With Suffer in Heaven, Salt Lake City deathcore squad Chelsea Grin unveil part two of their 2022 album, Suffer in Hell. “Thematically, I think this one’s more about self-empowerment,” guitarist Stephen Rutishauser tells Apple Music. “It’s slightly more reflective on human nature within the individual, as well as within everyone. And sonically, I think it’s probably the more intense of the two. I didn’t initially think that was the case, but after revisiting both albums, I think this one is more cutthroat and ripping.” The guitarist also points out that some of the songs—like “Orc March” and “Yhorm the Giant”—are more fantasy-based than anything on Suffer in Hell. “We’re all pretty nerdy,” Rutishauser says with a laugh. “On our 2018 album, Eternal Nightmare, we started touching more on real experience through a fantasy lens. I think some of that was a big influence from Trevor Strnad from The Black Dahlia Murder. That was his style. So, it was cool to present our ideas from a different point of view and sing about orcs and giants and stuff like that.” Below, he comments on each song. “Leave With Us” “There’s an audio clip at the beginning of this song, and it’s all based around the reference to Heaven’s Gate. The lyrics are about, ‘Come with us, you’ll wind up on this phenomenon occurring in the sky, and then we will be the all-powerful people.’ But the greater message is just about the danger of following an ideal blindly and being wooed by shiny but inevitably empty promises. It’s taken directly from the Heaven’s Gate story, but this kind of thing happens all the time, on all sorts of scales.” “Orc March” “This one’s definitely more of a middle-earth type thing. It’s from the perspective of a soldier or commander fighting against this onslaught of orcs. Again, we’re all pretty nerdy, so we love that type of stuff. But it discusses the sacrifices being made in fighting off this evil force, and the character in the song begins to feel they’re sacrificing their humanity. They’re starting to feel nothing when surrounded by all of this violence. It’s just about giving everything you have to fight off certain destruction for you, your family and your people.” “Fathomless Maw” “This is more of a real-world type of song. It’s about subservience and us being cattle to some greater process but maintaining a facade of individuality or free will. The music video shows a guy who works 9-to-5, and he’s going insane living this repetitive, mundane cycle of life. It’s about living an unfulfilling life in service to some greater cause that doesn’t actually care that much about you, and the negative effect it can have on you over time. It’s encouraging people to serve themselves a little more.” “Soul Slave” “This one’s observing the phenomenon of holier-than-thou people who claim some righteousness for themselves. ‘I’m the best. I’m as good as it gets. I’m as pure of heart and mind as it gets.’ But then you observe their actions, and a lot of times people like this have this inherent bloodthirst. They wish to see themselves on top of their opponents. They’d rather see people around them fall than focus on themselves internally. In trying to be the best, they might be the worst. But they paint themselves differently.” “The Mind of God” “One day, [vocalist] Tom [Barber] pulled me aside and told me, ‘I have a secret for you. This song is really just about drinking water and staying hydrated.’ Tom is passionate about purified alkaline water, but if you read the message of the song, he frames it in a different way. I don’t think it’s literally about drinking water so much as persevering through adversity. I think a lot of people don’t realise they have this power to push through and overcome obstacles, and that it’s really just a learning process. Everyone has the power of self-realisation.” “Yhorm the Giant” “The title is a reference to the Dark Souls video-game franchise, and it’s a character who sacrifices everything. He’s an inherently lonely protagonist. When there’s a threat against his people, he sacrifices so much to face it and keep it at bay, so that those around him can survive. But there’s no appreciation in the end. It’s an unnecessary act followed with sadness and pain, despite being for the greater good. Not that you should always expect praise and whatnot, but it’s a reflection on the wearing effects of giving it all just to get nothing.” “Sing to the Grave” “This one is super close to the heart for us. During the making of this record, we had quite a few friends pass away, and the song was written initially after one of our dearest friends, Diego Farris, passed away. He was an awesome musician. The song is a macabre take on wishing you could have a loved one back after their passing, and it’s from the perspective of, like, a mad scientist talking about putting you back together, like creating a zombie version of someone just to have them back in your life. You’re singing to the grave and wanting that person back. Some Pet Sematary vibes, for sure.” “The Path to Suffering” “This is about being your best self and not really regarding outside input. Obviously, there’s a degree to which that’s important, but it’s about just unashamedly being yourself and fighting for what you think is right. At the end of the day, if you do your best, then who’s there to judge you? Only you can really judge yourself. When people are fuelling a fire with negativity, this is about creating your own bubble within the fire and being empowered on your own.”