“Time devours everything.”
‘All great things must come to an end.’ While this is a sentiment the music industry is all too familiar with, this is absolutely not the case for Suicide Silence. Hailing from Riverside, California, these heavy metal veterans need no introduction. Forerunners of the modern deathcore scene, Suicide Silence has maintained a steady and successful career, now spanning more than two decades. While the unfortunate passing of long-time vocalist Mitch Lucker in 2012 left many fans wondering where the band would go next, it was soon made very clear these modern metal titans were here to stay when the aptly titled fourth studio album You Can’t Stop Me was unveiled to the world just two years later. While the band’s self-titled record in 2017 left a sour taste in the mouths of their die-hard fans, Suicide Silence would catch their stride once again in 2020 with Become the Hunter, a spiritual successor to You Can’t Stop Me. 2023 marks three years since its release, and Suicide Silence is ready to unleash their colossal seventh LP, Remember… You Must Die through Century Media Records.
The album begins with an introductory track just shy of one minute that establishes a dark, brooding tone, reinforcing the album’s lyricism with a short spoken word passage. The phrase “time devours everything” is a standout, and Suicide Silence takes great care in not devouring too much of the listener’s time as this track segways swiftly into the album’s first real cut, “You Must Die”. Frontman Hernan “Eddie” Hermida is the driving force of this track, demonstrating his usual animalistic arsenal spanning an array of screeching highs and monstrous lows. With that said, the roles of the remaining four members are lacking, as this track doesn’t boast much in the way of impressive instrumentation or songwriting. The performances are by no means poor, but perhaps placing this track so early in the tracklist was for the best, as it’s better to get it out of the way in preparation for the album’s outstanding middle and end sections.
Indeed, Remember… You Must Die delivers on all fronts following its mere satisfactory opening. Deeply gratifying cuts such as “God Be Damned” and “Alter of Self” contain grains of melody that fulfill the album’s diversity quota. This is not to say the album slams the brakes on the heaviness, as the latter concludes with a breakdown that is sure to end up on many year-end lists. “Endless Dark” and “The Third Death” are once again satisfactory tracks that adhere to the beloved Suicide Silence formula, only this time with more fluidity and grace than what was demonstrated on “You Must Die”. This cohesive duo serves to remind the listener that Remember… You Must Die is, by all accounts, a Suicide Silence record, and a damn fine one at that.
I feel the need to treat “Be Deceived” as its own entity, as it may very well be my all-time favorite Suicide Silence song. Traces of experimentation present in the album’s middle portion aid in elevating it beyond a run-of-the-mill deathcore record. But as we recall, time devours everything, and by this point, time has nearly devoured this collection whole, as there are only three remaining tracks. This is where the quintet decides to make a bloody statement. “Be Deceived” amalgamates all the vile and brutal aspects of the band’s sound and channels it into pure, unadulterated violence. The band’s nu-metal influence is on full display here, contributing to the track’s almost anthemic feel and the infectiously groove-laden tempo. This is to say nothing of the unbridled filth that is the ending breakdown, where Hermida bellows “the world wants to be deceived” in a borderline slam metal fashion. Only, there is no deceit here; you are hearing honest, good old-fashioned deathcore, which is in short supply these days. Thankfully, Suicide Silence are still around to keep up with the demand, and I can only hope one day I can experience “Be Deceived” in a live setting.
The assault continues with “Dying Life”, where lead guitarist Mark Heylmun demonstrates some interesting guitar work at the track’s midpoint. Otherwise, “Dying Life” is more of what you’d expect; a dizzying deathcore assault chock-full of chugs and impressive percussion from new drummer Ernie Iniguez. The album concludes with “Full Void”, a strange song that can’t seem to decide if it wants to be black metal, djent, deathcore, or somehow all three. While certainly not bad, it does send the record off on an odd sort of note. The spoken word portion from the introductory track is reiterated before the album fades completely, which does add a welcome sense of unity and helps conclude the album in a clean sort of manner.
Loyal fans of Suicide Silence will appreciate this record for what it is. It’s a very solid attempt at the classic deathcore sound myself and many others grew up with, but it has enough diversity to keep sceptics and critics on their toes. The occasional less-than-stellar performance outside of the album’s centre holds it back from being a masterpiece; however, it is nevertheless a strong deathcore album and another worthy addition to the Suicide Silence discography.
8.5/10
Remember… You Must Die will be available March 17th via Century Media Records, and you can pre-order it here.