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 | Brutal death metal, 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 | 8/10[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
All lyrics are written by Derek Boyer, except where noted; all music is composed by Terrance Hobbs, except where noted
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cycles of Suffering" | 3:56 | ||
| 2. | "Purgatorial Punishment" |
| 2:44 | |
| 3. | "Eminent Wrath" | 3:40 | ||
| 4. | "As Grace Descends" | 3:04 | ||
| 5. | "Sullen Days" | 4:57 | ||
| 6. | "Pinnacle of Bedlam" | 3:42 | ||
| 7. | "My Demise" | Marchais | 4:03 | |
| 8. | "Inversion" | 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.