Death metal band
Suffocation was formed in New York in the early '90s, comprising vocalist
Frank Mullen, guitarists
Doug Cerrito and
Terrance Hobbs, bassist
Chris Richards, and drummer
Mike Smith. The group's 1991 debut album,
Effigy of the Forgotten, became quite influential in the grind/death metal community. Released on Roadrunner Records, it was followed two years later by
Breeding of the Spawn. After the issue of the
Human Waste EP,
Smith left
Suffocation and was replaced by drummer
Doug Bohn. By 1995, the second lineup had released their first album,
Pierced From Within. The band broke up soon after, disheartened by label problems and a lack of direction. A mystery album, Despise the Sun, floated around due to record label politics until Relapse finally released it in the summer of 2002. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide