SUFFOCATION Drummer Talks About The Recording Process For The New Album

March 21, 2004

SUFFOCATION drummer Mike Smith recently spoke to SeattleDeathMetal.com about the group's much-anticipated comeback album, "Souls to Deny", and their upcoming touring activities. Asked about the recording process for the new CD, Mike said, "Playing in the studio again was a great time we wanted to be there so it all went smooth and according to plan. We chose to record the album ourselves in our own environment so it really was as relaxed or at times as stressful as we wanted it to be. It took a couple weeks to get all the old and new music down as a band again but the writing process was long overdue so when it was time to write we had no problems.

"We recorded the album in our own studio on Long Island's Full Force studios. We produced it along with our soundman Joe Cincotta. This is definitely our preferred method of doing it at this stage. We weren't ready to fall into the hands of engineers or producers that are shaping the scene now. We know best what we want and expect out of the music. If it wasn't right it wasn’t leaving the studio."

With regards to the new material, Mike said, "I think it's crazy, it definitely has all the elements of SUFFOCATION old and new and the fans will know it's real. I haven't lost any significant sleep worrying about the songs or how it turned out since we left the studio, so I trust our first judgment when we decided to record and immortalize it.

"It took us approximately 8 months to write and 2 weeks to record and mix. We were on a deadline, which made us speed up the writing process a bit but in the end we made it just in time to have a full year to support it. As for the standard of material the pressure was there but it wasn't from the fans. The standard the fans hold us to, is what SUFFOCATION's natural way of writing is. So it's not any extra pressure to just stay true to what we’ve done. Those who like the old SUFFOCATION will hear it. Those who love the new SUFFOCATION will hear it as well."

SUFFOCATION are currently preparing to film a video for the song "Surgery of Impalement" in addition to rehearsing for their upcoming tour with MORBID ANGEL and SATYRICON. A European tour will follow in June, with a headlining tour of the U.S. planned for late August/early September. Another European run of dates is tentatively scheduled to take place in October.

(Thanks: Andrew Scheeler / SeattleDeathMetal.com)

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