Band:	Suffocation
Album:	Breeding The Spawn
Style:	Brutal death metal
Release date:	1993
A review by:	omne metallum

01. Beginning Of Sorrow
02. Breeding The Spawn
03. Epitaph Of The Credulous
04. Marital Decimation
05. Prelude To Repulsion
06. Anomalistic Offerings
07. Ornaments Of Decrepancy
08. Ignorant Deprivation

Omne, I hear you ask, is this a poor attempt at establishing a new and unique writing style?

Well, let me start by saying that being the middle album in a classic three-album run often sees said record overshadowed by those that bookend the trilogy, perhaps owing to primary or recency effect, but more fool those who overlook the middle child, especially one as powerful as Breeding The Spawn. Suffocation avoid the sophomore slump with a bang, producing a slab of death metal as technical as it is brutal.

Filled with tracks that demand you turn up the volume on whatever you're listening to them on, Breeding The Spawn blasts out with maximum power, precision and sound levels. "Epitaph Of The Credulous" typifies the record, showcasing the band's wares and qualities. Of course, it is far from alone in being a track you should listen to, with the whole thirty-five-minute runtime worthy of your attention. Suffocation's internal chemistry burns bright once again, with the band a cacophony of noise, yet also one that finds harmony in the chaos. Smith is as powerful as he is precise, a whirlwind of force behind a hurricane of notes from the fretboards of Cerrito and Hobbs; "Ornaments Of Decrepancy" benefits greatly from this combination of organised destruction. Not to be outdone, Richards rumbles away with a heavy and clunking bass that punctuates tracks like "Prelude To Repulsion" with a satisfying punch. Longtime setlist stalwart "Breeding The Spawn" is perhaps the best known track off the album, though one that should share the plaudits with the likes of "Beginning Of Sorrow", "Ignorant Deprevation" and "Martial Declimation", with each maintaining the same stellar quality.

If there is a weak link (though to call it weak is an over-exaggeration), it is Mullen's vocals. His powerful and booming voice feels very one-dimensional in comparison to the rest of the band. It is only a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, but a bit more variation in approach wouldn't go amiss.

The blueprint that many latter-day tech death bands would borrow from, Breeding The Spawn is more than just the noisy middle child, it is an overlooked part of the trifecta that built the reputation of Suffocation.