For this week’s album of the week, we are looking to a band that has been the center of a hot topic in metal and I am talking about deathcore artist Suicide Silence. The band which is made up of Hernan “Eddie” Hermida (Vocals), Mark Heylmun (Lead Guitar), Chris Garza (Rhythm Guitar), Dan Kenny (Bass), and Alex Lopez (Drums) have been the center of attention thanks to their new self titled album. In the past I interviewed guitarist Mark Heylmun and respected him and the band after that interview which is why I have decided that I would cover the band’s previous effort, 2014’s You Can’t Stop Me. The album was the band’s first effort with previous singer Mitch Lucker and their first with former All Shall Perish vocalist Hermida. The band’s fourth album was a success for the band as it peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Top 200 charts making it the band’s highest charted effort as it spent five weeks on the charts. According to a source, the album’s title came from a set of lyrics that were left behind by Mitch before he passed away.
1. M.A.L.– A cool instrumental intro that leads us to the next track on the album. 4/5
2. Inherit The Crown– The song kicks off like a bullet from a gun and the track seems fitting with the opening lines “I’ll wear the mask if I have to,I will inherit the crown” which seems to be Hermida telling the crowd that he’ll inherit the spot that Lucker left behind to keep the band rolling. 5/5
3. Cease To Exist– The track starts with the razor fast shredding from Heylmun and Garza and the insane thrash like drumming from Lopez as Hermida sings about his distaste for pedophiles. The song features those typical metalcore breakdowns tuned down to death metal standards with a sick guitar solo. 4.5/5
4. Sacred Words– I absolutely love this track on the album because it makes you believe that it’s going to be more melodic than most tracks until it actually kicks in to overdrive with the hardcore like riffs. The song seems to be about someone who questions the existence of faith and how it has never helped him. 5/5
5. Control– a more death metal like track on the album with the blast beats and fasster than lightning playing that also features vocals from Cannibal Corpse singer George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher. 5/5
6. Warrior– A call and response between the rhythm section and Heylmun set up the beginning of the track as they fiercely blast away in a track about a warrior’s journey. There’s a cool part in the track where all the music stops except for the bass and drums and it’s a kick ass section. 4.5/5
7. You Can’t Stop Me– The title track on the album which is also one of two songs to feature lyrics by Mitch Lucker. The track seems to be about stepping up the plate and not letting anyone deter you from being what you want to be. It’s a kick ass section that is a definite sing along with fans. 5/5
8. Monster Within– An in your face unrelenting track that is gets the blood boiling with every note and chord that also features vocals from The Dillinger Escape Plan singer Greg Puciato. 5/5
9. We Have All Had Enough– The track starts with some nice clean guitars and some sound effects like a storm is brewing and it is in the form of some kick ass metal that explodes through your speakers. I think the track is about someone who is trying to fool the public even though it’s written all over his face and we have all had enough. 4.5/5
10. Ending Is the Beginning– This is the other track on the album that features lyrics by Lucker, but that is because this is a re-recording of the track from the band’s Suicide Silence EP. 4.5/5
11. Don’t Die– I feel like this track is a tribute to Mitch and all of his fans like in saying let’s not let his legacy die and let’s keep it moving forward. 4/5
12. Ouroboros– I had to look up what the title meant and it’s this, “a circular symbol depicting a snake, or less commonly a dragon, swallowing its tail, as an emblem of wholeness or infinity.” The track more or less is them coming to grips with the fact that the world is f**ked and there is nothing we can do, but be one with ourselves. It’s another track that features clean guitars and is a lot slower in tempo, but don’t let their musical abilities fool you because they turn it up in the track as well. 5/5
My Final Thoughts– The bonus tracks on the album feature the track Blue Haze and a cover of an Hatebreed song in Last Breath. From a standpoint of traditional Suicide Silence records, I think this is a pretty kick ass record and a great debut for Hermida on vocals who had huge shoes to fill. You can see the band’s change of direction in the last track on the album so it’s almost foreshadowed. Anyways, I am giving the album 4.6 stars out of five for a final grade.
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