There comes a time when every reviewer despises the job, and he who tells you otherwise isn’t being completely forthright. The culprit you ask? Love. Loyalty. Allegiance. As you would likely agree, these three factors are key to any successful relationship. Take away any one of these, and you are left with a recipe for disaster. Take away all three? Well, you can bet your ass it has come to an end. This is the juncture I find myself facing with one of the true loves of my life, Suffocation. Over the course of a two decade love affair, she and I have had some wonderful times but, more often than not, things have been, well, rather tumultuous. Like any loyal courter, I was quick to forgive and forget. Yet, as is with all good things in life, things have come to a seemingly bitter end. Of course, like any jilted lover, I’m quick to point out her faults and, with Blood Oath, there are many. First and foremost is its tendency to rely on every timeworn trope, making for a taste that’s difficult to acquire, for even the most seasoned veteran of the genre. Was it the band’s intent to design an album to perpetuate those very clichés? Possibly. Though, I would like to believe this not to be the case. To this scribes ears, it’s as if the band ran out of fresh ideas, choosing instead to churn out ill-conceived and amateurish renditions of past glories. Unlike their 2006 self-titled album which, while being brutal, also took chances, Blood Oath is perfunctory on nearly every level. Now, I must give credit to the guys for attempting to provide the listener with versatility but, in the end, the compositions actually come off as needlessly complicated, making the whole affair feel unnatural and slightly awkward. Like any scorned lover, time apparently heals all wounds. In an attempt to remain somewhat optimistic for a reconciliation, I believed it only fair to allow time for this album to perhaps rekindle some of that early magic Suffocation and I experienced oh so many years ago. That being said, I allowed one week to prove her worth. To my surprise, I found each of these individual, gimmicky segments - ripped straight outta the kitchen sink approach to death metal - rise above their rather pedestrian origins and, for a brief glorious moment, shine as beautiful as the day I met her. In the end, though, it was all a moot point. Successive spins began to see the same problematic issues rear its ugly head. If, unlike me, you are willing to adjust your expectations accordingly, Blood Oath just might eke out a modest victory. I for one choose not to settle for complacency. I crave excitement and new experiences. I relish in those three aforementioned virtues. I need love, loyalty and allegiance. If Suffocation can no longer provide this, it’s time to move on. Why is love so bloody difficult?