California-based death metal act, Suicide Silence, released their new self-titled album on February 24th via Nuclear Blast Records. Live Metal recently caught up with frontman Eddie Hermida, who discussed the backlash the band has received for the band's new musical direction. An excerpt is available below.

Q: Before the album was released, you guys told the press that this was going to be a different kind of album. You said there were going to be clean vocals and that the musical direction was going to be different. But are you surprised that fans have still reacted to the album in shock and by the backlash that’s come even after saying this?

Hermida: "We made a record for ourselves and not for our fans, so it’s going to create turmoil. If I set out to change people’s opinions, then why would I be surprised when their opinions change? I knew 100 percent that even if I threw one clean vocal on the record that we would receive a backlash. Not only did I not throw just one clean vocal in, I threw in vocals that were completely off-putting—vocals that are meant to create discomfort in people because they’re uncomfortable vocal stylings. It’s not from a point of trying to sell records, it’s from a point of angst and just complete hysteria, depravity and despair that these vocals are coming from. So it’s not even a focus of clean vocals.

I’m not doing things to sell records, I’m doing things to create music and an art form. If I was worried about selling records, then I wouldn’t have created this record. I would’ve autotuned my vocals, and I would have created something that is more pleasant of an experience. I would have created more of a safety net for all of these fans to fall into. The point is that I didn’t want to create something comfortable. I wanted to create something punk rock. I wanted to create something heavy metal."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

A video trailer supporting the new album can be seen below.

The album can be ordered here.

Tracklisting:

“Doris”
“Silence”
“Listen”
“Dying In A Red Room”
“Hold Me Up, Hold Me Down”
“Run”
“The Zero”
“Conformity”
“Don't Be Careful, You Might Hurt Yourself”

Trailer:

“Dying In A Red Room” video:

“Silence”:

“Doris” video: