Suicidal for Life

I lost the Suicidals around the “The Art of Rebellion” sessions; I didn’t like this album very much at the time as I was largely expecting another massive thrashing shower along the lines of “Lights… Camera…”. As that didn’t happen, I refused to give said opus more chances discarding it after just two listens; I couldn’t quite hear this creative flair and avant-garde genius that others were talking about, and which this effort was supposedly emitting profusely.

In other words, I had to witness another outfit I loved to bits falling prey to the new vogues… not very rebelliously at that. The re-release of the band’s debut a year later didn’t rock my boat, either, as I already had the album and all, and was also looking at other more viable camps, the once-thrash advocates’ ones having lost me for their swiftly-evaporating cause.

I can’t recall what exactly prompted me to buy the album reviewed here; definitely not the plain dull cover… may have been the album-title which at least wasn’t pretentious, not promising more outside-the-suicidal-box art like its predecessor. It may have been some still extant loyalty to the band, I don’t know… anyway, what’s more important is that I added this cassette to my collection for some reason, and I gave it three/four listens before casting it aside. Yeah, I didn’t like it very much at the time cause again it didn’t sound similar to the band’s early feats…

neither was it a very radical departure from those, mind you; the guys have decided to mix quite a few influences this time throwing everything they could think of into the melting pot. Such encompassing blends can never be pronounced deplorable flops as there will be bits and pieces that would invariably appeal to some be it die-hard old fans or new recruits. I’m not quite sure what the ratio between these two fractions had been in this case, but the truth is that this opus is not quite the throw-away I thought it was initially, especially with the word “fuck” heard every few lines. Yeah, there’s a lot of swearing here, but this doesn’t create the feeling that the guys are very pissed or angry, they’ve just acquired a more defiant, less caring hooligan-like stance after the more serious execution witnessed on the effort before it.

Naturally, it’s “Don't Give a Fuck” that opens the fuckorama, a cut that could have been taken straight from the Infectious Grooves recording sessions, the project which Mike Muir started a few years earlier, the main difference coming from the really stylish lead guitar work which overwrites the funky groovy bounces with ease. Right after this goofy cut start the more interesting developments that invariably feature references (“No Fuck'n Problem”) to the more sober lustre of “Art of Rebellion” which surprisingly pairs well with the livelier thrash/crossover hymns (“Suicyco Muthafucka”, “Fucked Up Just Right!”). The thing is that tributes (the groovy shorter “No Bullshit”, the atmospheric grungy “Evil”) to the current (at the time) numetal vogues emerge at some stage, but their presence doesn’t become that detrimental thanks to more seriously-woven numbers like the dramatic semi-balladic “Love vs. Loneliness” and the funky/jazzy, near-progressive thrashy nod to Mordred “What Else Could I Do?”, not to mention the always reliant brief more aggressive walkabouts like “I Wouldn't Mind” and “Depression and Anguish” those nicely recalling the band’s feats before the “Art…”.

Considering the time of release one must be a hopeless cynic to completely denigrate this effort; it’s not a towering masterpiece by any stretch, but at the same time it does tick quite a few boxes the right way, seeing an act floating in the sea of grooves, industrial, and grunges in a dignified manner, acknowledging their presence without succumbing to their charm. Direct stripped-down core references to the band’s debut are nowhere to be found, the only album from the discography that hasn’t been courted here; and yet the whole thing exudes this air-headed youthful vibe, and not only due to the regular adherence to the “fuck” euphemisms. Some may criticize the band for running out of ideas thus inserting nearly every single ingredient from their arsenal into the melee without offering too many novelties, but one can by all means do much worse by losing face and producing another copy of the Pantera or Machine Head aggro-mischiefs, for instance.

Actually, one can do much worse by also trying to revive their roots, but in a less inspired, most derivative fashion like exactly what happened on the next three instalments… yeah, the album reviewed here was the last decent entry into the Suicidals’ discography for a fairly long period of time as the guys indulged in a lame insipid brand of funky punk/hardcore that sounded bad by any conceivable, even 90’s if you like, standards. No thrash, no vigour, no originality, no “fuck” either… I doubt that the major reason for this downfall was Muir’s involvement with several projects, the mentioned Infectious Grooves and Cyco Miko, and his diminishing interest in his main occupation. I guess the bottom of this well of ideas was indeed reached at some stage the guys running on autopilot, their minds surprisingly not crossed by the thought of just going their separate ways and leaving it all to rest.

The arrival of Dave Lombardo for “World Gone Mad” brought a fresh breath of air into the band camp as the musicianship was lifted quite a few notches up, the final result perhaps even better than the one here. The re-release of the Cyco Miko debut "Lost My Brain! (Once Again)" under the “Still Cyco Punk After All These Years” title earlier this year is hopefully not another sign of a dry ideas’ well… the world needs to go madder with more suicidal psycho moshes cooked the old school way... and you, lads, can surely bring them up!

If Suicidal had actually broken up for good in 1995 following the tour for this album, they would've went out with a BANG! 1994's Suicidal for Life was the antithesis of The Art of Rebellion from two years earlier, and showed front man Mike Muir's disdain for the band's explosion in popularity following Rebellion (which came on the heels of Lights..., which, in turn, was on the heels of Controlled). Wanting them to stay underground, Muir helped create an album that was more than likely a contractual obligation before they could sever ties with Epic Records, and was sure to alienate even the most diehard of Suicidal fans. For me, this album sits up there with the previously mentioned three masterpieces that came before it, even if it is a lot more profane and harder edged than its predecessors. The only album to feature drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who had joined just before the Rebellion tour, it is also the last album to feature Rocky on lead guitar and Rob on bass. Peaking at #82 on the Billboard 200 (modest, compared to Rebellion's #52 peak), it has 13 tracks (a number that comes up a lot in Suicidal lore), so let's delve into them...

The album opens with a monologue by Muir, entitled "Invocation," which encourages the listener to "get [their] mind workin', 'cause [they] know it ain't workin' like it should be." The best track out of the first seven is one without a profanity in the title, which is "What Else Could I Do?" Featuring great instrumentation and lyrics, it starts off fast, but mellows out for most of the song. Detailing the pain of mental problems inflicted by someone who let the singer down, they are at wits' end with what to do in their life. Rocky and Mike Clark play GREAT on guitars, and Rob's bass, along with Jimmy's drumming, adds awesomeness to the track. We're coming to the end of this album; let's see what else Suicidal brought us on this one...

The last six tracks begin with "What You Need's a Friend," which is another great song from this album. Singing of a backstabbing friend that is only around for the good of a friendship, but not the depressing times, it's relatable to almost anyone, including me, that's had a two-timing person in their lives. The best song out of the final six is kind of obvious, as it's "Love vs. Loneliness." This mellow track features some AMAZING instrumentation all around, as Rocky lauds his skills with a great solo, Rob's bass is very infectious (isn't it always?), and the lyrics are, again, very relatable. This was the only official single from this album, and it really should've been a bigger one than it was. The proceedings close with "Benediction," which is just another monologue from Muir, which reassures the listener that the band is not "trying to tell [them] how to think. [they're] just trying to get [them] to think." The final lyrics on this album are resonating: "And remember, 'cool' is just 3 letters away from 'fool!"" This is the end of a truly successful era for Suicidal, and that's how the story ends, folks...

In all, Suicidal for Life is not as bad as some people think it is. Sure, the band may have been coming apart at the seams following the release of this album, but they created a masterpiece before they splintered into a million pieces in 1995. Though Rocky, Mike Clark, Rob, and Jimmy are no longer in the band, their presences were felt on this album, and they helped Mike Muir create one of the best Suicidal records out there...

"Get your mind working.
Cause you know it ain't working like it should be.
It's time to think... not think like you think
you think... that ain't thinking, that's just
justifying your inability to accomplish the things
that you're not willing to work for. "

Well, Suicidal Tendencies did accomplish the things they were willing to work for, and they did get their Pepsi at last. So what was left? They had a revolutionary punk anthem collection, a crossover masterpiece and three genre-bending albums which involved their commercial breakthrough. A year after they released their acclaimed The Art of Rebellion, they hired Jimmy DeGrasso (later of Megadeth) to fill in the drum section and released this album- Suicidal For Life, which showed Mike and co. haven't matured yet, but have gone miles further from their punky starting point in Venice.

And how much have they gone further? This album has almost every, and I mean EVERY genre of metal featured in it, which a few of them are funk in Don't Give a Fuck and Fucked Up Just Right, groove metal in No Bullshit and Evil and the progressive and genre fusions prominent in the entire album. The axemen Rocky George and Mike Clark deliver here a packed punch filled with anger and hate filled riffs, but also melodic solos and acoustic passages which surprisingly don't interrupt the album's hate-filled experience and actually emphasize it and make it more emotional. Another notable thing is Jimmy Degrasso's work. His drumming this entire album and particularly in I Wouldn't Mind and Depression and Anguish resemble a fusion between something Dream Theater, Slayer and The Exploited would play, which show his great skill and contribute a huge part for Suicidal For Life.

Although the similarity to Chaos A.D and a lighter Far Beyond Driven, Suicidal Tendencies hadn't lost their roots in this album yet- and still have How Will I Laugh Tomorrow-y riffs and quasi ballads, with the most notable What You Need's a Friend. Mike's vocals in this album feature less moaning and weeping, but more shouting and deep singing, with gang shouts more prominent in this album than any album in their entire discography.

The lyrics are another major part of this album. Depression, anger, hate, love and the band's fans were a major part of their lyrics and still were in this album, but apparently being a Suicidal in your mid-life crisis involves a more Vulgar Display of Power approach to lyrics, with the word "shit" and "fuck" appearing 20 and 55 times, respectively. This fact seem to damage the lyrics' quality, but are actually a way of showing the band's anger and hate and is one of the very refreshing twists that appear during this album.

"Tippy toe thru broken dreams
There goes a little fucked up piece of my brain
Didn't need it anyhow, didn't use it anyhow no way!
My minds been soakin' up so much shit...
now it's cured not like healthy
But cured like marinated dried out fuckin piece of meat" (Suicyco Muthafucka)

Production-wise, this album seems like it came out yesterday. The instruments are clearer than ever, and the enhanced instruments make this album get an even funkier and more brutal approach than its predecessors. In an album like this, good production is a crucial part of its quality and the record company haven't failed on this one. The combination of a good production, angry lyrics and superior instrumentation make this album one of the best metal releases of the mid-90's and one of Suicidal Tendencie's best efforts.

"........And remember... cool is only 3 letters away from fool!"