Review: “The Sorrow We Sow, The Hatred We Know” by Suffer

Building the funeral pyre with 2019 debut EP “Slerm” and then igniting it a year later with 2020’s  follow up “Heavy Silence” that saw the band joined by Deathcore hero Tyler Shelton of Traitors for the skull battering masterpiece that is “For We Are Wretched“, Wolverhampton Beatdown Deathcore enthusiasts Suffer now find themselves wondering if with their debut full length “The Sorrow We Sow, The Hatred We Know” they will be watching the flames of a raging inferno or the smoke as the fire burns out. Hoping for the later, vocalist Michael “Chobba” Crutchley, guitarist duo Ashley Edwards and Kieran Whitehouse alongside rhythm section of bassist Jack Cooper and drummer Jack Kent entered Jigsaw Audio to work with producer by Myroslav Borys (Last Hounds, Confessions Of A Traitor) and created an eleven track affair features a pair of mouth watering guest appearances…

Heightening the senses with ghostly swirling sounds “Infernal Monologue” offers the sinister and cinematic undertones of a psychological horror film as an introduction piece within a single track, before the band split it like a butcher clean in half. The false ending ushers forth a downtempo crush that servers to shatter the mirror and the illusion that the band might be moving in a more Death Metal direction with this new burnt offering. Instead, as one might anticipate, they bring the slam tinged vocals, the slow breakdowns and the pulverising staccato riff breaks that punish in the best possible way. “Escapism” continues the horror with a classically executed sample between Beatdown Deathcore riffs, cleverly offering up some Technical Deathcore nuances, Groove Metal riffs and then as if out of nowhere a sumptuous piece of lead that raises the hairs on the back of your neck. Each one of those things maybe small on their own but they soon stack up to ensure that Suffer are offering a far more rounded and multi-dimensional sound than simply Deathcore. Dragging the lake with down-tuned brutality “Falsehood“, vocalist Michael “Chobba” Crutchley reaches some bowel clenching lows as the darkness swirls, the sinister stomping of “Unhallowed Justice” following it up with the kind of pummelling that defies all the odds because to play some of the slower sections is to go against the very nature of what it is to be human. Instinct is to play faster, especially when the energy is flowing as it is here and yet the control the band have is mesmerising to the point of being hypnotic, the juddering barbs digging deeper into the flesh with each vicious note. The scorching intensity of “Rest In Hell” confirms that Chobba is a man double crossed and seeking vengeance on an unnamed nemesis, this throat splitting vocals a metaphorical clenched fist and warning that something wicked comes this way. They maybe caustic but they are comprehendible, his throat much more than simply an instrument to accompany the Earthshattering sonic onslaught.

The melancholia of “Encephalon Treason” adds a new direction as Chobba confesses to self sabotage, his brain betraying him at the worst possible moments while offering in interesting insight into his thoughts without being overly introspective underneath the weight of the bone shattering rhythms that move tectonic plates with ease. The first of the albums pair of guest appearances finds Alex Teyen of Black Tongue joining the blood spitting party for “Information Poverty“, a surprisingly socially aware piece that sees both fire breathing vocalists go toe to toe. Unlike some cuts which feature a guest, this one doesn’t feel like Suffer have tried to write a Black Tongue cut, instead that they have invited Teyen to add some black shine to one of their pieces and that works incredibly well. The same can be said of lead single “The Narrow” which sees Josh Davies Of Monasteries lending his throat as the band seamlessly switch from Sludge fuelled Death Metal to downtempo Deathcore crush while remaining as fierce and fiery as ever. They simply don’t miss a beat and the transitions are incredible, there are points where the it feels like Suffer are what Raging Speedhorn would sound like if they played Deathcore which is a testament to just how far the band have come in their time. “Words of Peace, Passed through Gritted Teeth” makes for a neck snapping good time, showing off some Hardcore roots while having that classic gun cocking moment as well as some choice lead guitar work. It’s another incendiary cut that drives the flames of the album higher into the night sky as the band try and do the impossible and scorch the sun, a feat they almost achieve. Saving one of the best until last with “Final Hymn“, which is lyrically the title track, the band go back to the tried and tested and decimate the weak with juicy staccato riff breaks while the unhinged vocal moment is another moment of class, a powerhouse cut from a powerhouse record that will undoubtedly take the band to the next level [8/10]

Track Listing

  1. Infernal Monologue
  2. Escapism
  3. Falsehood
  4. Unhallowed Justice
  5. Rest in Hell
  6. Encephalon Treason
  7. Information Poverty (ft. Alex Teyen of Black Tongue)
  8. The Narrow (ft. Josh Davies of Monasteries)
  9. Tide of Misery
  10. Words of Peace, Passed through Gritted Teeth
  11. Final Hymn

The Sorrow We Sow, The Hatred We Know” by Suffer is out 1st July and available for pre-order over at bandcamp

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