Album Review: SUICIDAL TENDENCIES - Still Cyco Punk After All These Years

01. I Love Destruction
02. F.U.B.A.R.
03. All Kinda Crazy
04. Sippin' From The Insanitea
05. It's Always Something
06. Lost My Brain…Once Again
07. Nothin' To Lose
08. Gonna Be Alright
09. Ain't Gonna Get Me
10. All I Ever Get
11. Save A Peace For Me

Since enjoying their latest EP Get Your Fight On (read my review here) earlier this year, and more recently, their intense live show at this year's Bloodstock Festival (read my review here), I have been really looking forward to this new studio album for quite some time. I'm probably on my own here, but I wasn't blown away by their last studio album, 2016's World Gone Mad. Yes, it had ex-Slayer drumming legend Dave Lombardo on drums, but I just didn't feel that the songs were as strong as the bulk of old fan-favourites. Regardless, I still had high hopes for this new one, as Suicidal Tendencies is one of those bands I've followed since my teens.

Then the bombshell hit. I recognised these song titles. I should have guessed that something was up when the album title was a play on a previous album (Still Cyco After All These Years was a re-recorded version of their debut). This new record is a re-recording, or re-imagining at best, of Mike Muir's hugely underrated 1995 Punk solo album Lost My Brain! (Once Again), which he released under the moniker of Cyko Miko. It's an underground classic, and in my opinion didn't need to be re-recorded. However, it's happened, and this is the 'new' studio album.

If you aren't familiar with the source material, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this was the best Suicidal Tendencies album in years. Well, actually it is, come to think of it. The songs themselves are stellar, and have really stood the test of time. These new versions are absolutely killer and are different enough from the originals to warrant picking this album up. Having Dave Lombardo on board has really helped and he pounds through these tracks like a beast.

In this instance, Suicidal Tendencies have done well by looking backwards instead of forwards, as they've made an awesome Punk/Hardcore album from material that was grossly overlooked the first time round, and have adapted it to where they are now musically. Let's be honest, a good percentage of their fanbase will be discovering these songs for the first time, and they'll be in for a real treat.