Suicide Silence released The Cleansing through Century Media on 18 September 2007. It brought death-metal speed, hardcore timing and Mitch Lucker's voice into songs that could sound ferocious on headphones and cause absolute chaos live.
Recorded like a live band
Producer Tue Madsen recorded much of the album with the band playing together. You can hear that in the tempo changes and the way the breakdowns pull against the beat. It feels like musicians reacting to each other.
Freddy vs. Jason, Dave McKean and the hidden track
Dave McKean, known for his comics and album artwork, created the cover. There's a Freddy vs. Jason sample at the start and a hidden track on the original edition. The horror references suit the record without taking over.
Unanswered And No Pity For A Coward
The album entered the Billboard 200, a notable result for such an extreme debut at the time. Unanswered and No Pity for a Coward were easy to recognise and much harder to imitate. Lucker's low growls and cutting highs gave those songs a voice you couldn't mistake.
Later deathcore became more technical, symphonic and polished. The Cleansing still has a rough, unpredictable quality that keeps us coming back.
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