ROCKET REVIEW: SUICIDAL TENDENCIES

Venice Beach, California thrash/punks SUICIDAL TENDENCIES are back in 2013 with 13, the 13th studio album released by the legendary band. I wasn’t too happy when I learned Mike Clark would not be playing guitar on this record (Check out Clark’s recent work in GREAT GODS OF GREED, it simply kills), but I must admit that I am still totally digging what’s been thrown down by vocalist Mike Muir and company with this rocking collection of songs. I have been listening to ST since I was a kid growing up in Venice, Cali myself… so I know what an ST album should sound like.

Produced by Paul Northfield, 13 takes the listener on a punked out, funked up musical journey that makes a longtime fan like me feel like you’re going to a family reunion of sorts. Starting with track one’s “Shake It Out”, you get Dean Pleasants slamming guitar playing over the powerfully grooving rhythm section of bassist Tim “RAWBIZ” Williams and drummer Eric Moore.

My favorite tracks overall are “This Ain’t a Celebration”, “Who’s Afraid?”, and “This World”. Muir yells out, “This one don’t deserve my love!” Well, I think that 13 definitely deserves your love. All 13 tracks manage to merge the classic essence of ST with a fresh, modern production without seeming like they are trying too hard to impress. Let’s face it, there’s nothing that Muir has to prove to anyone. The dude is one of the greats and we’re lucky he’s even still got the desire to make new music.

ROCKET REVIEW:
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SUICIDAL TENDENCIES – “13” (CD)
(Suicidal Records/2013)

1. Shake It Out
2. Smash It!
3. This Ain’t a Celebration
4. God Only Knows Who I Am
5. Make Your Stand
6. Who’s Afraid?
7. Show Some Love… Tear It Down
8. Cyco Style
9. Slam City
10. Till My Last Breath
11. Living the Fight
12. Life… (Can’t Live with It, Can’t Live Without It)
13. This World

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