Suicidal Tendencies

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{{Infobox musical artist |Background = white |Border = black |Name = SUICIDAL TENDENCIES Image:SUICIDAL2.jpg | [Img_capt=] |URL = link |Formed = 1982 |First = Sucidal Tendencies |FirstYear = 1983 |Disbanded = STill Active |Latest = Friends & Family, Vol. 2 |LatestYear = 2001 |Genre = Hardcore Punk |Label = Suicidal Records |OGenres = Crossover thrash
Skate Punk |OLabels = Frontier Records
Caroline Records
Epic Records |Similar = infectious grooves, CYCO MIKO, Circle Jerks, D.R.I., Excel |Projects = Cyco Miko
Infectious Grooves |Albums = |Songs = }} Suicidal Tendencies are a rock music band, formed in 1982 in Venice, California. Singer and songwriter Mike Muir (a.k.a. "Cyco Miko") has been the only constant member. Sometimes regarded as the progenitors of skate punk, they later incorporated significant heavy metal, thrash metal, and even funk elements to create a unique sound that was strictly their own.

1 Biography
2 Lineup
- 2.1 Current
- 2.2 Former members
3 Discography
4 See also
5 External links

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Biography

Suicidal Tendencies formed in 1982 as a hardcore punk band in Venice, California. The original lineup of the band consisted of Muir, guitarist Grant Estes, bassist Louiche Mayorga, and drummer Amery Smith. The band had a rough start that included being voted "Worst Band/Biggest Assholes" in Flipside in 1982. Using the opposition to fuel creativity, they quickly gained a following, performing larger and larger gigs.

The band signed with the independent label Frontier Records and issued their self-titled debut in 1983. It was described by critic Steve Huey as "Fast, furious, and funny ... Mike Muir proves himself an articulate lyricist and commentator, delving into subjects like alienation, depression, and nonconformist politics with intelligence and humor."[1]. It contained the song, "Institutionalized", which featured a music video that became one of the first hardcore punk videos to get substantial MTV airplay, and greatly expanded the band's fan base.

As the size of the band’s fan base grew, so did the rumors of gang relations and violence (eventually leading to a Los Angeles ban on public performances by Suicidal Tendencies). This became a problem for the band, as it kept them from releasing another full length album for 4 years. The band found a new label in Caroline Records.

With the lineup of Muir, Mayorga, new guitarist Rocky George and new drummer R.J. Herrera, the band released their sophomore album, Join The Army in 1987. Produced by future Primus mastermind Les Claypool [2]. The album was met with a mixed reaction, but spawned tracks such as "War Inside My Head" and "Possessed To Skate".

Shortly afterwards, the band made some major changes. They moved from a punk act to more thrash metal oriented territory, and recruited second guitarist Mike Clark and new bassist Bob Heathcote. They were offered a major label contract with Epic Records.

The band's first release with Epic was How Will I Laugh Tomorrow If I Can't Even Smile Today?. Released in 1988, the album showed a metal oriented sound. It featured the hits "Trip At The Brain", "Pledge Your Allegiance" and the title track. Two versions of "How Will I Laugh Tomorrow" appeared on the 1989 compilation of two EPs Controlled By Hatred/Feel Like Shit...Déjà Vu as the video version and "heavy emotion" version. The aforementioned EP also contained the hit "Waking The Dead", which clocked in at nearly 7 minutes and featured many tempo and composition changes, in many ways the band beginning to break away from their punk influences.

In 1990, now with Robert Trujillo on bass, the band released Lights...Camera...Revolution!, displaying some funk influences brought in by Trujillo. Their subsequent singles "You Can't Bring Me Down" (the video for which was aired repeatedly on MTV's Headbanger's Ball), "Send Me Your Money", and "Alone" proved successful. In 1991 the band opened a stadium tour for Queensryche, and their album Lights...Camera... was certified gold within a few years, the first Suicidal Tendencies album to do so.

Muir and Trujillo had soon formed a side project, Infectious Grooves, a funk metal band in the vein of early Red Hot Chili Peppers and Primus, which released The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move...It's the Infectious Grooves in 1991.

In 1992 Suicidal Tendencies released Art Of Rebellion, emphasizing their new found funk and pop influences, and continued the band’s success with the singles "Nobody Hears", "Asleep At The Wheel" and, perhaps the bands best known song to date, the corssover hit "I'll Hate You Better". It featured drummer Josh Freese (Herrera had left the band prior to the recording). The following year in 1993, the band released a re-recording of the bands self titled debut Still Cyco After All These Years.

1993 also saw the release of another Infectious Grooves album, Sarsippius' Ark, which featured the hit "These Freaks Are Here To Party".

In 1994 Suicidal Tendencies released their tenth album, Suicidal For Life. The album was widely considered a disappointing effort. Members began to fall out, and the band folded in 1995. A greatest hits compilation, Prime Cuts was released in 1997.

The band returned in 1998 with Muir, guitarist Dean Pleasents, bassist Josh Paul and drummer Brooks Wackerman, to release Freedumb in 1999. Mike Clark rejoined around this time, and the band released Free Your Soul And Save My Mind in 2000, and Friends & Family Vol. 2 in 2001. Paul and Wackerman have since left the band, and have been replaced by the Brunner brothers (Ron on drums and Steve on bass). The band is working on a new album soon to be announced in 2007.