Hailing from Detroit, The Suicide Machines were pioneers of the ska-core genre, which combines elements of of ska with hardcore. The band was formed in 1991. They played small venues all around the Detroit area, eventualy creating quite a name for themselves among local ska fans. The band recorded their first demo in 1993, which included original versions of many songs that would end up on their first real album, Destruction by Definition. Many Suicide Machines fans will contend that this first releas was their best. Destruction by Definition has a much more subtle hardcore influence than The Suicide Machines' later albums. This is perhaps one of the reasons why many view this album as their best. Unlike later realeases in which the songs are more like hardcore than ska, Destruction by Definition's songs truly sound like ska with only a touch of hardcore screaming. This is makes for a much friendlier sound for people like myself who prefer singing to screaming.
The album gets a very fast and energetic start with the track "New Girl." The song begins with a quick snare roll followed by a heavly distorted power chord melody. The song then jumps into a classic ska verse with a reggae-like backdrop. Suddenly lead singer, Jay Navraro, screams and we hear the chorus for the first time. The chorus uses the same guitar part as the song's intro does, but this time the drums are different. The hardcore influence in "New Girl" is more obvious than it is in other tracks on the album and the entire chorus is made up of screaming. after another verse and chorus, there is a breif solo by an instrument that I am unable to identify, then the song gets very loud again and fades out. The next track "SOS" is very similar to the last one, a loud intro, a quiet verse, and some occasional shouting. They lyrics, however are much more serious. It also has a cool soundind interlude and another breif solo.
The next song "Break the Glass" really brings a unique style to the album. Again it has a loud intro, but this time it jumps into a lone guitar riff followed by a techinal drum part and a bass driven verse. The chorus of the song consists of loud power chords and cymbal crashes. After the second chorus, Jay gets in a good loud scream and there is a brief interlude. the song then goes back into the verse and fades out. After this song comes the next one "No Face", one of the more mellow tracks of the album. It begins with a two chord guitar intro that continues throughout the entire song. Again, the verse of the song is really driven by the bass. After several measures of quiet singing the words "Can't think, suicide" are screamed VERY loudly taking the listener by surprise. "No Face" certainly isn't a dazzling display of musicianship, but it is a very fun track to listen to amd is one of the best on the album. The next track "Hey" starts out extremely heavy and dark, but soon jumps into an upbeat saxophone driven melody that sounds just about as cheerful the theme song to a game show. Once the track begins in full swing it's very similar to previous tracks on the album, but more ska instruments are used, particularly the saxophone. About halfway through the song a quiet yet still energetic interlude. After this a breif saxophone/guitar duet is played, then the song jumps back into the fast paced verse and fades out. The next track "Our Time" brings nothing new or special to the album. again it's just a fast tempo energetic song. It's catchy, but really isn't very special musically or lyrically.
Though the next song "Too Much" is also similar to the album's previous tracks, it is a standout track on Destruction by Definition. It's nothing more than another energetic punk/hardcore/ska song, but somehow it shines above the previous tracks of the album. After a quick guitar intro, the intense vocals start. Again, the hardcore influence is obnious in this track due to occasional screaming during the verse. After the first chorus we hear another quiet interlude similar to the one in "Hey." After this the words "F*** you!" are screamed and the song speeds back into the verse. It's not a very unique or original track, but it is a very good one and one of the album's best. The next track, however, is not one of the album's best. On the contrary, it's one of the worst. "Islands" isn't a bad song, but it ceratinly isn't a good one. It's catchy, but other than that there are no real positives. It's a two minute song that uses the same chord pattern and vocal melody throughout. Definately the album's most mediocre track. Thankfully, the next song "The Real You" is one of the album's best. After a breif drum solo, a single distorted guitar chord is strummed and the track begins. At first, the vocals are sung in a strange manner that reminds me of the vocals in the band Leftover Crack. The vocals soon become normal, and the song's tempo speeds up a bit. In the chorus more screaming can be heard, further emphasizing album's hardcore influence. After the second chorus some extraneous explicities are screamed. Then the song goes back to the chorus and fades out.
The next track "Face Values" has its own unique sound. It is little more than a minute long, but is one of the stand out tracks on the album. It has a neat intro, but the verse is what really makes it stand out. It goes from being driven by heavy power chords to being driven by bass and undistorted chords in the blink of an eye, producing a very neat sound. The song also has great lyrics about being true to yourself. The next track "Punk Out" is also one of the album's best. Like "Too Much" it really brings nothing new to Destruction by Definition, but something about it that makes it stand out. Next comes my personal favorite song on the album "The Vans Song" Lyrically, it's all about shoes. Specifically Vans chukka boots and chekerboard slip-ons. Musically, the track is probably the most ska-sounding song the Suicide Machines ever produced. It starts out with a trombone solo, then jumps into a quiet bass driven verse. After the verse, the song explodes into a loud, fast chorus. Another trombone solo comes in after the chorus, then another verse. The song explodes into the chorus again and ends.
Next is the fast paced "Insecurities." The vocals on this song also vaguely remind me of Leftover Crack. The track is good because it places a lot of emphasis on bass. After two verses and two choruses there is a neat bass solo immediately followed by a bass driven outro. The next track "Inside/Outside" is also a standout on the album. It starts with Jay screaming then it goes into the verse, which contains an incrediby difficult and complex bass part. After this, it suddenly explodes into a loud chorus. After anothe verse and chorus, we hear more of the album's hardcore screams and the song fades out. The next song "Zero" is not one of the album's best. Musically it is very techinal and difficult, but there is just something about it that makes it mediocre. The song seems so techinal that it hard to enjoy. It has defined verses and choruses, but it's hard to keep up when listening. Next is the song "So Long" It begins with a quiet intro, then Jay screams and power chords are played with some muted vocals in the backdrop. The song has a quiet verse and a loud chorus. It's realy not too special. After this is a hidden track, a cover of A Minor Threat's " I Don't Wanna Hear it." The Suicide Machines did a good job of covering tye song. Personally I don't like it, but, I'm not a fan of the song in the first place.
Destruction by Defintion is widely regarded as the Suicide Machine's best album. I would have to agree with this assessment. All of their subsequent releases become increasing worse. I would highly reccomend Destruction by Defintion to any fans of punk/ska.
4/5
