Suffocation is an American
death metal band that was formed in 1988 in
Centereach,
Long Island,
New York, United States. The band comprises vocalist
Frank Mullen, guitarists
Terrance Hobbs and Guy Marchais, drummer
Kevin Talley and bassist Derek Boyer. Suffocation rose to prominence of death metal and created a blueprint for the genre for the 1990s with their 1991 debut album
Effigy of the Forgotten, and have released seven studio albums since formation. The band's raw death metal style uses growled vocals with a downtuned guitar sound, fast and complex guitar riffs and drumming, open chord notes, breakdowns, and a sophisticated sense of songwriting.