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SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
1983 - Suicidal Tendencies.
1987 - Join The Army.
1988 - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow… When I Can't Even Smile Today.
1990 - Lights... Camera... Revolution.
way more Helter Skelter.

July 5, 1983 - 2023: 40 years of: Suicidal Tendencies.

When skaters play metal.

Los Angeles in 1978-82, the turn of the decade was especially hot in the hardcorepunk department. After the FLAGs, JERKs and TRUE SOUNDS OF LIBERTY, an infectious groove was looming ahead. From the Venice Beach skate-park action, 1982's "Worst Band / Biggest Assholes" award-winning punks would morph into the trend-bendin' bandana-wearin' slam-dancin' skate-riders of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

DESTROY !

The pushing and shoving starts as "Suicide's An Alternative + You'll Be Sorry" kicks off. Fast struming and the divine delivery from to-be iconic frontman Mike Muir. Rude views as expressed on "Two Sided Politics" and the not-so subtle "I Shot The Devil".

Dark humor rears it's funny head on "I Saw Your Mommy" and the realistic no-future late-teens of the early 80s of "I Want More" ...the prime essence of punk. The full package blasts again on "Memories Of Tomorrow" and the hardcore burst of "Fascist Pigs" ...speedmetal before speedmetal was speedmetal.

Deep into the asylum we go ...get "Institutionalized". Mid-paced metal-mosh and rap vocal-rhymes, new-metal before new-metal was new-metal, a very unlikely event for 1983. Following the humoristic promo-video, the underground classic-cut became an MTV-darling and a very unlikely unofficial sponsorship for Pepsi-Cola.

DESTROYED !

Released on the tiny Frontier Records, the critical 28 minutes of pure destruction LP, rapidly became a fan-worshipped and cornerstone of the SoCal hardcorepunk explosion ...the evolution in devolution. And eventually, please welcome aboard the ten finger lead-guitar magic of Rocky George.

Favored by the latino-community, being suicidal as never been so cool. Banned everywhere in the Los Angeles area because of their name ...and because of their unlawful crowds, the gang associated band pushed forward into thrash-territory, away from the crust and grime. The mysticism was real: one of the scene's hottest underground act.

Aside from the glamour of West-Hollywood, we find the dirty riff killers of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. Now signed to Caroline Records, the L.A. kings would jump over the competition with 1987's crossover fiesta: Join The Army LP.

"I'd rather be golfing."

*
Institutionalized = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoF_a0-7xVQ
Suicidal Tendencies = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHiRyuKi6SU&list=PLBnJv6rImVe_Da0s1kx9tuIa88cfJgawE
Live in California in 1983
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul1Ab_lNiFQ

June 9, 1987 - 2022: 35 years of: Join The Army.

The suicidal crossover.

From 1983's Suicidal Tendencies skate-punk LP ...to a thrash-mosh signature. From a DIY institution to metal structures and matching production, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES are once again bending the rules of metal by harvesting: streetmetal.

Hello fatter-tone as the "Suicidal Maniac" arises from the circle-pit. Massive beats hits hard on "You Got, I Want" featuring killer-leads, courtesy of new-comer Rocky George. Total hardcore-punk fully flexes on "I Feel Your Pain" and "Human Guinea Pig", while the power metal of "War Inside My Head" is a slammer's delight.

An anthem is born with the crowd-gathering "Join The Army", where all races, looks and beliefs unite under one flag: heavymetal-rebellion. The mid-paced monster sure-shot is a SUICIDAL-signature and so reflective of the SoCal, flair and hood-attitude. Another anthem is found in "Possessed To Skate", one of the greatest tracks of 1987's thrash celebrations. High stamina Los Angeles thrash-fun at it's very best.

Engineered by Lester Claypool, not to be confused with PRIMUS's own Les Claypool, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES were now loaded and ready to gang-bang the mosh-scene with actual thrash. Switching scenes from the punk undergrounds to the thrashmetal tones, S.T. were a unique breath of fresh air in the 1987 to 92 thrashmetal designations spearheaded to stardom by the Big Four.

The suicidal crossover to thrash completion would be fulfilled with 1988's major-label debut How Will I Laugh Tomorrow ...When I Can't Even Smile Today LP.

JOIN THE ARMY. Enroll now: _________________

*
Possessed To Skate = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW3taePImYg
Join The Army = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RXzAiMvmn4&list=OLAK5uy_lUUdEoR0mKOX0Ecni_pEufPyEX4T6cU2M
Interview and live in Germany in 1987
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiKbXQrMZss
some band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3fMEKBl56Q

September 13, 1988 - 2023: 35 years of: How Will I Laugh Tomorrow… When I Can't Even Smile Today.

The migration is fully complete.

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES are now a competitive thrashmetal band, standing tall against the Bay-Area thrashers. Amped and A.W.O.L. after 1987's crossover Join The Army LP, Venice's training camp was in full motion ...and this ain't no laughing matter.

The voyage inside the mind starts on "Trip At The Brain", a metal-mosh of meningitis proportion. More rough down-picking abounds on "The Miracle" and the oh-so West-Coast instrumental vibe of "Surf And Slam". Arena-thrash gets a slogan power-punch with the huge "Pledge Your Allegiance", while the 100mph "Suicyco Mania" slays everything on the I5 ...join this army !

Another template gets a suicidal make-over, as the crescendo powerballad title-track for "How Will I Laugh Tomorrow" gets electrified into a pummeling pile-driver. For added riffage, welcome aboard rhythm-guitarist Mike Clark.

Their RIAA-certified Gold companion 1989's Controlled By Hatred / Feel Like Shit Deja Vu EP, pumps high-stamina re-recorded demos from past side-project NO MERCY and features future all-star 4 / 5 / 6 stringer: Robert Trujillo.

Send them your money: SUICIDAL TENDENCIES was now ready for the big leagues. Out of the institution and freshly signed to major-label CBS Records, their next move would take thrashmetal into uncharted territories, peppered with funk and slick street-attitude: 1990's Lights... Camera... Revolution CD.

S.T. !
S.T. !
S.T. !

RIP Bob Heathcote (1964-2022)

*
Trip At The Brain = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDheLViZbrk
How Will I Laugh Tomorrow = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbtaVEA3nw4
How Will I Laugh Tomorrow… When I Can't Even Smile Today = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDheLViZbrk&list=OLAK5uy_mxClyBT_B61gZp9nAxguiJV2SDST8o0FM
Controlled By Hatred / Feel Like Shit Deja Vu = full EP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2mmUBK6z-A&list=OLAK5uy_ka_m3UAetTaNTQtfuuOcnknsdOpUb82e0
Waking The Dead = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xezd5EDZBhQ
Intreviews in 1988-89
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iaa3-ueYBUo
Live in Finland in 1989
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTtzuaOv5b4

June 26, 1990 - 2020: 30 years of: Lights... Camera... Revolution.

Welcome to the Church Of Suicidal !

1990: what a great time to be a metal-fan, I know, I was there. Key offerings from the hard-hitting hardrock scene, some of the finest thrashmetal monoliths and most of deathmetal's best records were released in that single calendar-year. In parallel, a new-school of rockers were infecting the scene with grooves and unheard vibes in the metal genre, acts like LIVING COLOUR, WARRIOR SOUL, JANE'S ADDICTION and Venice's own skaters SUICIDAL TENDENCIES !

From the deep undergrounds, Los Angeles's own banned-band were thrashing the stages since 1983's iconic self-titled hardcore-punk explosion Suicidal Tendencies LP. After joining the army with no intent to laugh or smile, it was now time for the director/MC/band leader/cyco/preacher Mike Muir to shout aloud: "What the hell's going on 'round here ?"

It's a motherfucking revolution, a blunt statement delivered straight outta the City Of Angels. "You Can't Bring Me Down" is the fire and the fury of thrash, high paced and with the eventual breakdown preach-part. In one simple track, the mighty S.T. reinvents themselves and resets the bar for the surrounding competition. Welcome to the Nineties home-boy !

The heavy thumping laidback "Lost Again" and "Give It Revolution" are fine metal-cuts but the real magic comes into play with the adorable "Lovely". RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS on high-gain crunch, total left-field from a band that sent us into a trip at the brain just a mere 2 years ago. Traces of hardcore are felt on the speedmetal burst of "Disco's Out, Murder's In". The album closes with a moshpit metal-monster in "Go'n Breakdown" featuring more tight fret-work by both Mike Clark and Rocky George's right-hand palm-muting.

...and now, one of the coolest songs ever: 3 - 2 - 1 - Action !

TV-preachers of the 80s are exposed and uncensored in this full 3:24sec "show me yours I'll show you mine" urban-metal celebration. "Send Me Your Money" is all planets aligned free-style hard-music fusion. From thrash rhythm, to some of Robert Trujillo's funkiest bass-licks, to a saxophone appearance and to Muir's humoristic / realistic raps ...this is the boiling-point for fun to funk to fucked ! In 1988 Ozzy wrote '"Miracle Man" and now SUICIDAL goes all the way. The truth is out there, remember kids that: "His only God is the almighty dollar, He ain't no prophet, He ain't no healer, He's just a two bit goddamn money stealer."

Send Me Your Money, video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s0195Inv3E

Amen !

V13 related or not, the gangstas of new-metal did crossover from hardcore to thrashmetal. SUICIDAL TENDENCIES is an important band has they were now the ultimate hybrid: street-smart thrashmetal with hiphop esthetics and DIY punk roots.

Now 30 years strong and RIAA-certified Gold, Lights... Camera... Revolution is a landmark album for the evolution of heavymetal, after a half-decade of generic hardrock and speed-only minded freaks. What ANTHRAX started, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES perfected. Nineties band like BIOHAZARD, PANTERA, BODY COUNT and eventually LIMP BIZKIT wouldn't have a gig it wasn't for S.T. trailblazing the way, out of the metal status-quo of the late 80s.

Some final words of wisdom from Mister Muir: "Just cause you don't understand what's going on, don't mean it don't make no sense, and just cause you don't like it, don't mean it ain't no good."

Send them your money !!!

*
You Can't Bring Me Down = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxcJW6bs5os
Lights... Camera... Revolution = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Ga0y7TrJM&list=PLPvnA6HKtywHc1JxM54vDVU_SKTMTqczJ
Interview in L.A. in 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u5i9yKyCsg
Life on the road
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z7twYQbGoc
Live in 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_T3leeVPPE
some guys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWv348Njius