Song of the Day: Suffocation, "Infecting the Crypts"

Sad to read that one of the original death metal singers, Frank Mullen, is indicating that he'll be retiring form Suffocation. Sure, their best albums were in the '90s, but Mullen's statement, like drummer Mike Smith's earlier this year, seems more like a glum response to the fact that nobody can make a living playing death metal these days. With apologies to Terrance Hobbs, there's no reason to see the band without Mullen or Smith.

My introduction to Suffocation came after college. They weren't as ubiquitous among Virginia metalheads as they are in New York. When I finally heard Effigy of the Forgotten, its Slayer-like tempos and raw production resonated far more than the symphonic and goth metal that my friends were playing for me. Check out "Infecting the Crypts" below, from a time when Roadrunner was an underground label.