Make Them Suffer by Make Them Suffer

It’s not by chance that Make Them Suffer’s fifth album is self-titled. After weathering lockdown-related cancellations and a prominent lineup adjustment, the Perth metalcore crew emerge reenergized on their first album in four years. Notably, keyboardist/vocalist Alex Reade (ex-Drown This City) has replaced Booka Nile as the melodic counterpoint to Sean Harmanis’ harsh, aggrieved outbursts. Their powerful contrast is most striking on tracks like “Oscillator,” on which Reade cuts through the tumult with the pointed refrain “You’ve waged a war against yourself.” The 2022 single “Doomswitch”—which marked her recorded debut with the band and sees her break out some dynamic keytar flourishes in the song and video alike—sets the tone for the new entries, thanks to its industrial-level rhythmic pounding and repeated electronic lashings. Foregrounding vocal layering and a sudden swath of open space before one final crushing crescendo, “No Hard Feelings” makes for a cathartic centerpiece. Consolidating their strengths while audibly evolving as an ensemble, Make Them Suffer stake their claim as one of Australia’s most unflinching forces in heavy music.

6 / 10

Lily Randall reviews the new album from Make Them Suffer! Read her review of the new self-titled album here on Distorted Sound!

7 / 10

"Get ready, metalcore and deathcore fans—this record is a force to be reckoned with: powerful, unstoppable, and undeniably epic."