Suicide Silence (album)

Suicide Silence is the fifth studio album by metal band Suicide Silence, released on February 24, 2017 by Nuclear Blast. The album is a notable departure from their deathcore signature musical style, pursuing a more 1990s influenced nu metal sound. Critical reviews were mixed, while fan response was generally negative.

Suicide Silence
Studio album by Suicide Silence
Released	February 24, 2017[1]
Recorded	Late 2016
Genre	Nu metal[2][3]
Length	44:13
Label	Nuclear Blast
Producer	Ross Robinson
Suicide Silence chronology
You Can't Stop Me (2014) Suicide Silence (2017) Become the Hunter (2020)
Singles from Suicide Silence
"Doris" Released: January 6, 2017[4] "Silence" Released: February 1, 2017[5]

Background and musical style

The album shows a huge shift from the band's deathcore style that they're known for to a nu metal style reminiscent of bands such as Korn, Deftones and Coal Chamber.[6][7] The album was first announced to the public with headlines from coverage sites in December 2016 that the band claimed it would contain "mostly clean vocals", a vocal style that the band have largely avoided throughout most of their career.[8] Bassist Dan Kenny and drummer Alex Lopez commented: "it’s the first time [vocalist Eddie Hermida] has ever been confident enough to do it, but Eddie’s always been a singer. There’s a lot of singing in it, there’s a lot of screaming in it, there’s a lot of everything in it… there’s melody in it.”[9]

Following this, the first single "Doris" was released with an overwhelming negative reaction from fans.[10]

The album's sound has been compared to bands such as Deftones and Korn.[11]

Reception

Reviews

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Blabbermouth.net	6/10[12]
Exclaim!	1/10[2]
Metal Hammer	[13]
Metal Injection	[3]
MetalSucks	[14]

The album has received mixed reviews from critics. Joe Smith-Engelhardt of Exclaim! gave the album a 1/10 review, comparing it to "a garage band sloppily covering Korn and Deftones through a microphone they found in a dumpster".[2] Rock Sound were also critical of the change in direction, claiming that the band had "shed the very thing that made them great",[15] as were Metal Hammer, who found the band's decision "bewildering".[13] Ghost Cult magazine called the album "a complete disaster", awarding it a score of 3 out of 10.[16]

More positive feedback came from MetalSucks, who saw the album as "a weird art-metal album" comparable to Metallica's similarly controversial Lulu or St. Anger albums. While asserting that "Suicide Silence have never sounded this genuinely deranged", writer Axl Rosenberg summarized the record by saying that "I'm not sure that Suicide Silence is a great record, but it's certainly a good one, and it took balls to make it".[14]

Metal Injection also gave the album a positive review, writing, "Their determination to create the art they want is noble, and in time we can hope that the band builds upon this new direction, and bring Suicide Silence back with a powerful, emotional, and individually unique voice."[3]

In a mixed review from Blabbermouth.net, the site wrote, "Whether you like this album or you're one of the many casting digital stones, we've hit a repulsive point of no return."[12]

Fans' reactions

The album's musical style and clean singing have received a largely negative reception from fans.[17] Fan backlash to Suicide Silence's perceived drastic change in musical style was overwhelming, to the point that a Change.org petition calling for the album's release to be halted amassed over 5,000 signatures from disgruntled fans.[18]

Loudwire, interviewing the band, noted that this Wikipedia article for the album was frequently vandalized.[19]

In response to fans' negativity of the album's style, Cannibal Corpse frontman George Fisher criticized the rampant backlash toward the album's use of clean vocals, saying, "obviously, fans are the lifeblood of this music, [...] But it doesn't give you the right to talk like you know Mitch, like 'oh, Mitch is rolling in his grave, with you guys doing clean vocals.' How the fuck do you know?"[17]

Sales

First week sales for the album were 4,650 copies in the United States, which was 69% less than first week sales of their previous album You Can't Stop Me.[20]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Suicide Silence.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Doris"	4:28
2.	"Silence"	4:40
3.	"Listen"	5:32
4.	"Dying in a Red Room"	4:45
5.	"Hold Me Up, Hold Me Down"	5:18
6.	"Run"	4:25
7.	"The Zero"	4:53
8.	"Conformity"	5:53
9.	"Don't Be Careful, You Might Hurt Yourself"	4:20
Total length:		44:13

Personnel

Suicide Silence

• Hernan "Eddie" Hermida – vocals
• Mark Heylmun – lead guitar
• Chris Garza – rhythm guitar
• Dan Kenny – bass
• Alex Lopez – drums

Additional musicians

• Steve Krolikowski – additional vocals
• Jose Mangin – additional vocals

Personnel

• Ross Robinson – production
• Joe Barresi – mixing
• Dave Collins – mastering
• Monte Conner – A&R
• Dean Karr – cover photo
• Marcelo Vasco – cover design, layout
• D. Randall Blythe – photography

Charts

Chart (2017)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[21]	78
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22]	98
US Billboard 200[23]	163
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[24]	7
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[25]	30

References

1. "SUICIDE SILENCE: New Album Track Listing, Cover Artwork, Release Date Unveiled". Blabbermouth.net. December 27, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
2. Smith-Engelhardt, Joe (22 February 2017). "Suicide Silence – Suicide Silence". Exclaim!. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
3. http://www.metalinjection.net/reviews/suicide-silence-suicide-silence
4. "New Song Premiere: Suicide Silence's 'Doris'". Blabbermouth.net. January 6, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
5. Hartmann, Graham (February 2, 2017). "Suicide Silence Release 'Silence,' Fan Backlash Intensifies". Loudwire. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
6. https://www.allmusic.com/album/suicide-silence-2017-mw0003026932
7. Hartmann, Graham (January 13, 2017). "Suicide Silence Producer Ross Robinson on 'Doris' Backlash". Loudwire. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
8. https://www.altpress.com/news/entry/suicide_silence_reveal_new_album_will_be_mostly_clean_vocals
9. Pasbani, Robert (16 December 2016). "SUICIDE SILENCE Confirm New Album Will Be 70% Clean Vocals". Metal Injection. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
10. Pasbani, Robert (January 6, 2017). "SUICIDE SILENCE Post New Song, "Doris," And Yes, There Is Clean Singing (In The Chorus)". Metal Injection. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
11. Rosenberg, Axl (January 6, 2017). "Listen to Suicide Silence's New Single, "Doris"". Metal Sucks. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
12. http://www.blabbermouth.net/cdreviews/suicide-silence/
13. Hill, Stephen (24 February 2017). "Suicide Silence - Suicide Silence album review". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
14. Rosenberg, Axl (17 February 2017). "Suicide Silence's Suicide Silence: The MetalSucks Review". MetalSucks. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
15. Sayce, Rob (23 February 2017). "Suicide Silence - 'Suicide Silence'". Rock Sound. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
16. http://www.ghostcultmag.com/album-review-suicide-silence-suicide-silence-self-titled-nuclear-blast/
17. http://www.metalsucks.net/2017/10/16/cannibal-corpses-george-corpsegrinder-fisher-to-suicide-silence-haters-fuck-you/amp/
18. DiVita, Joe (6 February 2017). "Petition Launched to Prevent New Suicide Silence Album". Loudwire. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
19. http://loudwire.com/suicide-silence-wikipedia-fact-or-fiction/
20. http://www.metalinjection.net/its-just-business/record-sales/ouch-suicide-silences-experimental-new-album-sells-70-less-than-previous-release
21. "ARIA CHART WATCH #410". auspOp. March 4, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
22. "Offiziellecharts.de – Suicide Silence – Suicide Silence" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
23. "Suicide Silence Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
24. "Suicide Silence Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
25. "Suicide Silence Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2017.