Suppression – Whispering Campaign

A band from the ranks of Suppression doesn’t need much of an introduction. Born out of the ’90s US noisecore and powerviolence scenes, they remain one of the most interesting acts to emerge from that movement. They haven’t stopped unleashing extreme yet eclectic material for over 30 years, never afraid to experiment and express themselves in different ways, even going through a short-lived post-hardcore period.

In the last few years, Suppression have combined their early noisecore sound with samples of harsh noise and power electronics, recalling some of their best material. On September 5, 2025, the band released their latest full-length album, Whispering Campaign, on cassette through noisecore/experimental label Chaotic Noise Production. This time they are even more diverse, more experimental, ultra fast-paced and schizophrenic. Continuing their path of destructive and spastic noisecore, these 33 tracks are a testament to the band’s recent spike in productivity and the massive creative force behind them.

Few bands possess such an ability to combine power electronics, experimental music, harsh noise, powerviolence and grind as articulately as Suppression. At times, their sound reaches an almost transcendental state of total dadaist madness, one they seem to have full control over, bringing a sense of order into chaos. The new record sounds compact yet chaotic, experimental yet tightly structured, eloquent yet brutal. Clearly, the band continues the sonic landscapes of previous albums such as Scrap Heap and Placebo Reality, where they began forging their present sound, a mix of their old nihilistic and anti-political material, the more avant-garde songs from some of their 2000s splits, and something instantly recognizable.

On Whispering Campaign, Suppression have created a beautiful, if punishing, piece of work that consists of 33 songs, few of which reach beyond 30 seconds. It’s not an easy listen, but those into noisecore and harsh noise will definitely be thrilled, as the band combines the two in an extremely original way. Only the truest noise punk aficionados will fully grasp how compact and effective it is. The buzzing raw bass of Jason Hodges jumps from riff to riff to quasi-solos, causing intense ear-bleeding to unsuspecting listeners nearby. His vocals are as high-pitched and extreme as ever, seeming to come from the deepest parts of the human psyche and its tendency for violence and anger, hellish screams that leave you speechless. His work on the samples is equally sharp, every sound placed with intent. And then there’s Ryan Parrish’s drumming, talented drummers like this are rare. The drum-and-bass powerviolence noise combo becomes the perfect expression of his immense creative potential. With jazzy, spazzy blastbeats that follow the bass, relentless, near non-stop tempo changes, and seamless shifts between spastic bursts, slow and crushing bass-driven moments, and more avant-garde passages, he pushes the music into constant motion.

Suppression once again prove to their fans, and anyone paying attention, that the visionary force behind the duo is very much alive. Creating, touring constantly, releasing splits, collaborating, everything done in an old-school DIY way, as it should be and as it has been since their very beginning. They present us with the ear-bleeding noisegrind jewel that is Whispering Campaign, and we can only wonder what their next move will be as they continue to reshape their sound. For now, support the band through Chaotic Noise Productions, grab a tape while they’re still available, and keep an eye on the duo, their recent surge in productivity is something to be excited about.