Suffocation is an American technical death metal band that was formed in 1988 in Centereach, Long Island, New York, United States. The band comprises vocalist Frank Mullen, guitarists Terrance Hobbs and Charlie Errigo, drummer Eric Morotti and bassist Derek Boyer. Suffocation rose to prominence of death metal and created a blueprint for the genre for the 1990s with their 1991 debut album Effigy of the Forgotten, and have released seven studio albums since formation. The band's raw death metal style uses growled vocals with a downtuned guitar sound, fast and complex guitar riffs and drumming, open chord notes, breakdowns, and a sophisticated sense of songwriting.