Suicidal Tendencies Freedumb CD

To the very extent to which Suicidal Tendencies were once edgy, intelligent, and refreshingly original, 1999'sFreedumb is trite, repetitive, and disappointing. Seemingly all the elements that once made this Venice-based funk-thrash quartet enjoyable are gone, replaced by dated riffs and lyrics that wouldn't fit in during any time period. It's as if frontman Mike Muir doesn't know where to direct his anger anymore. And so he directs it all over the place, with varying degrees of effectiveness. There's no biting criticism of religious hypocrisy on Freedumb, nor are there any attacks on minimum-wage labor or corporate greed. What this album does have is a song called "Hippie Killer," which, in theory, could be funny, if Muir made any attempt to elucidate what makes hippies worth killing. But his criticism goes no farther than, "Hippies suck!" And then there's the title track, " "Freedumb." The concept behind this clever play on words is only explained by the repeated posture, "You want your freedumb?/We got your freedumb!/Get your freedumb/I've got your freedumb!" Lyrically, Muir's work on Freedumb is nothing short of lazy, which is highly disappointing, because when he's at his best, he's second to none. Almost every song toggles back and forth between the same two or three chords, making a three-minute song feel twice as long as it actually is. The band is obviously trying to return to the simplicity of its roots, but their earlier material had -- in addition to clever lyrics -- catchy hooks, something this album is sorely lacking. Furthermore, their earlier work, even the foul-mouthed Suicidal for Life, relied heavily on the funky bass riffs of ultra-talented Robert Trujillo. His contribution to this album seems disappointingly sparse. The final and best song, "Heaven," introduces Spanish guitars to Suicidal's repertoire. It's a nice touch, but too little, and too late, to save the rest. ~ Kieran McCarthy

Suicidal TendenciesFreedumb (Suicidal Records)With their first new record in over five years, Suicidal Tendencies are back with their hardcore punk/thrash/funk sound. Packing fourteen brutal punk nuggets, the band cuts through all the crap and just puts it all on the line as they rock and roll their way to the finish (as fast as they can too, because these songs are super fast).Freedumb starts everything off just the way you'd expect: loud, aggressive, and full of venom. The rhythm section kicks ass as they beat their instruments senseless trying to get the bloodiest, brutal sound for your listening pleasures. The guitar screams with fury as it races through the song with sweat and dirt flying everywhere. Then there are the vocals, which spit out the words with both screams and melodic spite.Funking up the hardcore punk sound is "Half Way Up My Head," which introduces some funk into the mix. Now, this isn't your standard cheesy funk to make you dance, this is hardcore funk with a metal edge to it. Here they use it to draw you in before snapping your neck with their fierce punk rock that is sure to, and does, explode about fifty seconds into the song.Slowing things down a bit is "Naked," which takes on a more melodic punk stance. Instead of ripping up the ground with terrorizing guitar riffs and glass shattering rhythm beats, the band decides its time to get the listener singing along. But, at what cost you ask? Well, they don't lose the edge that makes them S.T., that's for sure. The song still has a spice to it like no other, and half way through, as you'd expect, the S.T. standard hardcore punk sound is once again visited before changing back with a slight funk bridge."We Are Family" gets the metal grind going as the band loses the punk sound all together and goes for some funk/thrash/metal hardcore to kick things off. The punk makes its way back slowly into the song, but most everything is dominated with a metal/hardcore kick.Ending with an almost funk/punk ballad of sorts is "Heaven." Imagine Suicidal Tendencies teaming