Terrance Hobbs

Terrance Hobbs (born April 6, 1970) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the death metal band Suffocation.^[1] He has been a constant member in the band since their first released title Reincremated along with bandmates Frank Mullen and Mike Smith, who all met in high school. Hobbs also played in the deathgrind project Criminal Element, which featured fellow Suffocation member, Derek Boyer.

Terrance Hobbs
Hobbs at the 2014 Free & Easy Festival
Background information
Born	(1970-04-06) April 6, 1970 (age 55)
Origin	Selden, Long Island, New York, U.S.
Genres	Death metal, technical death metal
Occupation	Guitarist
Member of	Suffocation

Artistry and style

Hobbs is renowned in the death metal scene for combining fast and repetitive barred riffing closely accompanied by other swept and often technical unexpected patterns: laying down the basics of technical/brutal death metal of today. He said, "as bands started to get progressively faster, our ears really liked that, and I think we thought it was fucking stupendous".^[2]

Hobbs performing in 2014

Typically, his shred-heavy, bizarre sounding, "mocking" solos, are famously accompanied with signature tremolo use, usually in the form of divebombs, trills and other unusual techniques. Pierced from Within contains many examples of this, with an array of atmospheric, palm-muted breakdowns and complex riffs, along with Effigy of the Forgotten and Souls to Deny, the latter of which features a great deal of layered riffing and melodies.^{[citation needed]}

Equipment

Hobbs mainly uses a custom B.C. Rich Warlock installed with a Floyd Rose locking tremolo, a DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup, Gotoh tuners, and fitted with D'Addario strings. His pedals include a Maxon OD-9 overdrive pedal, and a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor. His amplification consists of a Peavey 6505+ played through Vader cabinets.^[3]