Don't Kill the Messenger

Upon learning that the Cincinnati, OH quartet Suffocate Faster is straight-edge and list such respected outfits as Hatebreed and Earth Crisis as prime influences, it's not too hard to connect the dots regarding what their music would sound like. And upon hearing their sophomore effort, 2006's Don't Kill the Messenger, these assumptions prove completely correct. Aggressive metal with hardcore leanings is a fitting description of the album's 11 ditties, as ra-ta-tat-tat drumming and riffing and scream-until-you're-blue-in-the-face vocals are the main ingredients. The intensity and rage don't dip for a second, as evidenced by such hardcore-worthy song titles as 'Taste My Steel,' 'A War Within,' and 'Fight the Real Enemy.'