Death metal has had a wild ride filled with explosive pockets of popularity this decade, but one band that stayed true to its extreme roots was Suffocation. As one of the most-emulated bands on the scene, Suffocation played a key role in defining the death metal sound of the 90s. Even more important was the vibrancy, energy, and distinctiveness that this band retained after eight years of slogging it out in one of the most brutal and demanding genres in music. After being dropped by Roadrunner after unleashing Pierced From Within, Suffocation signed with Vulture Entertainment and released Despise The Sun, a five-song EP that tightened its songwriting and production, allowing for a brilliant final burst of classic death metal destruction. Suffocation's distinctive sound has been copied by many, but at the end of the day only the originator will be remembered, and Despise The Sun will stand as the ultimate testament to all that Suffocation brought to metal. This interview was likely one of the last Suffocation interviews before the band broke up and, while Frank Mullen's answers indicate no sign of the impending breakup, apparently the band decided to call it a day due to internal problems. The maniac behind the venomous growls, Frank Mullen, reviews the chain of events leading to signing on the dotted line with Vulture Entertainment and releasing Despise The Sun: "After Pierced we had a drummer change (to Dave Culross, formerly of Malevolent Creation) and we concentrated on getting things back together with [the new drummer situation] before we started writing again. This took a little bit of time, and then the first five songs we had complete we recorded and put out so that we did not have to keep the fans waiting any longer." Even before the guttural growls, blast beats, and psychotic guitar work grab the attention, a heavy impact is already registered with the intriguing cover art that sets the perfect atmosphere for the aural pounding that Suffocation delivers. The cover "...was mainly Doug's idea," says Frank, "but we worked real close with the artist to come up with a good representation of the album title. The title, Despise the Sun, depicts the harshness of having to face a world in which you don't really feel a part of, don't belong to, or dread living in. Every day that you see the sun is another day you must face the world - if you hate being here, you will Despise The Sun. Our album covers are always important to us, it's the first thing you see when you pick it up, and we want you to get a good feel for the album from its cover before you ever listen to it." Lyrically, Suffocation tackled some interesting topics that extended beyond the usual lame renditions of B-grade horror movie plotlines and examined social issues with a unique perspective. "'Catatonia' was a song we wrote a long time ago, it deals with a man who was rendered helpless, can't fend for himself and must live out the rest of his existence having other people make decisions for him. He feels betrayed and robbed of dignity and returns after his death to take back what truly should have been his life. 'Devoid of Truth' basically deals with people making decisions for you against your will or without your best interest in mind, they just follow what they have been taught is right and you suffer the consequences living in their lies." For most bands, splitting with their label would mark a crushing defeat, and questions of the band's continued existence would likely arise. For Suffocation, being removed from the Roadrunner roster marked an opportunity for a new, if short-lived, beginning, and a renewal that, while cut painfully short, produced one of the finest musical artifacts in this band's respected discography. "At first, after the split with Roadrunner, we were a bit depressed, but we never considered breaking up, we knew what we had to do," says Frank. "After leaving Roadrunner we searched for a new label, but most of the offers we got were not what we wanted at that time. Vulture is run by our long time manager, Jason Fligman, and he was able to give us what we wanted so we went with it." Before the band broke up, Suffocation was planning to release a new full-length album, one which Frank described as "very much a continuation of Despise, and in my opinion getting even better." At the time of this interview, six songs had been written, and it was planned that after touring in support of Despise, the band would enter the studio and begin recording. Rumors abound as to whether any of these new tracks were actually recorded, and if the last of Suffocation's musical output has yet to surface. I had initially intended to conclude this article lauding the band for surviving, although obviously such comments are no longer applicable. While disappointed with the band's decision to call it a day, I am extremely pleased that Suffocation will go out on the high note that is Despise The Sun, rather than stagnating or attempting to take its sound in a different direction. Suffocation started out death metal and remained a vital and integral part of the scene until the end, and the five songs on Despise The Sun stand not so much as a eulogy for the band as a war anthem to announce the onslaught of the next generation of extreme metal.

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