Album Reviews
- by Christophe Vanheygen
When Suicidal’s first record came out, I was three years old. Little did I know – except for how to poop my pants – that I would do circle pits in my bedroom about twelve years later listening to it. Or even cover a few of their songs another ten years later. If it wasn’t for my bum knee, I’d still do some bedroom moshing to the classics. In any case, that album still holds up today. It’s a timeless masterpiece of hardcore punk.
Enter ‘World Gone Mad’, studio album number twelve for the Venice Beach legends. And as if the band couldn’t get any more legendary, they recruited former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo to beat the bejeezes out of the skins on these eleven thrash punk gems.
Because, yes, they are gems. ‘World Gone Mad’ in many ways sounds like the Suicidal Tendencies of yore, when they put out crossover albums like ‘Controlled by Hatred’ and ‘Lights … Camera … Revolution’. Only with a slightly updated sound and way, way more emphasis on the drums.
The problem is that, despite the blistering opening of ‘Clap Like Ozzy’ and shorter, aggressive bursts like the title track or ‘The Struggle is Real’, Mike and his suicidal buddies often fall in the trap of milking the songs just a tad too much.
With a running time of almost an hour, and songs taking up over 5 minutes, or even 7, I tend to lose interest a wee bit a little over halfway. Call me old school, but I still prefer my crossover punk records to be short and snappy.
That being said, it is probably the only flaw in a damn fine addition to every ST-fan’s collection. 33 years after their debut album, ‘World Gone Mad’ is better than what you would expect: more energetic, more aggressive, more fun … and – here’s that gratuitous joke you’ve been waiting for - still cyco after all these years.
Track listing:
- Clap Like Ozzy
- The New Degeneration
- Living For Life
- Get Your Fight On!
- World Gone Mad
- Happy Never After
- One Finger Salute
- Damage Control
- The Struggle Is Real
- Still Dying to Live
- This World
Lacking the talent to actually play in a band, Tom decided he would write about bands instead. Turns out his writing skills are mediocre at best as well.
