The Suicide Machines – Suicide Machines

Artist: The Suicide Machines

Title: Suicide Machines

Label: Hollywood

Rating: 6/10

With fourteen songs ringing in at just a touch over thirty minutes, you know you are in for a high-octane record. They come screeching out of the box with the heavily melodic “Sometimes I Don’t Mind”, which is about bassist Royce Nunley’s dog, Chewy. It’s very cutesy for punk. Not too shabby.

The album veers off toward the end but you still get some great tunes. “Permanent Holiday”

is much like The Clash. And the slowdown comes when “The Fade Away” gives us a chance to get friendly as Suicide Machines play balladeers.

Then “Too Many Words” and “Perfect Day” sound too much like a television show intro. They’ve got blah written all over them. I’m just waiting for them to start singing the introduction to Boy Meets World. “Green” sounds a bit too much like Rancid. It doesn’t feel like a Suicide Machines track. It flies by and hooks, but doesn’t maintain.

“Extraordinary” is another ballad. The doubled up vocals work out fabulously. The lyrics are lacking a bit, but that might be a little too critical. The music is great and the melodies are right on, their best showing by far. Then the album goes to hell. “I Hate Everything” goes the way of Marilyn Manson, but they just can’t work it as devilishly perverse. Manson has it like that; Suicide Machines don’t.

+ rae gun