Suicidal Tendencies

Suicidal Tendencies is an American crossover thrash band formed in 1980 in Venice, Los Angeles, California, by vocalist Mike Muir. The band has undergone various lineup changes, with Muir as the only remaining original member. Their current lineup includes Muir, guitarists Dean Pleasants and Ben Weinman, bassist Tye Trujillo and drummer Greyson Nekrutman. Notable musicians who have contributed to the band’s studio or live activities include guitarists Rocky George and Mike Clark, bassists Louiche Mayorga, Robert Trujillo, Ra Díaz, Josh Paul and Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner, and drummers Amery Smith, Jimmy DeGrasso, Brooks Wackerman, David Hidalgo Jr., Thomas Pridgen, Dave Lombardo, Brandon Pertzborn and session musician Josh Freese.

Along with D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity, and Stormtroopers of Death, Suicidal Tendencies is often credited as one of “the fathers of crossover thrash”. They have released fourteen studio albums (four of which are composed of re-recorded or previously released material), two EPs, four split albums, four compilation albums, and two long-form videos. The band achieved its first success with their 1983 self-titled debut album; it spawned the single “Institutionalized”, which was one of the first hardcore punk videos to receive substantial airplay on MTV. Suicidal Tendencies’ popularity continued to grow exponentially within the next decade, and with their second studio album Join the Army (1987), which was their first to enter the Billboard 200 chart, the band was beginning to experiment with a heavy sound that helped create, develop and popularize the crossover thrash genre. Suicidal Tendencies’ first three albums on the major label Epic Records — How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can’t Even Smile Today (1988), Controlled by Hatred/Feel Like Shit… Déjà Vu (1989) and Lights…Camera…Revolution! (1990) — were well-received in the thrash metal and heavy metal communities, with the latter two earning Suicidal Tendencies gold certifications by the RIAA. The band’s sixth studio album, The Art of Rebellion (1992), became their greatest chart success, peaking at number 52 on the Billboard 200, and included three of their biggest hits “Asleep at the Wheel”, “Nobody Hears” and “I’ll Hate You Better”. That album, along with its predecessor and its successors Still Cyco After All These Years (1993) and Suicidal for Life (1994), saw the band experiment further, with sounds and influences ranging from thrash metal to progressive and funk music.

Suicidal Tendencies disbanded in 1995 after severing ties from Sony and Epic. However, Muir (along with then-rhythm guitarist Mike Clark) reformed the band a year later with a new lineup, releasing the albums Freedumb (1999) and Free Your Soul and Save My Mind (2000). Suicidal Tendencies’ recorded output was minimal for the remainder of the 2000s, continuing mostly as a live band albeit occasionally performing new songs in concert and releasing them on split albums or compilation albums, including Friends & Family, Vol. 2 (2001) and Year of the Cycos (2008). The band returned to releasing new studio albums in the 2010s, starting with an album of re-recorded material, No Mercy Fool!/The Suicidal Family (2010), followed by two albums with all-new original material: 13 (2013) and World Gone Mad (2016); those two albums were well-received by critics, and considered comebacks for Suicidal Tendencies. Their most recent releases are the EP Get Your Fight On! and an album featuring unreleased and re-recorded material, Still Cyco Punk After All These Years, both released in 2018. The band is currently working on new material for their fifteenth studio album.

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