Hymns from the Apocrypha

The problem with most technical death metal bands of old age is that they fail to expand their horizons, reinvent themselves and surprise their fans. When Cryptopsy has experimented with deathcore elements and Morbid Angel has integrated industrial soundscapes, the backlash from critics and fans has however been terrible. That might be the reason why veterans such as Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation keep things simple, repetitive and predictable. Fans of old date might praise such a standard as consistency while occasional listeners such as myself might rather describe such an approach as stagnation.

Suffocation's ninth studio record Hymns from the Apocrypha isn't a bad release by any means but fails to exploit the quintet's full potential that manages to shine through here and there. The technically stunning guitar play meandering between aggressive riffs and melodic solos, the dynamic, heavy and playful bass guitar sounds and the energetic, fast and tight drum play show what this band could accomplish if it detached itself from its early roots, fan expectations and genre boundaries.

Highlights on this album include atmospheric, creative and thunderous album opener and title track ''Hymns from the Apocrypha'' and dynamic, experimental and playful deep cut ''Seraphim Enslavement''. Most of the other songs rush by without leaving any significant impression, even after multiple spins, as the album even starts to have a few lengths by the end despite an overall decent running time of forty-one minutes.

My best advice for bands such as Suffocation, Morbid Angel, Cryptopsy and the likes would be to dare to reinvent themselves, push genre boundaries and exploit their full potential even if such a strategy might mean to face some heat over such controversial decisions. Suffocation's Hymns from the Apocrypha ultimately qualifies as standard technical death metal record of a good average quality but the band has the potential to accomplish much more and should do so without any worries, regrets or compromises.