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1987 studio album by Suicidal Tendencies From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Join the Army is the second studio album by American crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies. It was released in April 1987,[1] and is one of the most well known albums for crossing over the genres of punk and thrash metal, known as crossover thrash, a genre that Suicidal Tendencies have been credited for creating. Join the Army is arguably one of Suicidal Tendencies' most popular efforts, although it only reached No. 100 on the Billboard 200 chart.[3] This was their first album with guitarist Rocky George and drummer R.J. Herrera, and their last recording with bassist Louiche Mayorga (although he did co-write songs on their next album How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today). This is also the last album to feature the band playing hardcore punk before an extended period with a more thrash metal focus (on some more recent albums, hardcore punk is again part of the mix).
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2021) |
| Join the Army | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1987[1] | |||
| Recorded | January 1987 at Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:53 | |||
| Label | Caroline | |||
| Producer | Lester Claypool, Suicidal Tendencies | |||
| Suicidal Tendencies chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Join the Army | ||||
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Mike Muir used vastly different vocal techniques and range compared to their debut album (sometimes sounding similar to Lemmy from Motörhead).[citation needed] Original guitarist Grant Estes had been replaced by Jon Nelson in 1984, who was then soon replaced by Rocky George, who influenced the change of the band's sound into the thrash direction. Original drummer Amery Smith was replaced by R.J. Herrera, who used the particularly metal drum feature of double kick.
Reviews for Join the Army were mostly positive. AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia gave it three stars out of five and called it "a transitional album in the transformation of the band's sound from hardcore punk to thrash metal".[2]
Join the Army was also the first Suicidal Tendencies album to enter the Billboard 200; it peaked at No. 100, and remained on the chart for thirteen weeks.[3] "Possessed to Skate" preceded the album's release as a single, which also had a music video created for it. The video featured old school skateboarding tricks, and as such is considered a classic visual period piece of skateboarding.[citation needed] The success of Join the Army garnered attention from major labels, including Epic Records, with whom Suicidal Tendencies would eventually sign in 1988.
"War Inside My Head" is featured in the game Guitar Hero: Metallica. "Possessed to Skate" is featured in the game Skate 2. "Suicidal Maniac" was covered by Hatebreed on their 2009 release For the Lions.
Over the years and with the involvement several line-ups, Suicidal Tendencies have recorded new versions of 10 of the 13 songs originally included in Join the Army, including two different new versions of two of those tracks: "War Inside My Head" and "A Little Each Day" (Still Cyco After All These Years); "Join the Army" and "Go Skate! (Possessed to Skate '97)" (Prime Cuts); "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right" (Year of the Cycos); "Suicidal Maniac", "Possessed to Skate", "The Prisoner", "I Feel Your Pain... And I Survive", "Join the ST Army", "No Name, No Words", and "Born to Be Cyco" (No Mercy Fool!/The Suicidal Family).
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Suicidal Maniac" | Rocky George, Mike Muir | 2:57 |
| 2. | "Join the Army" | Louiche Mayorga, Mike Muir | 3:37 |
| 3. | "You Got, I Want" | Suicidal Tendencies | 2:55 |
| 4. | "A Little Each Day" | Muir | 4:08 |
| 5. | "The Prisoner" | Mayorga, Muir | 2:53 |
| 6. | "War Inside My Head" | Mayorga, Muir | 3:51 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "I Feel Your Pain" | George, Muir | 3:27 |
| 8. | "Human Guinea Pig" | Suicidal Tendencies | 2:05 |
| 9. | "Possessed to Skate" | Mayorga, Muir | 2:34 |
| 10. | "No Name, No Words" | Mayorga, Muir | 2:35 |
| 11. | "Born to Be Cyco" | Mayorga, George, Muir | 2:13 |
| 12. | "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right (But They Make Me Feel a Whole Lot Better)" | George, Muir | 2:49 |
| 13. | "Looking in Your Eyes" | Mayorga, Muir | 2:50 |
Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Billboard 200 | 100 |
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