​Unrelenting Brutality Upon the Unprepared

By Martin Beckman and Jordan Tepley

High Plains Reader: Just to fill in the people that are unfamiliar. Who are y'all and could you tell us a little about Suffering Hour?

Suffering Hour: Suffering Hour is a black/death metal band based in Forest Lake, Minn., formed in 2013. We’ve released two full lengths, In Passing Ascension in 2017 on Blood Harvest and The Cyclic Reckoning in 2021 on our current label Profound Lore. We’ve done two European tours, 2019 and 2022 and have done various shows and short tours across the US and Canada as well as a multitude of festivals including Maryland Deathfest in 2018 and in 2022.

HPR: You've recently been on a European tour. What has been the response? What was your favorite part?

SH: Yeah, touring in Europe is awesome. We had a lot of really great crowds and met a lot of enthusiastic people. The promoters over there take such good care of us and the hospitality is fantastic. Just seeing all those amazing old cities and all the awesome food is probably what I like most.

HPR: Looks like you jumped right back into doing shows after the tour. Since May what have you been up to back in the States?

SH: Yeah, we flew straight from Europe to Baltimore after the tour to play two sets at Maryland Deathfest. That’s all we’re doing till the show in Fargo now though.

HPR: I know most of you are from the Twin Cities area. There have been a ton of awesome metal acts coming out from there in the past few years. Could you tell us a little about what it's like participating in the music scene there?

SH:The Twin Cities scene has been getting better the last few years for sure. People have been coming out to the shows in droves and there’s a good plethora of unique and talented bands around. Bands do come and go constantly but bands like Voidrot, Nothingness, Ulkum, and Sunless have really been solidifying Minnesota's place on the map.

HPR:Suffering Hour is currently on Profound Lore Records. When did you join the label and how has working with them been?

SH: I think we signed with ‘em in late 2019 when we started working on The Cyclic Reckoning. It’s been fantastic working with them, their reach has really pushed us to another level and everything is done on a very professional level.

HPR:Time's Withering Shadow was released on May 6th of this year. How do you feel about the album since the release and how has the response been?

SH: So far the response seems to be pretty solid I think. It’s a little bit of a different situation with this one, it’s actually a split with the Irish band Malthusian that’s being put out by their label Invictus Productions. It’s definitely a pretty unique release, both bands really got creative and have very different sounds but I think most people agree both sides are cohesive together and the concept is tight.

HPR: Any plans to release any new music?

SH: We have the third album in the later stages of the writing process already but it’s probably going to be a really long time before it gets released, just with how long we take during the recording and mixing process and now delays at the pressing plants, it’s probably going to be 2024.

HPR: Y'all seem to be on track to having Suffering Hour be a career band. Has that always been the goal?

SH:I’m not actually sure this band will ever be able to be a full time career for us, but it definitely has been a dream of ours! I think there’s limitations this style of music has in terms of commercial success but we are continuously working extremely hard and pushing how far we can go with it without compromising our artistic visions.

HPR: Final question, have you guys ever been to the Fargo/Moorhead area to play or attend any concerts? If yes, how did it go? If not, what are you envisioning our fair city to be like?

SH: We’ve actually never been up there before but we've been hearing good things about the metal shows. Hopefully a lot of enthusiastic maniacs will come out!

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IF YOU GO

Suffering Hour, Thrall Frost, Nothingness & Maul

The Aquarium, 226 Broadway N, Downtown Fargo

Saturday, July 16, 7-10pm