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Rating: Released in 1987 after the much-debated reunion, it is one of the most thrashing examples by Suicidal Tendencies.
"Join the Army" starts pounding and ends pounding, containing epic tracks like "Suicidal Maniacs", "Human Guinea Pig", "Cyco" and many others. The rap style imprint is present and noticeable, but it's not particularly annoying or gaudy as in some modern bands or their later works, most likely due to a strong presence of dry and sharp guitars, which do not burden the album's sound effect with overly low and boosted tones. Listening to the track "Join the Army" many champions of modern Crossover-Nu Metal will surely have found an invaluable source of inspiration, not to mention a way of dressing and behaving that has always been a very important label for the band.
Musically it is dirty, but well played and composed, Mike Muir's distinctive voice is superbly set, not perfect like in "How Will I Laugh Tomorrow..." but rougher and less controlled, just like the whole sound of the album. Solos and riffs are still at a not entirely mature level, but certainly in a significantly better position than many other Punk-Metal bands of the era. Perhaps the drums do not give a particular touch to the whole work, but they merely accompany the music in the most modest style without wanting to exaggerate, which in my opinion gives the album a less powerful tone and tends to make it flatter than necessary. However, the music is fast and decisive, cleverly blending the grit and fury of hardcore, the setup, and the martiality of metal with the style and themes of rap.
The message of Suicidal Tendencies is, as always, a message from the streets, just to quote a line: "My best friend is misery, my girlfriend is insanity, my father is revenge", the urban gang war, the art of getting by, of resisting, and not remaining losers, reacting and fighting. The fundamental themes of the group will never be lost along the way, but in a certain sense, they will become less credible over time. With Suicidal Tendencies, we do not find that humor which sometimes characterizes Californian beach bands, instead, we find that seriousness that seeks respect and instills fear. Just as the cover itself indicates, what this group wants to leave is a kind of street law or rather an important warning sung and played. A must for four-wheel board lovers: "Possessed to Skate" where they literally talk about the allure of Skate and emphasize the heroic aspect of doing it, even considering Skaters as "Modern Gladiators".
The album in question divided general criticism in half; there are those who loved this record as a particular phase of the band with its harder sounds and those who hated this album accusing Suicidal Tendencies of being just a bunch of conformists who go where it is most convenient.
Anyone, like me, who loves thrashcore and fast music can undoubtedly appreciate this work.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Join the Army (03:37)
I got a story to tell, now listen up real well
Pay attention this way to what I got to say
Took it to the street, rap to the people we meet
Now we're rocking out hard to the Suicidal beat
Tried to deny our right, so we're putting up a fight
Just doing our thang, they tried to call it a gang
Saw the way we look, that's all that it took
That's all she wrote, they had their scapegoat
Dressed down, homeboyz, minority-join the Army
We're the few, we're the proud, we like to jam it loud
The music we play won't have it any other way
We're armed to the bone with our music and our tone
Recruiting on the street with the sound of our beat
Growing larger every day and every time we play
Don't need no college plan, we're just a hard-rocking band
We like our music to please but we ain't gonna appease
No pressure's too much to make us change our touch
Hardcore, metal, the new wave
We're not a gang-join the Army
Don't be no fool, don't let your prejudice rule
Don't judge us by your fear, judge us by your ear
Can't believe every word of every story that you've heard
Just play the song, I know you'll start to rock along
Well I don't care 'bout the clothes you wear
It's the size of your heart, not the length of your hair
Don't make no difference to me, the color that you be
Black, white or brown, it's all the same to me
Well if you still don't believe you best get up and leave
Do what you must do, but this ain't the place for you
You got no right but if you start a fight
We'll be rockin' your head but with our fists instead
I'll fight it with the band, right down till the end
Ask anyone I've met, this ain't no idle threat
Don't flap no fit and it won't come to this
But as for me, I'm down with the Army
New York, London, Venice
Why join a gang?
Join the Army
Suicidal rock-join the Army
Suicidal rock-join the Army
Suicidal rock-join the Army
Suicidal rock-join the Army
Suicidal rock-I want you to join the Army-S.T.
04 A Little Each Day (04:08)
Took a walk down under the street
Never thought that I'd see the day I would meet
Came and whispered in my ear
But I tried to pretend that I didn't hear
Turned my head and walked away
And I tried to forget what they had to say
Put on a smile and I tried to hide
But I couldn't keep myself from crying inside
CHORUS
Oh, I...So I turned my head and I walked away
Oh, I...And I tried to forget what he had to say
Oh, I...And I chalked it up as another day
Oh, I say...I died a little today
Took a journey through my brain
And they saw the scars and they felt my pain
Saw the things I didn't want to find
Knew the dreams I had over a bottle of wine
Thought if I lied I was going to win
But they said the battle wouldn't even begin
Thought about the lies that I said to myself
But I knew it's too late to find the help
CHORUS
I die a little each day
05 The Prisoner (02:53)
You're the prisoner locked in your cell
You're living in your personal hell
Invisible bars block your view
They don't exist except for you
Free, why can't you see how easily
You could break those bars right down
New freedom found, travel around
And find out exactly why
Give it a try, living the lie
And try to solve the final clue
See if it's true, found out just who
The real enemy is you
Don't be afraid
Don't be deceived
A new world for you
Can be conceived
Don't tell me 'bout how the world isn't fair
How you'll live your life how you choose
I don't want to hear another excuse
How it ain't your fault when you lose
And you're the prisoner
Your mind's diseased, my mind is cured
I was the prisoner but never again
My worst enemy is now my friend
Brainwashed, you'll probably believe
I gave it up for a new reprieve
Free, why can't you see how easily
You could break those bars right down
New freedom found, travel around
And find out exactly why
Give it a try, living the lie
And try to solve the final clue
See if it's true, found out just who
The real enemy is you
You say you're political
I say, "Screw that, you're just a fool."
06 War Inside My Head (03:50)
War inside my head
War inside my head
War inside my head
War inside my head
War inside my head ain't a pretty sight
But I don't want no sympathy
It's happened a thousand times before
It's just a harsh reality
CHORUS
War inside my head-can you sense it
War inside my head-can you see it
War inside my head-can you feel it
War inside my head
Can you hear the-pain
Can you see the-pain
Can you sense the-pain
Can you feel the-pain
Can you help the-pain
Can you fix the-pain
Can you hear the war inside my head
The only thing real is the way I feel
And that's the pain that's deep inside
The battle from within is gonna begin
And there ain't nowhere to hide
CHORUS
War inside my head every night and day
I never get no piece of mind
It ought to be a sin, I just can't win
And pure hell is all I find
13 Looking in Your Eyes (02:49)
I see destruction as it rages through your veins
I see depression as it fills your heart with pain
I see the cure you found, your artificial peace
I see your body rot, your solution now has it's feast
And now I look, I look in your eyes
Looking in your eyes
Looking in your eyes
Looking in your eyes
Looking in your eyes
What I see in your eyes
I can see, they tell no lies
Looking in your eyes
I see salvation oh so close, but yet so far
I see the gilmmering of the holy star
I see your future, it's a nightmare and I lie
But you refused my help, now I have no more strength to try
Now I see, I see the lies
Looking in your eyes
In your eyes I see the lies
What I see in your eyes
I can see, you tell no lies
Looking in your eyes
Looking through my eyes
Well I would die for you
I've died enough now I'm through
But one day you will see
What won't but what should B-T-F. Please stay.
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