Jo Schüftan of Horns Up Rocks! conducted an interview with vocalist Frank Mullen of New York death metal veterans Suffocation prior to the band's October 21 concert at Club Revolution in Amityville, New York.

Asked about Suffocation's touring plans in support of the band's upcoming album, Mullen said, "I can't really tour full time anymore. So when the album comes out, they'll probably set up about a month-[long] tour, or something like that, in the States. I'll only do about two weeks of it. There'll be a fill-in singer [doing the rest of the shows]. And then I'll probably do maybe a week, or a week and a half, over in Europe, and then any other touring they do for the rest of the year, wil probably have somebody else filling in [on vocals]. I mean, I'll do, like, spot shows here and there."

He continued, "Unfortunately, as you get older, death metal doesn't make tons of money, and I've got a good job, so… you know, you've gotta work. And that's pretty much what it is. I'm not a kid no more.

"At this point, you've gotta start thinking ahead in your life, you've gotta start thinking long-term goals and stuff And unfortunately, death metal, again, it's not the type of music where you're gonna make millions and where you can make a really good living on it. I mean, you can have fun with it, and some bands could have a steady life on it, but for the most part, you do it more or less for the fact that that's what you love — you love death metal and that's what you play. It's more or less that than trying to make a living."

Suffocation toured earlier this year with Bill Robinson of Decrepit Birth filling in for Mullen.

Suffocation is putting the finishing touches on its new album, Pinnacle of Bedlam, for an early 2013 release via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was produced by the band at Full Force Studios in New York with longtime collaborator Joe Cincotta. The mixing and mastering of the effort will be handled by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (Hatebreed, Arsis, Suicide Silence).

Pinnacle of Bedlam will feature 10 genre-defining-bone-crushing tracks and also marks the return of drummer Dave Culross, who previously played on the Despise the Sun EP.