Suicidal Tendencies are recognized as legendary thrash/hardcore punk rockers who can do no wrong. Admirably, the band formed in 1980 and despite being the center of some controversy during their career with the occasional hiatus thrown in for good measure, lead vocalist and only remaining original member Mike Muir has seen the band endure it all to this day. With their twelfth studio album, ‘World Gone Mad’ just over the horizon and due for release on September 30th, anxious fans patiently await the follow up to 2013’s release, the Billboard charting “13”.“Clap Like Ozzy”, “The New Degeneration” and the Marilyn Mansonesque “Living For Life” are the running order for the opening moments on ‘World Gone Mad’ and they are exactly what you would expect. A manic, fast paced chaos coming at you like a runaway freight train with the band as its conductors.
There is an honorable mention to be made here, particularly as these tracks are so drum heavy. Former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo takes charge of the sticks for this records entirety. This will surely act as a pretty big factor in fans excitement for the album, but in truth the band wave this flag a lot. It is by no means unusual for Suicidal Tendencies to have certain tracks very drum heavy. However, the sheer amount of drum intros, outros, solos and general emphasis of Lombardo throughout sees his performance suffer. As far as his contribution goes, it feels desperately milked despite blatant efforts in playing outside his norm.
A grand majority of this record consists of the signature traits S.T fans have come to love, know and even rely on from the band. To newcomers only discovering these guys for the first time, you might be wondering what all the hype is about. To older fans, you may expect and demand it! Others may be bored. A lot of bands out there now have a similar sound and style. The difference is, Suicidal Tendencies were there first. The more interesting parts on this record are when the band rip it up and start again. On tracks such as “Damage Control” and particularly the album closer “This World” we find a departure from what we would usually expect of this group. It is a welcomed change in direction and one we hopefully see more of in the future as there is clearly another dimension of songwriting going on within the unit that has yet to be fully explored.
Suicidal Tendencies are now and always have been a mad ride that takes punk music and brutal moshing up several notches. “World Gone Mad” sees the band bring the best of what they do to the table while touching on something else. Maybe its a fear of disappointing their fan base that have withstood their longevity with them or maybe it was just to fulfill some creative curiosities. Either way it is a wonder that after so long why the band seem to withdraw just as they touch on something outside of their comfort zone. Whatever the reason, Suicidal Tendencies have produced a record that will satisfy fans expectations while giving them a small taster of something different they may have to offer.