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Rating: In the fateful cauldron of speed/thrash bands that trained to play faster and faster and mostly forgot about melody, where every phrase of the "sought-after lyrics" was an act of accusation against every non-metalhead, the Suicidal Tendencies of Mike Muir, a singer with a unique timbre capable of interpretations outside the canons imposed by the aforementioned Metal scene (mind you, I hold no negative regard for metal, of which I have been and still am a huge consumer), forcefully carved out the space they desired. They were previously the authors of a celebrated self-titled debut (1983) explosive Hardcore, already flaunting astonishing technical and compositional structures, such as the Rap vocals and melodic bass lines as well as inspired guitar solos, a thing not well received in the Old School HC environment. This was followed by an infinitely splendid and seminal album for the future of crossover, be it new and funk or metal, answering to the name of "Join The Army" (1987). Our Cycos approached the gates of 1988 with absolutely fantastic tracks, a bone-crushing sound producer (Mark Dodson, who greatly contributed to the success of Anthrax releases), and an impeccable lineup with the entry of Mike Clark, a rhythmic guitarist and genuine riff-wrecking machine.
The album opens with the fast and compact "Trip at the Brain", a humorous and rather violent critique of American Intelligence that made Muir's life impossible for four years. Supported by tight rhythms, the track is a continuous stop'n'go of tempo changes and chilling melodic solos (thanks to the immense talent of Rocky George), it continues with "Hearing Voices", a mid-tempo with a monumental riff and a highly engaging chorus, not a moment's pause as we move to the complex and magnificent "Pledge Your Allegiance", an authentic sound manifesto of Muir's band, a true musical architecture where feeling and power cascade in the melody of the solos... At this point, we encounter what I consider one of Muir's most beautiful compositions, "How Will I Laugh Tomorrow", which gave the band its first mainstream success and revealed to the world the fervent compositional and interpretative talent of the great singer. "The Miracle", a harmonic and melodic intro where a bone-crushing rhythm breaks in, displaying the full attitude of the five Cycos who find the most imaginative in the rhythm section that could be found in such an exhilarating musical context (credit to the great drummer R.J. Herrera and the truly exceptional guest musician Bob Heathcote), "Surf And Slam", an instrumental where Rocky George's talent forcefully comes to the fore, "If I Don't Wake Up", a relentless grinder punctuated by powerful time signatures and tasteful melodic breaks, and finally the final triptych "Sorry?! One Too Many Times and The Feeling's Back", compositions more akin to the HC period that unite power and a great sense of melody, with exemplary performances by Muir.
Ultimately a MUST too often forgotten and too little known that undoubtedly deserves its place in the hall of every lover of great emotions.
Having said that, I bid you farewell until next time...
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Trip at the Brain (04:32)
I gotta gotta take a trip, gotta take a trip out of this place
I gotta gotta get away, get away from the human race
I don't know what I'll see, don't even know what I'll find
I don't know what to pack, never been to a trip at the mind
Chorus:
Trip at the brain, trip at the brain, trip at the brain -
Do you know what I'm saying
Trip at the brain, trip at the brain, trip at the brain -
Well, I'm going insane
I took a wrong turn and ended up at my heart
It could barely even pump no blood it was so thrashed and torn apart
Thank it for working overtime in pain and misery
Then I set back on the trail, headed for my destiny
Chorus
Fly with me
Flying free
Tripping
You must be tripping
Trip, trip, tripping
I cannot stop this trip, I forgot to pack the brakes
Crashed straight into a concrete wall of my mistakes
Ended up in a cemetary of a thousand wasted days
But that's alright with me, cause that's where most of my memories lay
(Major tripping which you'll just have to listen to)
03 Pledge Your Allegiance (04:32)
ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
I never said I don't like religion-I just don't like TV
You say I got a bad attitude-around you that comes naturally
You say I need more compassion-I can forgive, I just can't forget
You say control my temper-but when I feel like shit, I feel like shit
Cause I was born to be-ST
And I'll always be-ST
Don't get down on me-ST
Cause I'm down OG-ST
Not afraid to die-ST
Just you promise me-ST
Yo got to carry on-ST
You gotta carry on-ST
Why can't I ask any questions if what you say is true
Am I supposed to believe everything-or just everything said by you?
And how can you call me stupid-when you don't understand what I say
And how can you call me evil-have you spoken to God today-And what did He say?
As long as your heart beats-pledge your allegiance
You can call me ugly-but I still dress the way I choose
How you gonna judge me-you've never taken a walk in my shoes
Why don't you ever trust me when I'm smiling-is it a sin to have fun?
And why should I repent when there's nothin' wrong with anything that I've done
Pledge your allegiance
Suicidal Suicidal Suicidal
04 How Will I Laugh Tomorrow (06:44)
Here I sit and watch my world come crumbling down
I cry for help but no one's around
Silently screaming I bang my head against the wall
It seems like no one cares at all
Always an emotion, but how can I explain-how can I explain
Kind of like the scent of a rose, with words I can't explain-
The same with my pain
Caught up in emotion-goes over my head-goes over my head
Sometimes I got to think k to myself is this life or death.
Am I living or am I dead
The clock keeps ticking, but nothing else seems to change
Problems never solved-just rearranged
And when I think about all the times that I've had
So few good-so many bad
I search for personality and look for things I cannot see
Love and peace flash through my mind-pain and hate are all I find
Find no hope in nothing new-never had a dream come true
Lies and hate and agony-thru my eyes that's all I see
If I'm gonna cry-will you wipe away my tears?
If I'm gonna die-Lord please take away my fear
Before I drown in sorrow-last thing that I'll say
How will I laugh tomorrow-if I can't even smile today
Today today-when I can't even smile today
Today today-when I can't even smile today
How will I laugh tomorrow-when I can't even smile today
How will I laugh tomorrow-when I can't even smile today
05 The Miracle (05:28)
I sailed forever, I sailed so far, and now I know
just what the consequences are
I laughed out loudy, while I cried inside
But I didn't haave the strength to say enough of this ride
Like a fool-I believed in a miracle
I wanted to forget, of what I'm not sure
But I found an answer-it seemed to be a perfect cure
Controlled my actions, controlled my thoughts
Controlled my feelings, and now I feel my body rot-like a fool
I believed in the miracle
Twisting and I'm turning-freezing then I'm burning
Laughing then I'm crying-am I living or am I dying
Swearing then I'm praying-don't even know what I'm saying
Happy then so sad-forgiving then so mad
Do you still, do you still believe, do you still believe in,
Do you still believe in miracles?
Pushing then pulling-who am I fooling
A friend then a foe-do I really even know?
Love and then hate
Peace then at war-but what am I fighting for
And you always try to
Keep me-oh so sleepy
So I can't realize-that it's all lies
And the more it takes hold of me-the less chance that I'll ever be free
And even though I don't believe-it's so hard to leave-a miracle-a miracle
Waiting-always hesitating-for that perfect day-that day was yesterday
And the more you're gonna wait-the more of a chance that it will be too late
How can you afford to wait, you just can't afford to wait
I shed a tear I won't deny it, but just one tear I already cried it
And now you'll see me cry no more, don't even know what I was crying for
06 Suicyco Mania (05:52)
urn the lights down? I think I lost something
Ya!
Thrashing…Thrashing…Thrashing…Thrashing…
Mmm, think it over…Mmm, think it over…
Mmm, think it over…Mmm, think I think I think I got
Hey…Hey…Hey…S-S-S-S-S-S-S-Suicyco Mania (Mania-Mania-Mania)
{better guess than last attmept}
And don’t you talk about heartache
they don’t work out with me
don't work out with me
And don’t you talk about hardluck
you get no sympathy
at least from me
Give me the keys
gonna set you free
commin near
Getting closer
when can I see you when ya
Lookin down on me
Where you going with that
(Suicyco Mania)
You got that
(Suicyco Mania)
Ya killa
(Suicyco Mania)
I guess I'm that (?)
(Suicyco Mania)
Corridor (?)
Same ol' (?)
It’s comin’ down (?)
so long (?)
right there where you are (?)
Guess what's up with me (?)
Can't get empathy (?)
Can't get up anymore (?)
Can't think of what's his name (?)
Can't think of what's her name (?)
Can't think of though the lane (?)
Fear my monkey's in the way (?)
Fear my monkey's gonna say (?)
Fear my monkey's gonna end up dead (?)
Sui-Sui-Sui-Sui
Suicyco Mania
.... take it out (?)
.... doubt (?)
.... winning (?)
.... (?)
.... (?)
.... (?)
They don't make the people dance (?)
They don't make the people stance (?)
They don't make them into stew (?)
People fuckin .... (?)
People fuckin .... (?)
People fuckin .... (?)
Ooh…Ooh…Ooh…Ooh (Suicyco Mania)
No no no (Wah ha ha ha ha ha)
No no no no no no no (Ha ha ha ha ha ha)
Yipe yipe yipe yipe yipe yipe yipe (Ha ha ha ha ha ha)
Guess again, guess again, guess again, guess again
Think I’m a bitch [x7] (?)
You got that (Suicyco Mania)
Come on in…
We’re gonna deal it with ya…
Ya feeling lonely…
The rollers still got that
(Suicyco Mania)
You got that
(Suicyco Mania)
Some of that
(Suicyco Mania)
We got that
(Suicyco Mania)
if you don’t know
if you don’t know
we never never would
10 One Too Many Times (03:13)
Never good at talking, so many things I couldn't say
But those thoughts never went away
And I'm sure you remember, said that all I wanted was sympathy,
Now add this to your memory
Too many times-I felt so sad and lonely
Too many times-I needed someone there
Too many times-I tried to tell you something
Too many times-It seemed like no one cared
And I don't like asking-and it's not easy to say...
I never learned how to pray
So if you have a moment it means so much to me oh can't you see...
If you'd just say a prayer for me
Too many times-I didn't even have a second
Too many times-you thought I was much too strong
Too many times-you said the feeling wouldn't last forever
Too many times-I proved you so damn wrong
Saw the changes-thought they'd go away-do you still remember that day
Can't really fault you-only have myself to blame...
But do you still feel the same
Do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya?
But I waited so long-for someone to take my hand, and say they understand
And I waited so long-for someone to show the way-to make a better day
and I waited so long-for someone to spare a kiss for the love I miss
And I waited so long-for you to looke me in the eye
And say it's worth another try
But yo keep me waiting-waiting-too many times
You keep me waiting, one too many, one too many, one too many times,
Too many times
One too many one too many one too many times too many times
Can't you see yo keep me waiting-one too many times
11 The Feeling's Back (04:04)
I wrote a letter just the other day to nobody in particular
But if anyone were to read a bit-they'd think I was a bit peculiar
But it matters not what they think of me, it's only what I know is real
And so all that's left that matters now-is that the feeling's back
The feeling's back and you just can't stop it
The feeling's back and you just can't stop it
I fought a thousand times-I never knew the meaning of the word fear
Till that one day when I stood alone-staring straight into the mirror
It's not a pretty sight-and even worse it's so hard to face
Until I realize I'm the only one that put me in this place
I'm gonna breathe I'm gonna live-that's right-nothing's gonna stop me
I7m gonna shout I'm gonna scream-that's right-nothing's gonna stop me
I'm gonna run I'm gonna fly-that's right-nothing's gonna stop me
I'm gonna fight I'm gonna win-that's right-nothing's gonna stop me
Nothing's gonna stop me, nothing's gonna stop me now...
Cause the feeling's back and you gotta love the feeling
I dug my hole too deep-I couldn't admit, I didn't know when to stop
But you can only dig your hole six feet until the dirt comes back on top
I've got a long way left to climb but I'll still look you straight in the eye
And I can honestly say I'll never quit-not even on the day I die
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