Review : SUSPERIA – “Attitude”

Susperia – “Attitude”
released May 18, 2009 on Candlelight

There’s plenty of things that the Norwegian quintet does to frustrate the listener on their fifth full-length. First and foremost, the embarrassingly cliché lyrics drag down the strongest of songs (witness 3 & 6), which cuts deep when one wants to hear some of the best melodic thrash music being created today. The vocals sound alternatingly like David Draiman, Burton C. Bell, and Chuck Billy (who actually guests on 2, as does Shagrath of Dimmu Borgir on 5). Sonically, they pack a punch, but their content leaves much to be desired. After a promising pair of tracks, the album loses direction and doesn’t gain much footing thereafter, save for “Character Flaw”, with its memorable riffing and delicate outro. Maybe part of my distaste for this band has something to do with my lukewarm reception to the Dario Argento film of the same name (slightly re-spelled), but I doubt it. Ultimately, the parallel becomes all the more apt, with style superseding substance and redeeming moments few and far between.

FCC OK.
Try 1, 2, 8.

01. Urge
02. Live My Dreams
03. Attitude
04. Elegy and Suffering
05. Sick Bastard
06. Another Turn
07. Mr. Stranger
08. Character Flaw
09. One After All

Rating:  

~Matt Longo