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 Guy Marchais, drummer Kevin Talley 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.