The Classic Metal Album Reviews:
Title: The Art of Rebellion
Artist: Suicidal Tendencies
Label: Epic Records
Release Date: 1992

Rating: 3 Skulls

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    • Reviewed by Solomon:
    Judging from these guys' photographs, you would've expected The Art of Rebellion to run along the lines of punk or rap, rather than the slick, AOR-friendly material actually found on the disk. Of course, long-time ST fans know the band comes from more "alternative" territory, being the punk/skate legends they are. The Art of Rebellion is "artistic," but not necessarily "rebellious," depending on how you view it. I'm not totally up on the band's history, but it's safe to say Art lifted the group from its underground past onto more commercial ground, a trend no doubt helped along by the band's signing to Epic Records a few years earlier. So, Art is a "rebellion" of sorts by expanding the band's musical horizon, but not a "rebellion" in that my mom could dig some of this stuff.

    This record is well-done. Not blood-rare or char-boiled, but well-done. The songs are well-crafted, there is plenty of spunk and variety in the music (check out the funky bass in "Which Way to Free?" and the acoustic touches in "I'll Hate You Better"), Rocky George's guitar solos have melody and flare, and Cyco Mike's lyrics bridge that gap between seriousness and humor (the anti-self-destruction rant "Gotta Kill Captain Stupid" comes to mind). Still, Art doesn't reach out and grab me like a band called "Suicidal Tendencies" should. I wish I had more ST to compare it to. I vaguely remember the classic "Institutionalized," and I know "Waking The Dead" off Controlled By Hate... was wicked, but Art is too "safe" a record. Creating more "accessible" music isn't necessarily a bad thing, but this is fairly tame rock that goes from simmering pseudo-ballads like "...Asleep At The Wheel" and "I'll Hate You Better" to more up-tempo stuff that rocks in its own way, but never really grabs you by the nads and goes "Aaaaagghhh!" Okay, being grabbed by the nads is always a bad thing (unless you're into the pain thing), but I could've used a few barn-burners here. Muir's whispery vocal schtick has a certain novelty about it, but I'd rather hear full-on singing or shouting. In the end, I can't knock this too much. "Nobody Hears" has a heavy chorus I like, "We Call This Mutha Revenge" has a cool, laid-back groovy intro, "Which Way To Free?" provides some needed Sabbatherian stomp, etc. Maybe I need to pick up a copy of Join The Army and hit the half-pipes to get a different perspective.
    3 out of 5

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