Post by trashcanman on Feb 7, 2015 20:52:50 GMT 2
I'm going with another old favorite from one of the most important bands of my high school and college years, and still one of the most unique bands in their genres. It's a group that started out as a hardcore punk group in 1981 and after some line-up shake-ups ended up as a thrash metal band for most of their peak years before returning to their roots with a funk/punk rock fusion sound after disbanding and reconvening with a rebuilt line-up. Today, I'm going back to this classic 1988 line-up featuring current Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and guitar genius Rocky George in addition the band founder and sole mainstay Mike Muir:
That is Suicidal Tendencies, and they've had a career like no other band of any genre. Always on the verge of mainstream success, but never quite settling down enough to break through that wall. When you're banned from playing in your own city because your fans have formed a street gang around you, you release an album with so much profanity that you aren't allowed to even print the song titles on the outside of the album, and the FBI investigates you for lyrics about shooting the president that tends to happen. Plus, changing your entire sound every few years may be artistically awesome, but it does tend to leave the majority of music fans and the industry confused as to what to do with you.
Still, Suicidal is a unique band no matter what style they're using and I've happily bought nearly everything they've ever released and have seldom been disappointed. Unique melodies, a hardcore mentality, no-bullshit lyrics, and exceptional musicianship is something that transcends all genres for me.
I'm going with the title track of the How Can I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today album because it's one of my favorite metal songs of all time and a perfect example of a thrash power ballad. It was also practically the theme song to my life for many years and music like this helped save my sanity in emotionally leaner times. Plus, the guitar solo is probably top 5 all time in my mind. That motherfucker is so perfect it makes me blush when I hear it.
That is Suicidal Tendencies, and they've had a career like no other band of any genre. Always on the verge of mainstream success, but never quite settling down enough to break through that wall. When you're banned from playing in your own city because your fans have formed a street gang around you, you release an album with so much profanity that you aren't allowed to even print the song titles on the outside of the album, and the FBI investigates you for lyrics about shooting the president that tends to happen. Plus, changing your entire sound every few years may be artistically awesome, but it does tend to leave the majority of music fans and the industry confused as to what to do with you.
Still, Suicidal is a unique band no matter what style they're using and I've happily bought nearly everything they've ever released and have seldom been disappointed. Unique melodies, a hardcore mentality, no-bullshit lyrics, and exceptional musicianship is something that transcends all genres for me.
I'm going with the title track of the How Can I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today album because it's one of my favorite metal songs of all time and a perfect example of a thrash power ballad. It was also practically the theme song to my life for many years and music like this helped save my sanity in emotionally leaner times. Plus, the guitar solo is probably top 5 all time in my mind. That motherfucker is so perfect it makes me blush when I hear it.
