Though the Suicide Machines are far more punk (and pop) than ska, they nonetheless manage to fit in some infectious ska rhythms. They're a Detroit quartet with piercings in all the right places (pretty much all over their ... more »faces), big baggy clothes, and a knack for writing fun-filled, power-packed ditties. They're also a hell of a lot of fun. At a Seattle gig (at Eckstein Middle School, of all places), they invited about half the crowd to join them on stage and performed the entire gig surrounded by (mostly) teenage boys skanking up a storm. Truly a spectacle to behold. Their debut record on the Hollywood label has much of that same wackiness. The songs are totally adrenalized, manic spasms of poppy punk, jazzed up with some deliriously danceable ska. The best line of the entire album comes in the fashion-tip-laden "The Vans Song", which advises, "Worship Jeff Spicoli, not Chris Cornell." Get the picture? --Adem Tepedelen« less
Though the Suicide Machines are far more punk (and pop) than ska, they nonetheless manage to fit in some infectious ska rhythms. They're a Detroit quartet with piercings in all the right places (pretty much all over their faces), big baggy clothes, and a knack for writing fun-filled, power-packed ditties. They're also a hell of a lot of fun. At a Seattle gig (at Eckstein Middle School, of all places), they invited about half the crowd to join them on stage and performed the entire gig surrounded by (mostly) teenage boys skanking up a storm. Truly a spectacle to behold. Their debut record on the Hollywood label has much of that same wackiness. The songs are totally adrenalized, manic spasms of poppy punk, jazzed up with some deliriously danceable ska. The best line of the entire album comes in the fashion-tip-laden "The Vans Song", which advises, "Worship Jeff Spicoli, not Chris Cornell." Get the picture? --Adem Tepedelen
Think the best hardcore punk and a little ska times 1,000
Paul H. | 05/19/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"No matter how horrible your day was. You can still get home from school and pop in destruction by definition and have a brief excape from the sick prep infested world. Because Ive seen suicide machines live and I speak for all hardcore kids when I say this is the best cd ever."
When all else fails, go back to the beginning of the timelin
Nick Colosi | Chesterland, OH, USA | 10/16/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Okay, so all else isn't really 'failing,' because "War Profiteering is Killing Us All" and "A Match and Some Gasoline" were both amazing albums, but as I have read so many reviews of this CD and all the fans of the Suicide Machines think that this is like... lightyears better than the new stuff, I had to pick it up and officially make myself 'a Suicide Machines fan.' So I did. And they weren't lying. This CD is mind blowing, high speed, amazingly catchy, punk music with a twist of ska that'll leave you wanting more. Now I have to admit, this took a little while to grow on me, one of the many reasons I don't review CDs immediately after I get them... (If you see my review of Sum 41's "Chuck" you'll see the mistake of doing that) Once the CD became familiar though, you simply can't get enough of it. It's simply the mass amounts of energy these guys have (or used to have) that makes the CD unforgetable, and also, it doesn't sound like every other band that you see on MTV every day. Jay has one of the greatest voices that I've ever heard, and seeing as this is before the hardcore screaming Suicide Machines emerged, it sounds even better.
Highlights: Everything pretty much goes in this part. The CD just makes you wanna get up and jump around, not caring that the whole croud of people around you are gaping stupidly at you thinking that you're some kind of idiot. All 16 tracks deliver a non-stop, upbeat, music experience that you'll be listening to for years, despite the fact that this CD is almost 10 years old. The horns in "Hey!" and "Vans Song" give the album a creative feel that let you know this is a band that will take anything and make it sound good. Other than that, it's just downright amazing punk music. "Break the Glass" is possibly the catchiest song on this planet to date, and "Too Much" and "Inside/Outside" are two of the more stand-out tracks. The bass in "No Face" is also very memoriable.
Lowlights: Not much you can say bad about this CD, maybe just the fact that there will never be abother one, but that would just make this less of a classic.
In the end, I say buy it if you like any of the following things
-Punk
-Ska
-Catchy music
-Music that experiments with different sounds
-Fast pace, in-your-face vocals
-Music that would make MTV throw up
-GOOD MUSIC!
Hehe, a little redundant, just shut up and go buy the CD!"
Ahhhh...The Good Old Days
Paul H. | USA | 06/06/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Before the Suicide Machines morphed into a less-than-stellar modern rock band, there were their days as one of the best ska/punk bands since maybe Operation Ivy. While the Machines never reach the level of punk bands such as The Clash, Op Ivy, etc. on Destruction By Definition, they still manage to pull off a great album. From the short and frantic ska number "No Face" to the hardcore "Our Time" to the hyperactive "Hey", Destruction... never reaches a low point. It's too bad they sound so generic now; they had so much potential. If you want an excellent ska/punk CD, you might want to pick this up."
Great CD
BJT | 09/12/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you like ska/punk this is the CD for you. From the first play, I liked every song. Loud & energetic, I've recommended it to every friend I have!"