What better way to inaugurate the From the Vault section than with Effigy of the Forgotten. After all, this is where the majority of the death metal that is put out even to this day draws its inspiration from. Even American death metal front runners like Cannibal Corpse owe a lot to Suffocation.

What makes this album so noteworthy isn't only because it spawned a legion of clone bands, but, unlike Cannibal Corpse's albums from the same time, for example, Effigy of the Forgotten still blows you away in the year 2001. Sure, the production may not hit you over the head as the pumped up albums of late do, but when you listen to Effigy, you know what you're hearing is really what's being played. Remember, this was in the days before drum triggers.

At the forefront of the band are the essential vocals of Frank Mullen, who is undeniably one of the great death metal vocal talents. His growl has the quality of being demonically low yet piercing at the same time.

Suffocation were always about writing intricate, technical riffs that would stick. Like an onion, the music Suffocation wrote would present you with a new layer every time you listened to it. Check out the song "Infecting the Crypts" for your immediate dose of what this album has to offer, then let the rest of the tracks show you their own unique brilliance.

What really sets this album apart from even the others that this band has done is in the drum department. While Mike Smith may not be as fast as Dave Culross, for example, he has a flavor that no other Suffocation drummer can boast. Mike Smith might have stayed around in metal if it hadn't been for geniuses like Glen Benton.

What this all adds up to is the quintessential technical death metal album. The genre all starts from here, folks. If you're getting into death metal, don't get anything else before getting this. If you're a death metal buff and haven't heard this yet, well, my advice is don't let any of your older metal friends know about it. - Roberto Martinelli