05. S.O.D Speak English or Die 1985 (Megaforce)
Crossover Thrash
Just switch your brain off and do the blitzkrieg.
The Lowdown
Whenever band members start a side project a lot of the time it tends to be a self-interest type project where a member/members tend to indulge in an aspect of music, that they really don’t always have the freedom to do in the confines of their own band. A lot of the time these are really hit and miss affairs and usually end up only really appreciated by fans of the artist, but now and again there are exceptions and
Speak English or Die is one such exception.
Speak English or Die is actually an album that should never be as far as Anthrax members Scott Ian and Charlie Benante were concerned, because it’s a side project that ends up being far superior to their main project which of course was Anthrax the up-and-coming east coast thrash metal band, whose second album
Speading the Disease is much further down this year’s list (see review)
Speak English or Die can be classified as a crossover thrash metal album (for those that don’t know that’s hardcore punk fused with thrash metal) and the album has roots thrash metal engineer Alex Perialas on production duties (check out his impressive credentials) The amusingly titled Stormtroopers of Death known as S.O.D with their debut album at just 29 minutes long, is an album that ended up as being a hastily put together album after the recording sessions for
Spreading the Disease had finished. The two Anthrax men called in ex-Anthrax member Dan Lilker and little known vocalist Billy Milano, and the whole thing was recorded in a week. Needless to say due to its high position here the album ended up as being a classic and an influential piece that is essential for any extreme metal devotee, it’s an album that usually needs just one listen to get you hooked and I’m not even a crossover thrash fan! Despite the controversy surrounding both the album’s subject matter and lyrical content, where it was accused of being both macho and racist,
Speak English or Die is really just a goofy sounding metal album that happens to be loud and frenetic, and full of macho overtones rather than having any type of politically incorrect statement. The album also largely keeps within the spirit of Anthrax and on the whole is not really meant to be taken seriously anyway and the album members have often stated this over the years. The album cover and band name certainly denote the comic book sensibility of the Anthrax members who were big comic fans anyway and the whole album plays like an outrageous comic as well.
Speak English or Die is loaded up with 21 tracks ranging between 2 seconds to 2 minutes and 32 seconds, and its blitzkrieg rampage which sounds like Anthrax on speed has great song titles like "Kill Yourself" "Milano Mosh" "Freddy Kreuger" "Pre-Menstrual Princess Blues" "Pussy Whipped" "**** the Middle East" and "Hey Gordy". Now from a listening perspective I've never been a fan of ultra-short tracks and so to get around by prejudice in these matters, I just treat this album as one long piece with some gaps between its sections and for me this works like a treat and that's how I enjoy to the maximum an album like
Speak English or Die. From such humble and rushed beginnings
Speak English or Die is widely considered to be one of the greatest crossover thrash metal albums of all time, which again goes to show just how important spontaneous musical ideas and effort can end up being, as the hastily formed Stormtroopers of Death were completely on fire when they recorded this album. The predilection of the project members is clear and that was an album’s worth of aggression with fantastic riffs that run the course of the album and it’s the kind of album that you can just pop it back on again for another rousing session. Just a year later Slayer would do something similar with their seminal
Reign in Blood album which goes to show that this approach was en-vogue as well. For anybody wanting a continuation from the Stormtroopers of Death project, Dan Lilker’s new band at this time Nuclear Assault was probably the way to go with their impressive
Game Over album.
Billy Milano- Vocals
Scott Ian- Guitar
Dan Lilker- Bass
Charlie Benante- Drums
Production- Alex Perialas/Scott Ian