How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today (1988)
This release is usually regarded as the Suicidal Tendencies first official metal album, largely as a result of Rocky George's guitar riffs and solos. All that being said, the album still retains many hardcore elements in its sound, from the backing vocals to the drums to specific guitar parts. Nevertheless, this is where the band began to be defined as metal and started to tour as support for prominent thrash metal acts.
The first thing that really stands out in this album is the production quality... it is superb. Signed to a subsidiary of Sony Records the Suicidal Tendencies now had the financial backing to put out a really good sounding record, which incidentally is why many hardcore fans hate this release, viewing it as a sell out by going metal. Personally I just feel this was the direction the band was heading in as crossover thrash was simply a sign of the times by the late 80's.
Anyhow, since I imagine I pissed off the hardcore fans with my first review, it's now time to piss off the metal fans...equal opportunity I say, for despite all the great production quality put into this album and a worthy opener of a song with Trip at the Brain, this album really falls flat. In short, there are no real killer guitar riffs or hooks that reach out and grab you, and outside of a handful of decent songs your left yawning in the end. For me to give this album 4 stars would mean that it would have to rival thrash metal albums like Metallica's Kill em all, or Slayers Reign in Blood... It simply does not.
*** stars. (for the production quality)
Trip At The Brain
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