The Suicide Machines – Revolution Spring Release + 5 Quick Questions
On March 27th, The Suicide Machines, the Detroit-based Punk / Ska / Hardcore band is released their 7th album, Revolution Spring.
The band put out six albums and then called it quits in 2006. After a three year break, they started doing the occasional show/tour together, but there was no new music. Until now.
Kicking off the release with a bang, they premiered the video for To Play Caesar (Is to Be Stabbed to Death) via Brooklyn Vegan on April 2nd. To Play Caesar is a great sample, and we can see why they picked this song for the premiere.
If you’re wondering why release an album now, singer Jay Navarro says, “Everyone just kind of got inspired. That’s all. I think we were watching all these other bands ride a wave of nostalgia and we didn’t want to be lumped into that, so we started writing a couple of songs and it went from there.”
We’re glad there’s new music. Coming in at just over 30 minutes, the 16 tracks run the gamut of their styles, including hardcore, ska and anthemic punk rock. We have it on good authority that they had 30 songs they brought to the table, and they pared that down to the current list.
The album was recorded in about 12 days at Rancho Recordo – the studio run by Marc Jacob Hudson, who also plays bass for Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers. Awkward Always, Black Tar Halo and Impossible Possibilities, were the first three songs that the band wrote, all of which made the record, but they don’t back to back. They were the bar that all other songs on the album would have to measure up to. The record takes an autobiographical tone and taps into personal journeys. Jay has said he’s found a new sense of optimism, despite the state of our world.
That’s not to say The Suicide Machines aren’t pissed off on this record, let’s be clear on that point. Opener “Bully In Blue” is a breakneck anthem that rallies against police brutality; the jaunty, ska-punk tones of “Babylon of Ours” overlay a harsh indictment of capitalism and American imperialism, and “Flint Hostage Crisis” is a brutal takedown that addresses the lack of clean water in that city – and the fact that nothing has been done to address it. ‘This is what class war really looks like’ snarls Navarro viciously at the end of the brief, belligerent track. Still, he insists, he’s just writing about things close to him, and that he stopped far short of where he otherwise would have done in the past.
“It represents the change inside of me,” he explains. “People might think it’s political, but really it’s me thinking about springtime as rebirth. There’s change inside of me at 46 years old that’s strangely positive somehow. That’s not something I ever expected, because I’ve been a pretty angry person. And I think the other guys are in the same boat. But I could be dead tomorrow – and I’d be absolutely alright with leaving the world with this record.” – via PR
Do yourself a favour, set aside the 34 minutes and listen to this one straight through. We think you’ll agree, it’s a classic in the making. Thanks to Jay for taking the time to record a 5 Quick Questions for us.
The Suicide Machines 5 Quick Questions
Revolution Spring Track List
1 Bully in Blue
2 Awkward Always
3 Babylon of Ours
4 Flint Hostage Crisis
5 To Play Caesar (Is to Be Stabbed to Death)
6 Trapped in a Bomb
7 Detroit Is the New Miami
8 Eternal Contrarian
9 Well Whiskey Wishes
10 Black Tar Halo
11 Empty Time
12 Impossible Possibilities
13 Potter’s Song
14 Simple
15 Anarchist Wedding
16 Cheers to Ya
Suicide Machines’ Links
Web / Facebook / Spotify / Twitter / YouTube
Writer/Photographer/Editor
Toronto Music Blogger
