Become the Hunter is the sixth studio album by American deathcore band Suicide Silence. The album was released on February 14, 2020 through Nuclear Blast. Two years after its release, drummer Alex Lopez would depart from the band. Although Lopez is credited for drums on the album, they were actually recorded by Whitechapel's former touring drummer Ernie Iniguez, who later officially joined Suicide Silence in Lopez' place.[2]
| Become the Hunter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 14, 2020 | |||
| Genre | Deathcore[1] | |||
| Length | 39:47 | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Producer | Steve Evetts | |||
| Suicide Silence chronology | ||||
| ||||
Musical style
editAfter the overwhelmingly negative fan reaction to the nu metal direction heard on the band's self-titled album, Become the Hunter features a return to the deathcore sound the band is known for.[3] Additionally, Dom Lawson of Blabbermouth.net noted sludge metal influences on "Two Steps" and "In Hiding".[4]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Blabbermouth.net | 8/10[4] |
| Distorted Sound | 8/10[5] |
| Exclaim! | 6/10[6] |
| Kerrang! |   [1] |
| Metal Injection | 8.5/10[3] |
Become the Hunter received positive reviews from critics and has been hailed as the band's "return to form".
Blabbermouth.net's Dom Lawson called the album "the perfect follow-up to You Can't Stop Me", while Naomi Sanders of Distorted Sound called Become the Hunter "a massive step up from the last album."[4][5]
A more mixed review come from Joe Smith-Engelhardt of Exclaim!, who stated "the new record isn't a perfect show from them, but it is a return to form." Smith-Engelhardt said the album feels like a logical follow up to You Can't Stop Me and praised the band's use of guitar solos on the album, saying "instead of shoehorning in a solo for every song, they sparingly bring them in and have a great structure to each one." He said "Skin Tight" was the weakest song on the album, citing its atmospheric instrumental section and vocal delivery, comparing those moments to Suicide Silence. The review concluded by saying "if you can pretend their last album never happened, it's a fantastic collection of songs and any fan of the genre will be able to find some things they like, but ultimately, it does feel like their switchback was done to save their career."[6]
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by Eddie Hermida; all music is composed by Chris Garza, Mark Heylmun and Dan Kenny
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Meltdown" (instrumental) | 2:12 |
| 2. | "Two Steps" | 3:22 |
| 3. | "Feel Alive" | 3:29 |
| 4. | "Love Me to Death" | 4:15 |
| 5. | "In Hiding" | 2:57 |
| 6. | "Death's Anxiety" | 3:13 |
| 7. | "Skin Tight" | 4:10 |
| 8. | "The Scythe" | 4:42 |
| 9. | "Serene Obscene" | 4:25 |
| 10. | "Disaster Valley" | 3:54 |
| 11. | "Become the Hunter" (featuring Darius Tehrani) | 3:08 |
| Total length: | 39:47 | |
Personnel
editSuicide Silence
- Eddie Hermida – vocals
- Mark Heylmun – lead guitar
- Chris Garza – rhythm guitar
- Dan Kenny – bass
Additional musicians
- Ernie Iniguez – drums
- Clinton Bradley – programming, sound design
- Darius Tehrani – additional vocals on track 11
Production
- Steve Evetts – production
- Josh Wilbur – mixing
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Adrian Baxter – artwork, layout
- Rob Kimura – layout design
References
edit- ^ a b Slessor, Dan (February 13, 2020). "Album Review: Suicide Silence - Become The Hunter". Kerrang!. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ Greg Kennelty (April 29, 2022). "SUICIDE SILENCE Parts Ways With Longtime Drummer ALEX LOPEZ, Announces New Music". Metal Injection. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ a b Rowe, Riley (February 11, 2020). "Album Review: SUICIDE SILENCE Become the Hunter". Metal Injection. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ a b c Lawson, Dom. "CD Reviews: Become The Hunter Suicide Silence". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ a b Sanders, Naomi (February 13, 2020). "ALBUM REVIEW: Become The Hunter - Distorted Sound". Distorted Sound. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ a b Smith-Engelhardt, Joe (February 13, 2020). "Suicide Silence Become the Hunter". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 27, 2021.