The Perth-based Make Them Suffer transcend the boundaries of Deathcore with their self-titled fifth album being released on SharpTone Records. 

Guttural vocals still bring the grit, as more vocal colors are in play. This more melodic vocal dynamic sets them alongside the more commercially minded Metalcore bands that have risen in the ranks and climbed higher on emerging festival bills. 

With this comes the blurred line between where Metalcore begins and where Nu-Metal ends as heard on “Oscillator.” 

Nu-Metal is making a comeback for a reason, as a sense of groove will stand the test of time. 

This proves to be effective when it comes to songwriting. The female vocals of their keyboardist handled the hooks in a radio-ready fashion. It is hard to fault these guys for writing songs rather than beating you in the head; even this finds the band leaning into a more accessible songwriting formula. 

“Doomswitch” has the guitars doing progressive gymnastics with some of the fleet-fingered turnarounds. They jerk you around like a roller coaster.

“Managod” works off familiar sounds, with a head-nodding groove. “Epitaph” hits with a larger wall of sound. There is no denying this album is well produced, in fact almost produced too well for their own good. The sung vocals are so polished; they come across as a little too bright in some places.  A rawer more organic mix might have given things a darker feel. Where it plays to their favor is the electronic elements mixed in that work well, though it has a more Industrial sound as if the producer allowed more grit to slip into things instead of compressing it out in post-production.

The strong vocal melodies to “No Hard Feelings” almost give a more Rock vibe until they eventually dig into a more pummelling riff. Her voice works well when it comes to using Pop-tinged hooks to create a counterbalance hook to counterbalance what they are doing. Rock drive also creeps into “Venusian Blues.” This might be her best vocal performance as she sings in a lower, more sultry alto, taking the brightness out.  

“Ghost of Me” offers a pounding, not unlike what Code Orange does. The sung male vocals on the brief refrain add another sonic color. Their willingness to experiment is to be admired. 

“Tether” has a strong vocal hook that rides a more metallic middle ground. “Small Town Syndrome” hits harder and still makes the most of melodic nuance. They are clearly better songwriters this time around, and making more nuanced music. 

Fans of the band should embrace the evolution of this band, as they are more than likely already listening to this sort of thing. If you want them to sound Deathcore, that ship has sailed, but growth must be allowed as stagnation never sounds inspired. They have grown as a band and this album celebrates that fact. Production choices aside, the songs will speak for themselves. 

Buy the album here:
https://bfan.link/make-them-suffer

8 / 10
WIL CIFER
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