Review: Vitriol Tear Sh*t Up on Suffer & Become

There’s something to be said about starting the year out strong, so it only makes sense that Vitriol‘s latest, Suffer & Become is panning out to be one of the first eye-opening releases of 2024. Set to come out this Friday via Century Media, this new offering packs a heavy punch. There’s just something about this one in general that feels heavier, more intense, and more immediate.

The Portland, Oregon-based band already have a reputation for combining the fury and energy of hardcore with the brutality of death metal in a way that’s all their own. The rage on this album really comes through, and as usual, they manage to also balance technicality and their musical prowess with how heavy and crushing they can be and the pain and suffering they convey in their lyrics.

The guitar work on the album is immaculate. Standout moments happen with the soloing in “The Isolating Lie of Learning Another,” but it’s truly the bassist that steals the show for me, with finger picking fury and tones to match all the haunting melodies.

My favorite song from the record is definitely “Nursing from the Mother Wound,” which manages to build up and convey some of the most settling vibes on the whole album. Also noteworthy is the instrumental song, “Survival’s Careening Inertia,” which proves that, despite the vocals being killer, this band doesn’t even really need vocals. “I Am Every Enemy” is probably the heaviest on the album, if such a thing is possible, and a song on which every instrument is highlighted. The album then pulls through and ends on an equally rough note with the aggressive track “He Will Fight Savagely.”

This is definitely not a record that I could put on on the daily. While this album is remarkable in every way, it almost feels like a tearing down and a destructive force. While that can definitely be needed in times of catharsis, there is something too brutal and caustic about this record to make it a daily listen. But still, it will definitely be in my weekly rotation, as it’s heavy and crushing enough to want to revisit again and again.

Overall, Suffer & Become has more that solidified the band as one of the major players in heavy music right now, and we can’t wait to hear what’s next from them.

Vitriol’s Suffer & Become will be released tomorrow, January 26, via Century Media Records. You can preorder your copy today.