Pinnacle of Bedlam
Pinnacle of Bedlam is the seventh studio album by American death metal band Suffocation. It is the band's first full-length record since Pierced from Within to not feature Mike Smith (although he makes a guest appearance on the final track), instead the album features returning drummer Dave Culross, making this his only full-length record with Suffocation and his first release overall with the band since 1998's Despise the Sun. Track 10, 'Beginning of Sorrow', is a re-recording of the track of the same name from the album Breeding the Spawn. It is also the band's last album with longtime guitarist Guy Marchais.
| Pinnacle of Bedlam | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover art by Raymond Swanland | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 18, 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2012 | |||
| Genre | Technical death metal | |||
| Length | 38:22 | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Producer | Suffocation, Zeuss, Joe Cincotta | |||
| Suffocation chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   [1] |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Decibel | [3] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[4] |
A limited edition release of the CD included a DVD containing the 75-minute documentary The Making of Pinnacle of Bedlam.
In its first week, the album sold about 3,200 copies and landed at the 152 position on the Billboard 200.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cycles of Suffering" | Derek Boyer | Terrance Hobbs | 3:56 |
| 2. | "Purgatorial Punishment" | Boyer |
| 2:44 |
| 3. | "Eminent Wrath" | Boyer | Hobbs | 3:40 |
| 4. | "As Grace Descends" | Boyer | Hobbs | 3:04 |
| 5. | "Sullen Days" | Boyer | Hobbs | 4:57 |
| 6. | "Pinnacle of Bedlam" | Boyer | Hobbs | 3:42 |
| 7. | "My Demise" | Boyer | Marchais | 4:03 |
| 8. | "Inversion" | Boyer | Hobbs | 3:50 |
| 9. | "Rapture of Revocation" | Frank Mullen |
| 3:49 |
| 10. | "Beginning of Sorrow" (re-recorded from Breeding the Spawn) | Mike Smith (credited: Suffocation) | Doug Cerrito (credited: Suffocation) | 4:32 |
| Total length: | 38:17 | |||
Personnel
Suffocation
- Frank Mullen – vocals
- Terrance Hobbs – lead guitar
- Guy Marchais – rhythm guitar
- Derek Boyer – bass
- Dave Culross – drums
Guest musicians
- Mike Smith - drums on track 10
Production
- Joe Cincotta – engineering, production
- Chris "Zeuss" Harris – mixing, mastering
References
- Schalek, Dave. "Suffocation - Pinnacle Of Bedlam Review". About.com. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
- Heaney, Gregory. "Suffocation - Pinnacle of Bedlam". Allmusic. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
- Rosenbloom, Etan (March 2013). "Suffocation, Pinnacle of Bedlam". Decibel Magazine (101): 86.
- Brown, Dean. "Suffocation - Pinnacle Of Bedlam Review". Popmatters. Retrieved February 15, 2014.