SUFFOCATION

Suffocation are widely considered major innovators of death metal; they had a massive influence on the genre and pioneered a balance between brutal and technical sounds commonly heard in modern death metal.

There was an earlier "incarnation" of Suffocation existing from 1988 to around 1990, featuring vocalist Frank Mullen, bassist Josh Barohn, guitarists Guy Marchais and Todd German and Barohn's friend on drums. By 1990, the band had hired guitarists Terrance Hobbs and Doug Cerrito, along with drummer Mike Smith, members of a local band Mortuary, which had already disbanded.

The band split up after "Despise The Sun" and reformed in 2002 with some line-up changes. Doug Cerrito was asked to join when the band reformed, but apparently he wasn't interested.

"Human Waste" was the first CD ever released on Relapse Records. Though, they aren't the first band released on the label (they first released a bunch of 7" singles), it is the first printed and distributed CD by Relapse.

Birth dates:
Frank Mullen (January 1970)
Terrance Hobbs (April 1970)
Mike Smith (16th July 1971, New York, NY)
Guy Marchais (28th May 1969)
Dave Culross (9th March 1974)