Full of Hell & Primitive Man - Suffocating Hallucination

Digging through the sky, hoping to find God.

2023 was an exceptionally industrious year for Full of Hell, one that saw them collaborate with bands across a variety of genres, some closer to their own than others. From the (unfortunately middling) split with powerviolence chameleons Gasp, to the harrowing shoegaze-cum-sludge collaboration When No Birds Sang with Nothing,the Maryland quintet never kept their love of non-metallic music a secret, but that year saw them put their hands in more pies than they usually do, in lieu of there not being a proper full-length to dig into.

Among that year’s partnerships was also the one with the black-hole-dense trio that is Primitive Man, who also happen to draw from a similarly noisy well, although their guitar riffs lay on the opposite side of the tempo spectrum, instead opting for crushingly misanthropic trudges through sludge. In short, although there are common points between the two, they never struck me as the types of bands that would cross over. Yet Suffocating Hallucination sees the two collide, and it just begs the question: is it any good?

The answer is yes, albeit with one small caveat. There’s a far greater emphasis on Primitive Man’s sound and style than on Full of Hell’s, so if you come in expecting an even mix of brutal sludge riffing and explosive deathgrind you’re bound to be disappointed. That being said, these uptempo moments, though few and far in between do manage to leave a mark, such as the chaotic blasting found in the middle of the broiling “Rubble Home”, or the 25-second jumpscare that is “Bludgeon”, and they do add another dimension to the omnipresent murk here. Unfortunately, it’s one that isn’t explored to the degree I wish it had been. For all the dynamics this pairing could have played around with, things generally crawl along, rather than alternate between that and frantically flailing around.

The main order of the day is minimalistic sludge, with a strong emphasis on drones. The bass is thunderous, and is arguably the star of the show over the guitars, driving a lot of the simple and grinding rhythms forward on tracks like the noisy “Trepanation for Future Joys”, as well as the closer, “Tunnels to God”. That being said, the guitars aren’t neglected, despite not being the driving rhythmic force of the album, they instead  provide ornamentation by way of sparse chords and some sorrowful tremolo lines, both of which can be found on the aforementioned tunes. Although Suffocating Hallucination is more identifiably “Primitive Man”, those who are well-acquainted with Full of Hell’s fourth full-length, Weeping Choir, are sure to appreciate the band going back to the sound that was explored on the monolithic “Armoury of Obsidian Glass”, a track that happens to be my favourite of theirs. This connection of synapses in my brain helped ground the experience into slightly more familiar territory, and helped assuage my concerns regarding just how much this project is a true collaboration instead of just a Primitive Man album with Dylan Walker on vocals.

Speaking of, it's worth noting just how good the vocal interplay between Dylan and Ethan McCarthy is. Both of them seem like a perfect fit for the music, each bringing their own style to the table, revealing a different dimension of the music whenever one of them decides to open their mouth. Whether it’s Dylan’s rabid rasping, McCarthy’s earth-shaking bellow, or the two trading vocal lines, it’s always engaging and keeps you on your toes, even though they (unsurprisingly) don’t provide any big hooks. It’s an atmospheric and textured experience first and foremost, rather than something you listen to hoping to find something catchy.

Even the noise aspects of both bands come together nicely here, manifesting as both ear-splitting feedback, and more interesting and flavourful moments like on “Dwindling Will”, a full-fledged noise/ambient track that sees Full of Hell actually do something that earns them the “Noise” tag on their Metal Archives page. Samples abound, as well as some shimmering melodies that weave themselves out of the piece’s sparse and ominous body. Going back to this after the rather disappointing split with Gasp is nothing short of a breath of fresh air.

Truthfully, this release has only 2 things against it: the fact that there’s not enough blasting in it, and that it’s only 35 minutes long. Had there been a more even sonic split between the two bands I’d have scored this higher, not to mention that it leaves me hungry for more. Though there is something to be said about albums not overstaying their welcome, and Suffocating Hallucination could have very well fallen into that trap. Thankfully, it was handled by two of the best bands in the underground currently, and the results are clear. Although it doesn’t rank at the top echelon of either band’s discographies, let alone Full of Hell’s list of collaborations, it’s a worthwhile listen for fans of either artist, and especially those looking to dip their toes into noisier strains of metal music.

Highlights: Rubble Home, Tunnels to God

Rating: 75%