Suicide Silence

Listening to Suicide Silence's third album, The Black Crown, is a pummelling experience. With The Black Crown, Suicide Silence continue to combine heavy music's best elements into a type of extreme thrash metal that might be a good indicator of where the genre is headed. Technically, the band continue to prove their proficiency, as Chris Garza and Mark Heylmun race through riffs and solos that could hold their place amongst the best guitarists out there. Dan Kenny (bass) and Alex Lopez (drums) constantly bring The Black Crown back to the steady breakdowns that make each song so catchy. Meanwhile, Mitch Lucker's vocals switch between a shattering scream and crushing growl that sounds like a demon unleashed. "Slaves to Substance" opens the album with a furious series of blast beats before shifting into a minefield of breakdowns. "Human Violence" is a lightning-fast track with a tempo and solo reminiscent of Slayer's "Dittohead." Each of the album's 11 tracks delivers an extreme sound that doesn't rest for a second. There are no melodic vocals or quiet contemplations ― every moment is an explosion of rage as the band explore themes of addiction, nihilism and violence.