Suicide Way Of Life CD

The unwitting godfathers of industrial noise-squall return after a long absence to reclaim their throne on A Way of Life. Produced by Ric Ocasek, Suicide's Alan Vega and Martin Rev pick up exactly where they left off, crafting beautifully ominous drone-rock founded on pulsing sequences, dramatic vocals, and dense atmospherics. ~ Jason Ankeny

Following the double-disc reissues of Suicide's first two albums, Mute continued to slowly roll through the remainder of the duo's career. A Way of Life, produced by the Cars' Ric Ocasek and originally released in 1988 on Wax Trax!, undergoes remastering treatment from Martin Rev, and a second disc adds a recording of a London performance from December 1987. This release, along with the similarly treated reissue of 1992's Why Be Blue? (the lesser of the two), should hopefully detract from the widespread belief that the first two Suicide albums are the only ones worth owning. A seven-year gap between album number two (although plugged with some thrilling moments from Alan Vega's and Rev's solo albums) and this one didn't help, and the duo couldn't have possibly set the underground on fire as they had during the '70s and early '80s. However, any group inspired in the least by Vega and Rev would be proud to have made this. It's an update of their original sound, somewhere between the first two albums in terms of accessibility, with small traces of their adherents seeping through the cracks. The second disc adds value for fans who don't feel as if there's enough live material floating around -- several songs were being heard for the first time by the attendees. If Vega and Rev weren't as confrontational as they had been in the past, those in the crowd must've at least realized that they remained as powerful. ~ Andy Kellman

Audio Remasterer: Martin Rev.

Recording information: Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY (04/17/1989); Town & Country, London, England (04/17/1989).

Photographer: Renaud Monfourny.

Suicide: Martin Rev (various instruments); Alan Vega.

Personnel: Alan Vega (vocals).

Uncut (p.111) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[A] bleak and beautiful record deserving of its predecessors' canonical status."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.112) - 4 stars out of 5 - "WAY OF LIFE plumbs mighty dark depths. Future-rockabilly classic 'Jukebox Baby '96' and 'Dominic Christ' rate among their landmark tunes."