For the end of the year we thought it would be cool to look at the prolific career of Suspended, an all-female melodic thrash and death metal band who have been tearing the scene apart for over 20 years now. Although the band is based in Albuquerque, Suspended’s popularity and influence has spread throughout the Southwest and a good chunk of the globe during their decades-long run. And don’t expect them to be slowing down in 2026. The band has gone through some lineup changes during its history, but currently, Suspended operates as a three-piece act featuring founding members Amanda Castillo (guitar, vocals) and Channing Concho (drums), and for the last six years, Channing’s sister Autumn Concho playing bass. Channing says she and Castillo started the band back in high school as a five-piece, and they still joke about the fact that everyone in the group had been suspended from school for one reason or another. Suspended is more than just another thrash band from Burque. Channing says they’re all about community building, and a major goal these thrash metal technicians have in common is encouraging up-and-coming bands – especially other women musicians – to work hard and share their talents with the world. They’re well on their way to achieving that goal, especially through promoting other female-oriented projects such as Autumn’s all-female black metal band Nocturne. Through their intelligent lyrics, Suspended brings attention to issues surrounding domestic violence and the Murdered and Missing epidemic affecting Indigenous women, which hits close to home for the Concho sisters in particular – who are originally from Laguna Pueblo. With all that on their plates, it’s impressive to hear they still find time to perform live while writing new music. But don’t worry, they have plenty in store for us in the future including a new album called Tales of the Slain scheduled for release in 2026.
Will you describe your sound for us?
We always describe our music as melodic death thrash. We’re aggressive, fast, heavy and intentional. Our music is built to hit hard while still carrying a message. We may not be death metal enough for the hardcore death metal fans or black metal enough for the hardcore black metal fans, but if you’re a metal fan in general, you’ll probably like us.
What are your favorite venues to play and why?…