is yet another great death metal album by Suffocation. While there have been a few tiny bumps in the band´s discography, this is a band that cannot fail. If you in any way enjoy brutal technical death metal, "Pinnacle of Bedlam" is an album of the highest caliber in that style. While I personally feel the more clear sounding contemporary production doesn´t fit Suffocation´s music as well as the more raw productions of earlier releases by the band, it´s arguably a powerful and professional sound, which I´m sure many others will praise greatly, so my minor issue with the production values is pretty surely an aquired taste. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

J-Man If the American death metal veterans in Suffocation have done one thing right over the years, it's their ability to consistently deliver some of the most brutal, technical, and downright impressive extreme music out there. Although they could be legitimately criticized for remaining rather stagnant throughout their lengthy career, one thing remains abundantly clear on Pinnacle of Bedlam - even after twenty five years in the business, Suffocation is still able to churn out some of the best technical death metal on the scene today. The band doesn't offer too many new ideas on their seventh full-length album, but the quality is held to such an impeccable standard that it's difficult not to be blown away.

From most perspectives, Pinnacle of Bedlam is nothing new under the sun for Suffocation. One could argue that the album sounds more modern than the band's other works thanks to its sleek sound production, but I think that's a rather minor detail in the grand scheme of things - this is the old school Suffocation that everybody has come to know and love from start to finish, which means that brutal American death metal with a strong technical edge should be expected. Suffocation doesn't give its listeners very many times to catch their breath, as almost the entire album is characterized by devastating riffs, frantic lead guitar work, and speedy drum fills. Plenty of heavy grooves are worked into the mix alongside the frenzied blast beats and tempo changes, though, so lack of variation is never an issue. While this style of music often strikes me as lacking in dynamics and subtlety, Suffocation has always amazed me with their ability to stay faithful to this style while still retaining a high level of memorability, and this is certainly the case on Pinnacle of Bedlam.

Some of the band's best songs ever penned, like the killer opening track "Cycles of Suffering" and the especially wonderful "Sullen Days" (this one finds the band incorporating a few melodic ideas into their work - pretty damn cool!), are on Pinnacle of Bedlam; the entire album is intense as hell, though, so listeners shouldn't expect any monotony to set in while giving this one a spin. When all is said and done, Pinnacle of Bedlam is yet another top-notch observation in Suffocation's discography, and while it would be cool to hear the band attempt something radically different next time around, I will be perfectly happy if they keep churning out records of this quality time and time again. Pinnacle of Bedlam is simply a must-have for any technical death metal fan!

Kev Rowland Well, four years have passed since the release of ‘Blood Oath’ but it doesn’t sounds as if the guys have planned on mellowing out any time soon. The album also marks the return of drummer Dave Culross, who played with the band previously on their ‘Despise The Sun’ EP while founding member and former drummer Mike Smith also makes a special guest appearance on the re-recorded ‘Breeding the Spawn’ (which amazingly came out 20 years ago now!) track, “Beginning of Sorrow.” Here we have ten songs of sheer brutality that put bands half their age to shame, how do they keep delivering the goods after so long?

This is solid death metal, something that can be played at full blast knowing that there is nothing here that will disappoint. While the band produced the album, it was mixed and mastered by Zeuss (Hatebreed, Arsis, Suicide Silence etc) and the sound reminds me of the touch of Colin Richardson. The guys have been doing this since 1989 (with the odd rest and line-up change inbetween), and long may it continue. Instantly recognizable as Suffocation they have mixed it up a bit and have brought their material more into the present day, and the album benefits from that approach. This is not one you can really miss out on. www.nuclearblast.de