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The Suicide Machines (originally called Jack Kevorkian and The Suicide
Machines) had been practicing their ska-punk routine since the
mid 1990s (releasing tapes and singles)
when they finally inked a recording deal and released
Destruction by Definition (Sony, 1996), featuring original drummer
Derek Grant.
Singer Jason Navarro displays the explosive passion of British pub-rocker.
The guitarist Dan Lukacinsky unleashes scorching riffs that hark back to
the tradition of punk-rock guitars like Steve Jones, Mick Jones,
Johnny Ramone, East Bay Ray.
Their fury was augmented with horns and organ, and tempered with catchy
melodies (Break the Glass, Islands).
Battle Hymns (Sony, 1998) is a virulent work of anger and scorn, with
a lot more punk and lot less ska than the first album
(Confuses, High Society).
In the meantime, drummer Grant had moved to the Alkaline Trio.
Suicide Machines (Hollywood, 2000) was the album that changed their
lives, and not necessarily for the better.
Sometimes I Don't Mind and No Sale were poppy enough to gather
radio programming and only Permanent Holiday showed any of the old
power.
Steal This Record (Hollywood, 2001) opens with a catchy, anthemic,
choral power-pop ditty, The Killing Blow.
On the other hand,
Steal This Record is an acrobatic rock and roll that roars the way
Dead Kennedys used to.
Therein lies the contradiction. The Suicide Machines are torn between
their punk roots and a middleclass future.
The epic hymns of the Clash ring inside
Honor Among Thieves, but Stand Up is reggae-pop for the
family picnics.
Off The Cuff is a supersonic slam-dance and All My People
is a glorious barricade-oriented sermon at manic speed, but then too many
of the other songs are trying too hard for a radio-friendly chorus or a
radio-friendly beat or radio-friendly harmonies.
This is a band with no direction, no persona and no style, even if each of
the members has enough talent to replace players in bands that have a
direction, a persona and a style. Sometimes it takes a vision.
A Match And Some Gasoline (SideOneDummy, 2003) has a couple of
catchy numbers
(Did You Ever Get The Feeling Of Dread, High Anxiety).
War Profiteering Is Killing Us All (2005) is their most outspoken
work, and their loudest and most hostile; and certainly not their most musical. Virulent agit-prop anthems such as
The Red Flag, 17% 18 to 25 and War Profiteering Is Killing Us All are mainly screamed with a manic strength that comes from desperation.
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da Daniele Meneghel)
I Suicide Machines hanno esercitato la loro routine ska-punk fino a metà anni novanta quando finalmente hanno inchiostrato un accordo di registrazione e hanno fatto uscire Destruction by Definition (Sony, 1996). Il cantante Jason Navarro mette in mostra la passione esplosiva di un pub-rocker britannico. Il chitarrista Dan Lukacinsky dà origine a riff infuocati che evocano la tradizione delle chitarre punk rock come Steve Jones, Mick Jones, Johnny Ramone, East Bay Ray. La loro furia era
ingrandita con corni e organi.
Tracce: Break the Glass, Face Values, Hey Ska!, Insecurties, Inside/Outside, Islands, New Girl, NO FACE, Our Time, PUNK OUT, SOS, So Long, The Real You, The Vans Song, TOO MUCH, Zero.
Battle Hymns (Sony, 1998) è un virulento lavoro di rabbia e disprezzo, con molto più punk e molto meno ska rispetto al primo album (Confused, High Society).
Tracce: Confused, ddt, Empty Room, Face Another, Give, Hating, High Society, Hope, Independence, In The End, Jah!, Numbers, Pins and, Punk, Sides, Someone, Speak No Evil, Step One, Strike, Sympathy, What You Say.
Suicide Machines (Hollywood, 2000) fu l'album che cambiò le loro vite, e non necessariamente per il meglio. Sometimes I Don't Mind e No Sale erano abbastanza poppeggianti da chiamare a raccolta le programmazioni radiofoniche e solo Permanent Holiday mostrava qualcosa della vecchia potenza.
Tracce: Sometimes I Don't Mind , Permanent Holiday , The Fade Away , Too Many Words , No Sale , Green , Extraordinary , I Hate Everything , All Out , Perfect Day , Sincerity , Reasons , Goodbye For Now , I Never Promised You A Rose, Garden .
Steal This Record (Hollywood, 2001) apre con un orecchiabile, antemico, motivetto power-pop corale, The Killing Blow. D'altro canto, Steal This Record è un rock and roll acrobatico che ruggisce alla maniera che era solita dei Dead Kennedys. E in questo sta la contraddizione.I Suicide Machines sono lacerati tra le loro radici punk e un futuro borghese. Gli inni epici dei Clash
risuonano dentro Honor Among Thieves, ma Stand Up è reggae-pop per i picnic in famiglia. Off The Cuff è una supersonica slam-dance e All My People è un glorioso sermone barricade-oriented a velocità ossessiva, ma poi troppe delle restanti canzoni si spingono alla ricerca di un ritornello radio-friendly o un ritmo radio friendly, o delle armonie radio-friendly. Questa è una band senza direzione, senza personaggio e senza stile, anche se ciascuno dei membri ha abbastanza talento da poter rimpiazzare certi musicisti di gruppi che hanno una direzione, un personaggio e uno stile. Qualche volta ci vorrebbe un'idea.
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