Rockfreaks.net

Suicidal Tendencies

World Gone Mad

Written by: PP on 24/01/2017 21:43:55

Crossover institution Suicidal Tendencies is at it again on their 12th album "World Gone Mad". Wasting no time, the record opens with a signature style Suicidal track "Clap Like Ozzy", one where hardcore and thrash metal meet in a perfect symbiosis of ripping, shredding, and yelled vocals. It's an aggressive, straight up hardcore/metal track that is among the best the group has written in years. Blinding solos, groovy rhythm section and thumping bass are just some of the highlights the track has to offer, underlining why the band has been able to keep at it for more than three decades.

The songs on "World Gone Mad" are surprisingly lengthy and unconventional for Suicidal Tendencies - at least for quite some time. Some are almost eight minutes long, and most hover at between five and six minutes, the majority of which could be classified as experimental. "Living For Life", for instance, opens with strange guitars and oddly calm vocals before vocalist Mike 'Cyco Miko' Muir shouts "LIVING FOR LIFE!" and the pedal is floored for quintessential crossover thrash. If you can hold your head still to this one, there's something wrong with you. "Get Your Fight On!" is another example of the experimentalism with its clean vocals and classic rock style guitars in the beginning. Angry spoken word follows, yet guitars remain in classic rock mode. A brief drum solo later and the song has transitioned into piercing metal soloing that wouldn't feel out of place on a Slayer album and classic yelled vocals. That pattern repeats itself on the title track which toys around with unusually slow tempo and playful riffs that will wake memories of Guitar Hero in those that played the game a few years back.

That's all good and well, but the simple truth is that the experimentalism just isn't a match to the primal fury of tracks like the opener or "One Finger Salute" with its call to arms of "stick your finger in the air, wave it like you just don't care" that's maddeningly catchy and will be a blast live with one hundred percent certainty. I can already see the circle pits full of middle fingers in my mind. Not to mention the ultra-catchy grooves or detailed fretwork that the song boasts of. Why can't all songs on this album be like this one? Thrash metal riffs and hardcore vocals, that's what it's supposed to be all about, right? "Damage Control" is another great example. The experimental stuff in the beginning and in the end are completely pointless whilst the rest of the song is pure unadulterated awesome.

So the conclusion on "World Gone Mad" is: the old fucks still got it - on some songs. The middle section of the record with all the experimental aspects is a little too weird for its own good. Too little headbanging, too much pushing the envelope. When the band focus on quintessential crossover thrash and piercing guitar solos, they shred themselves into the hearts and minds of hardcore and metal fans alike. Let's leave all the extra posturing to Anthrax and the like, shall we?

Download: Clap Like Ozzy, One Finger Salute, Living For Life, Damage Control
For the fans of: D.R.I, Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags, Slayer, Anthrax
Listen: Facebook

Release date 30.09.2016
Suicidal Records