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Suffocation - Blood Oath review



Reviewer:
N/A

209 users:
7.5
Band: Suffocation
Album: Blood Oath
Style: Brutal death metal
Release date: July 03, 2009
A review by: jupitreas


01. Blood Oath
02. Dismal Dream
03. Pray For Forgiveness
04. Images Of Purgatory
05. Cataclysmic Purification
06. Mental Hemorrhage
07. Come Hell Or High Priest
08. Undeserving
09. Provoking The Disturbed
10. Martial Decimation
11. Pray For Forgiveness [instrumental version] [N. America bonus]
12. Dismal Dream [rough mix un-mastered version] [N. America bonus]
13. Blood Oath [instrumental version] [limited edition bonus]
14. Cataclysmic Purification [rough mix un-mastered version] [limited edition bonus]

Blood Oath is, quite sadly, rather mediocre and as a consequence - fairly boring. I don't think the intention of death metal is supposed to be inducing sleep; however, I found it terribly easy to nod off to Blood Oath on more than one occasion. And I really doubt this is because I'm a jaded asshole who heard enough death metal already to consider it pretty tame music. No. Suffocation made a boring record and that's all there is to it.

Just as Mike Smith's trademark hyperblasts sound a little like some sort of jackhammer, Suffocation's music on Blood Oath is like watching someone getting brutally raped with a jackhammer. Except that nobody was kind enough to attach a dildo to the heavy drill and thus, not very surprisingly, the victim's intestines begin to leak out of a bunch of violently administered holes. And all of this is pretty awesome to watch, right? Nothing better for a death metal fan than some vicarious murder and Suffocation aurally delivers exactly this. It all sounds mighty impressive due to the superb production, crystal-clear and selective sound. Unfortunately, this initially very positive impression only lasts for about the first 2 songs and then it just gets rehashed and forgettable. We've heard it all before, by this band and done much better. Think about it - watching just the jackhammer would get boring about 10 minutes or so. There are so many more creative ways to kill a person in a funny way. Suffocation uses none of these on Blood Oath.

Alas, Suffocation is obviously a highly regarded band with a well-earned cult following. But that doesn't mean every new album should be enthusiastically received just due to the renown. Forget it, sometimes you gotta call crap crap. Blood Oath might not exactly be crap but it is completely unremarkable regardless.





Written on 26.07.2009 by With Metal Storm since 2002, jupitreas has been subjecting the masses to his reviews for quite a while now. He lives in Warsaw, Poland, where he does his best to avoid prosecution for being so cool.


Comments

Comments: 23   Visited by: 325 users
26.07.2009 - 01:54
Rating: 6
Dangerboner
Lactation Cnslt
Agreed - I also find this album boring and for me it's easily their worst
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26.07.2009 - 01:56
Visioneerie
Urban Monster
Yep, I've built up alot of hype for this album and it all went to waste once I heard the whole thing. Actually, my attention was wandering after a couple of songs, so yes, it's definitive, it's boring. I think Nuclear Blast really has a bad influence on their signings.
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Any man can stand adversity, but to test his character give him power - A. Lincoln
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26.07.2009 - 02:41
SlaytallicA
Lycanthropy
Indeed, this album sucks, I had a bad felling when first listen one song and it was confirmed... Until now, the letdown of the year!
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One Pound Of Flesh, No More No Less, No Cartilage, No Bones, But Only Flesh...
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26.07.2009 - 04:14
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Staff
I'd probably give this a 4/10. Maybe even a 3/10. The only thing extreme about this album is the degree of hype it received prior to its release. It's just really bad.

Like, really bad.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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26.07.2009 - 05:25
Diablos
Account deleted
"I don't think the intention of death metal is supposed to be inducing sleep".

Actually i always listen to Black and Death metal when i go to sleep. So i guess I'll check this album out.
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26.07.2009 - 05:30
Rating: 8
DeathRich
I'm not going to rave about this album, but I certainly like it more than anyone else posting here so far. It's got some great technical rhythmic playing on many of the songs and it has grown on me quite a bit since the first listen. 7/10.
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26.07.2009 - 10:16
Fat & Sassy!
Elite
"Suffocation's music on Blood Oath is like watching someone getting brutally raped with a jackhammer. Except that nobody was kind enough to attach a dildo to the heavy drill and thus, not very surprisingly, the victim's intestines begin to leak out of a bunch of violently administered holes. And all of this is pretty awesome to watch, right?"

Hahahahahahaa!!! Nice.
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26.07.2009 - 12:09
Daggon
Underpaid M.D.
Written by Visioneerie on 26.07.2009 at 01:56

I think Nuclear Blast really has a bad influence on their signings.

Totally agreed. I hope Vader won't fail to us since they are now with NB
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"Les vers savent qu'ils n'ont pas d'ailes, c'est pour cela qu'ils se cachent sous terre"
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26.07.2009 - 12:09
Black_Handed
A village idiot
I was never really fond of suffocation. none of their albums made me interested. but then i saw them live.....to me it just seems that i have to listen to them live, then it everything clicks in. the albums still sound a bit boring, samey and such to me, but id go to their gig anytime. so this album is no surprise to me. btw same goes for dying fetus.
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Cryptic Bleak Smurf of Ur
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26.07.2009 - 12:44
Baz Anderson
Staff
Thanks for doing this for me. I would have pretty much said the same too - it really disappointed me.
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26.07.2009 - 14:46
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Staff
O well... Every good band has to do a horrible album. But it's still a surprise because the s/t was awesome... So I really wasn't expecting something bad from this guys.

More luck next time.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass

Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.

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26.07.2009 - 15:33
Ereinion
Account deleted
Sad to hear that this album is not so good as their other work.....but still I will give it a try....At least the album artwork is a killer
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27.07.2009 - 10:15
Rating: 5
Elio
Red Nightmare
Ok we all agree on this one, for those who haven't listened yet to Blood Oath, don't waste your time.
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IntoPlighT said: "Slipknot is 15 years old how the fuck is that Nu metal?"

BEST. QUOTE. EVER.
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27.07.2009 - 20:06
Darkside Momo
Retired
Elite
Written by Daggon on 26.07.2009 at 12:09

Written by Visioneerie on 26.07.2009 at 01:56

I think Nuclear Blast really has a bad influence on their signings.

Totally agreed. I hope Vader won't fail to us since they are now with NB

And Immolation too...
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My Author's Blog (in French)


"You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you"

"I've lost too many years now
I'm stealing back my soul
I am awake"
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28.07.2009 - 06:29
DoomGuard
Written by Elio on 27.07.2009 at 10:15

Ok we all agree on this one, for those who haven't listened yet to Blood Oath, don't waste your time.

i will, since i dont agree with alot of this site
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28.07.2009 - 16:35
Written by DoomGuard on 28.07.2009 at 06:29

Written by Elio on 27.07.2009 at 10:15

Ok we all agree on this one, for those who haven't listened yet to Blood Oath, don't waste your time.

i will, since i dont agree with alot of this site

Yea you should give this one a listen. The entire album isn't terrible, just well below the caliber that Suffo set on their other releases. But I've read some reviews where people like it quite a bit, so you might as well.
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18.08.2009 - 17:30
Lamahe
I disagree with the negative standpoint to Blood Oath to some serious extent = this is certainly not their breakthrough record (anyway bands with status like Suffo don't tend to release those too often do they?..they did it long time ago), but it is nevertheless rock-solid deathmetal with catchy riffs, highest level of technical skills, but most importantly also on Blood Oath they show incredible ability to upkeep the suspense and tension through the album. You should see them performing live Dismal Dream at the Brutal Assault - that was simply AWESOME!! Personaly I rate Blood Oath solid 7,5/10
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“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
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18.08.2009 - 19:50
jupitreas
hi-fi / lo-life
Staff
Written by Lamahe on 18.08.2009 at 17:30

You should see them performing live Dismal Dream at the Brutal Assault - that was simply AWESOME!! Personaly I rate Blood Oath solid 7,5/10

Actually, I have seen them at Brutal Assault.
And they rocked.
But this album is still boring
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05.12.2009 - 22:49
Rating: 5
danielllewis
After listening to this again, I think it's the shitty ass production and the weak vocals that drag this album down.

The riffs and song structures seem like the ones that didn't make it into the 2006 release. FUCK this pisses me off, it's like they don't even care anymore...
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06.12.2009 - 01:15
I actually thought Blood Oath has the best production of any of their albums. But I can see what you mean about this sounding a little like the rejected songs from their S/T. It is similar, but still a big step down from their previous album.
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01.04.2010 - 06:12
Clintagräm
Shrinebuilder
The songs I have heard sounds fine. It's like people get on a trend of loving or hating an album and then everyone jumps on. Maybe I'm wrong, who knows. But what if it wasn't a Suffocation album?
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The force will be with you, always.
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11.11.2010 - 13:10
JD
Account deleted
The most boring Suffocation's album... it's so slow.. sounds like doom, but there is some good parts, i rate it as 7
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18.11.2017 - 22:34
Spawntanious
I don't understand why some people don't like this album, it kicks ass!! Way better than pinnacle
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