Suicidal Tendencies
Join The Army

THE REVIEW

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.