OK, so we did the Suicidal 2010 video snippet; we posted the new video for "Come Alive"; now it's time to go take a look at the real thing and do a review of the new CD, "No Mercy Fool!/The Suicidal Family"*.
Well for starters, the new CD rocks fucking hard. It's just what you need from a band with the legacy of
Suicidal Tendencies. Truth is that this album is not exactly
new per se: it is a re-recorded mix of the best songs from two separate 1980s albums the ST family produced back then. Half of the songs come from the ST classic "Join The Army", while the second half of the album is covers of another band comprised of ST memers, the legendary thrashcore pioneers
No Mercy. I know a covers album may sound like a bit of a weird thing to some of you. However ST has always been walking off the beaten track, renewing their sound in strange ways, and coming up with unexpected album releases. So yeah, this is all 80s tracks re-recorded (except from "Come Alive"), but it is all good and definitely worth your attention!
The ST 'side' of the record (the 1st half) I'm quite familiar with; I practically grew up listening to ST and "Join The Army" is one of the records I played to death back in the day. So what does this sick 80s stuff sound like in 2010? Well let me tell you it sounds better than ever! ST, with a new crew of - excellent - players in their rhythm section, sound tighter and more technical than they have probably ever been. The bass is on the frontline, with crazy little slap bass solos everywhere, which are only exceeded by Dean Pleasant's ultra-fast guitar lead outbursts. It's all done in a proper old school hardcore tradition; the guitar solos are thrown in like thunders in a mad back to back exchange with the vocals. Perfect! This is truly badass Californian hardcore, like no one else plays it.
Suicidal 2010: Funk it up then Punk it up
I haven't been as familiar with
No Mercy to be honest. However, when I was growing up listening to punk and hardcore, it was a name we would see written on magazines and on ST inlays and we knew they were totally old-school, and a cult band to say the least. Also, they were pioneers of the whole crossover (punk/metal) genre. Their stuff on this CD is fucking awesome; heavier, faster and crazier than Suicidal. That's quite a thing! Forget the slap bass here, there's no time for that. Just straight on punk metal pounding with an extra sarcastic dark feeling! Wow... I haven't heard something this good in a long while. I'd dare to say that it beats the ST side of the record. You just have to go for it and listen to this shit and then you'd believe me. All this thrashcore, metal punk, whatever mix out there today, it has definitely been influenced by what we hear on this little CD. History revisited.
Last but not least, I'd like to mention that Cyco Miko gives a perfect vocal performace in all of those songs, thus giving that essential, distinctive madman ST flavor. They can't do it without him!
Mike 'Cyco Miko' Muir: ST soul.
I've been a long time ST fan and I was pretty psyched to see this album hit the record stores. But most of all I was really curious to check out what ST sound like in 2010. Now I've been rewarded and I am so glad that ST hold up to their reputation and high standard. They are truly worth it to be up in the pantheon of the best hardcore/punk bands of all time. The hype is real, dawg :)
* Sorry if I'm not very objective with the review, ST is one of my all-time favorite bands!
