Sufferage - Bloodspawn
Few female vocalists approach Arch Enemy’s Angela Gossow in brutality. However, Sufferage’s Jasmin Fleiner does, and then some. Without knowing her identity, I would have sworn that the vocals on Bloodspawn (on Remission) came from a man. In real life, that would be bad, but in metal, that’s awesome. Her voice is no joke; I hear both Max Cavalera and LG Petrov in it.
Sufferage hails from Hamburg, Germany, and plays old-school, straightforward death metal. Think Bolt Thrower, early Cannibal Corpse, perhaps some Skinless. In an age where death metal often involves sitting helplessly as odd meters and technical riffs fly around you, such simplicity is refreshing. These grooves demand circle headbanging, the kind where you put your hands on your knees and just go for it. Expect chugging riffs, tremolo picking, and blastbeats galore. The songs are all killer, no filler, with no clean tones, solos, or any such frills. At times, I found myself wishing for more high-end information, but the songs crush, and that’s what matters.
Sufferage – Allday LifeSufferage – What About
Fleiner comes from a grind/punk background, so her lyrics are pointed and often political. Some of her lyrics are downright funny. Check out the third verse in “Allday Life” (at 1:52):
I am not a lazy bastard
I don’t wanna refuse work
I’d just like to work more rarely
3 days every week’d be good
Maybe this subject doesn’t fit into
Death metal aggressions
But today’s work made me sick
And I’d bet you know these days
Amen, sister. And how about these gems that lead off “What About”?
Oh what a mess, I hate writing lyrics
I’m without the slightest clue
About what or about who
I’m without the slightest clue
Should I write about vicious killings?
About peace, love, and understanding?
About war and political fuckings?
Or about chocolate – I would like that
Death metal, 3-day work weeks, chocolate – these are people after my own heart. As an added bonus, the artwork is clear and legible. I am sick of having to figure out song titles by looking up albums on Amazon because their artwork is artsy and unreadable. The more time I spend with this album, the more I dig it. Unfortunately, it might be a bitch to get, as one can only mailorder from the label in German, and distribution otherwise looks dicey. Your best bet is to order directly from the band’s website.
