The
Suicide Machines

Since emerging from the grimy asphalt underground of their Detroit hometown, THE SUICIDE MACHINES have earned a nationwide fan base with a punk/ska fury which places them miles apart from trendsurfing contemporaries.

As they unleash their sophomore album Battle Hymns, it's worth tracing THE SUICIDE MACHINES' ascent since the 1996 release of their major label debut Destruction By Definition. Dubbed "one of the best American pop albums of '96" by Alternative Press, Destruction began a two year campaign of blistering tour dates, greatly expanding TSM's grass roots following. With total sales now approaching 200,000 units, Destruction earned THE SUICIDE MACHINES the #15 berth on Soundscan's 1997 ranking of alternative new artists.

But as far as THE SUICIDE MACHINES are concerned, the only meaningful measures of success are integrity and intensity. So rather than create a comfy, cozy, user-friendly confection, on their second album THE SUICIDE MACHINES take the raw energy of their debut and bump it up a few notches.

Battle Hymns is full of bluntly honest songs delivered with brute force, terse salvos rarely lasting more than two minutes in length. "The music is poppier but also harder," says vocalist Jason Navarro. "The lyrics got more personal, and we admit that we're as confused and frustrated as everyone else when it comes to screwed-up politics." "The topics are definitely more serious," adds bassist Royce Nunley; "all in all, this album is just more us than anything we've done before."

The group's signature ability to rapidly change mood and tempo has grown even sharper than before: TSM's ska grooves roar into thrash punk, dive into hardcore and slide back to ska again with the snap of a finger.

Lyrics play an increasingly important role in the group's communal songwriting process, whether tackling social issues ("Hating Hate," "Black & White World," "Confused," "Step One") or personal topics ("Someone," "Pins And Needles," "Face Another Day," "Empty Room"). Even at their poppiest, TSM's lyrical bite is undeniable: beneath its upbeat sound, "Give" explores dark truths about sour friendships, culminating with the closing lines "They got words / They keep flying their flags / But they're never gonna understand."

Produced by Julian Raymond and THE SUICIDE MACHINES (who also produced Destruction) and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge, Battle Hymns is the newest phase in a story which began in 1991. Early local gigs included warming up for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones in 1992 during the Boston ska kingpins' second Detroit appearance. In 1993, many basement gigs later, TSM opened Rancids first Detroit show and in 1994 TSM joined Rancid again for a sold-out performance. Inspired, TSM set up their own DIY tours, including a 1994 west coast stint and 1995's nationwide trek with fellow ska punks Buck-O-Nine. After releasing a pair of self-produced recordings, THE SUICIDE MACHINES' Hollywood debut Destruction By Definition, opened the door for TSM's rapid growth.

Despite their coast-to-coast fan base, the group still strongly reflects its Detroit origins. "Being from Michigan," says Navarro, "we all write from that local perspective. The factory down the river spills out pollution, unregulated and unconcerned; we see a lot of racial tension, a lot of hate groups. Our surroundings affect us personally and in our songwriting."

Those issues inspired the album title Battle Hymns. "It has nothing to do with violence," explains guitarist Dan Lukacinsky. "Instead, it's more about battling ignorance and racism. The music is therapeutic -- it's a good way to get stuff out of our system. I hope that when people listen to the album they get the messages. But even with the seriousness of the music, we're definitely not trying to be preachy. We try to always keep sight of the fact that this band is mainly about having fun."

"Of course we've got a lot of personal issues," Navarro adds, "and the world can be a pretty depressing place, but you've got to keep a positive frame of mind. You have to find that balance between happiness and sadness in your music, because that's the way reality is."

Balancing happiness, sadness, melody, noise, speed, volume, and recklessness, Battle Hymns shows THE SUICIDE MACHINES primed for ignition.