The Suicide Machines-Battle Hymns-This is another band that I am giving a 2nd (and 3rd) chance to prove themselves. This album is much more cohesive then the first one I reviewed. The Suicide Machines end each song before it gets stagnant, by having the songs only last about a minute and a half each. They also are talented enough to keep the mix away from stagnation, changing styles numerous times during the album. However, the more ska-ish parts of the songs become a little tired. The album is good enough to avoid most of the pitfalls that the 90’s ska movement had in it, which caused the movement away from ska by the popular media. The recording level is perfect, a plus which comes with stardom, but the apathy exhibited by established bands is not present in this album. The Suicide Machines are just as devoted to their music as they were when they first came out. “High Society” would have to be the high (no pun intended) part of this album, in which the Machines use a bouncy bass line with sing-songy vocals to make the perfect skanking album. “Confuses” brings an early 80’s feel to the Machines, from the pseudo-Cure beginning guitar riffs with classic ska-style riffs in the chorus. All around a great album, and an improvement over Destruction By Definition.
Rating 8/10John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
Contact: editor@neufutur.com
