VOLUNTARY MORTIFICATION rips through the depths of hell in the name of Jesus with their debut album "Suffer to Rise." The band says they seek to be a light in the darkness and bring a message of hope to the broken, but this pleasant imagery is in stark contrast to the absolute brutality of the music they produce. Just imagine if a band like CHELSEA GRIN spread the love of Jesus through their music and you'll get VOLUNTARY MORTIFICATION. There are plenty of heavy Christian metal bands out there, but this is some of the most crushing and brutal I've heard.

Their music sounds downright demonic and will please the non-religious deathcore listeners, in addition to filling a void for those who prefer their bands to have the love of Jesus down in their hearts. There's a nice contrast between the high and low screams and plenty of pig squeals, too. The song that stood out to me first was "Silence" because of how they lead into the breakdown. They get really nasty and are unrelenting in their heaviness. "Demoncratic Society" leads with a voice clip expressing sentiments I think most people could relate to in that money and power can lead to evil. The vocalist does some really crazy and weird things with his voice and this is one of those songs that stand out in that respect. I like how he delivers the words "demoncratic society" in the chorus. You don't often get deathcore with a message beyond death and destruction, but this band has a message.

The breakdown in "Abomination" is absolutely freaking insane. For a band seeking to spread love, they produce some of the most disgustingly brutal music. Right before the breakdown the vocalist even makes noises that almost sound like puking. It gets pretty insane and the whole album is like this. There's not a moment of peace. Don't write this band off just because you might have something against religion. After all, art is subjective and you can often create your own personal meaning out of it. I certainly wouldn't have gotten the impression this band was all about love and light without researching them first. If you're a fan of intense heavy deathcore music, this album will feed that need.