Battle Hymns (The Suicide Machines album)

Last updated
Battle Hymns
The Suicide Machines - Battle Hymns cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 7, 1998
StudioA&M Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre
Length31:38
Label Hollywood
Producer Julian Raymond, The Suicide Machines
The Suicide Machines chronology
Destruction by Definition
(1996)
Battle Hymns
(1998)
The Suicide Machines
(2000)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Battle Hymns is the second album by the Detroit, Michigan punk rock band The Suicide Machines, released in 1998 by Hollywood Records. It was the band's last album with drummer Derek Grant, who left the group the following year. The album's musical direction continued the band's style of ska punk but moved in more of a hardcore direction, with most songs lasting under two minutes in and consisting of fast, aggressive musicianship and vocals. A music video was filmed for the single "Give" and the song was featured in the Disney Channel motion picture Brink! The album peaked at No. 127 on the Billboard 200.

Contents

Background

The album's fast aggressive nature was due to the band wanting to record the album as fast as possible in order to pocket the leftover money from the budget they were given, which was $280,000, the same budget as their previous album. Another thing that got in their way was the fact they were touring extensively and accepting big deals to play with large bands so they had a very tight schedule for writing a new album. The album was written within 2 weeks and the songs were recorded in the span of a few days with Navarro blowing out his voice for a bit. The result was an album that was completely unmarketable for a major label album except the song "Give" which became a single. "Give" was banned from being played on alternative station KROQ due to an incident involving a free show played outside of Tower Records, where the band played their set at grindcore speed and told everyone to go into Tower Records and steal anything they wanted. [2]

"Independence Parade" was written by Derek Grant and is about his exit from the band and why he left, which was because he had lots of social anxiety and he didn't want to be famous, as he typically refused to be in photos or videos.

Track listing

All songs written by The Suicide Machines

  1. "Someone" – 1:34
  2. "Hating Hate" – 1:04
  3. "Give" – 2:19
  4. "Hope" – 1:26
  5. "Black & White World" – 1:52
  6. "Numbers" – 0:53
  7. "High Society" – 1:57
  8. "Pins and Needles" – 0:50
  9. "Confused" – 2:07
  10. "DDT" – 1:05
  11. "Punck" – 0:04
  12. "Step One" – 1:12
  13. "In the End" – 2:04
  14. "Face Another Day" – 1:47
  15. "What You Say" – 1:00
  16. "Speak No Evil" – 1:52
  17. "Empty Room" – 2:12
  18. "Independence Parade" – 1:52
  19. "Sympathy" – 1:48
  20. "Strike" – 1:17
  21. "Sides" – 1:18
  22. "Jah" – 0:05

Personnel

'Additional

Related Research Articles

<i>Gusto</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Guttermouth

Gusto is the seventh album by California pop punk band Guttermouth, released in 2002 by Epitaph Records. It found the band taking their style of fast, abrasive punk rock in new directions, experimenting with elements of pop and other styles. Their usual tongue-in-cheek humor and sarcastic lyrics remain intact, but the album's overall sound is quite different from any of their others. This was due partly to a lineup change: founding member and frequent songwriter James Nunn had left the group the previous year, leaving guitarists Scott Sheldon and Eric Davis to fill in on bass, along with studio bassist Hedge. The album received generally poor reviews from both critics and longtime fans, and would later be regarded by the band as somewhat of a failed experiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Suicide Machines</span> American punk rock band

The Suicide Machines are an American punk rock band formed in March 1991 in Detroit, Michigan. During the course of their career, the band has released seven full-length albums on the labels Hollywood Records, Side One Dummy Records and Fat Wreck Chords, as well as several EPs and singles. They have experienced lineup changes over the years, all with founding member Jason Navarro as lead singer and front man. The contemporary lineup includes Ryan Vandeberghe on drums, Rich Tschirhart on bass and Justin Malek on guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Save Ferris</span> American ska punk band

Save Ferris is an American ska punk band formed circa 1995 in Orange County, California, United States. Their name is a reference to the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 1995, the band began to perform underground venues in Southern California. In 1996, the band won a Grammy showcase award for best unsigned band and a contract with Epic Records. Their album It Means Everything from 1997 was their first full-length album. By 1999, the band moved from ska-pop into pop-punk. After a hiatus, in 2017, Save Ferris released the Checkered Past EP.

<i>Machine Gun Etiquette</i> 1979 studio album by the Damned

Machine Gun Etiquette is the third studio album by English punk rock band the Damned, released on 2 November 1979 by Chiswick Records.

<i>Dont Know How to Party</i> 1993 studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Don't Know How to Party is the third full-length album by the American ska punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, which was released in 1993. Don't Know How to Party was The Mighty Mighty Bosstones' major label debut on Mercury Records, their first venture away from their original label Taang! Records. The album reached #187 on the Billboard 200, and spawned several singles, including the Bosstones fan favorite—"Someday I Suppose". Lead singer Dicky Barret would later state that, "When we made `Don't Know How to Party', no one knew where [we] [were] coming from". Bassist Joe Gittleman stated that the album was "slower than [our] other records."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big D and the Kids Table</span> American ska punk band

Big D and the Kids Table is a ska punk band formed in October 1995 in Boston, Massachusetts when its members converged in college. Their first release was on their own Fork in Hand Records label, but have since teamed with Springman Records and SideOneDummy. The band has been noted for its strict DIY work ethic, such as engineering, producing, and releasing their own albums and videos and self-promotion of their own shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Grant (drummer)</span> American musician, singer and songwriter (born 1977)

Derek Richard Grant is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for being the third and longest-serving drummer for punk rock band Alkaline Trio from 2001 to 2023. He is also a member of Chicago "supergroup" Dead Ending. He was previously a member of The Suicide Machines, Telegraph, Gyga, Thoughts of Ionesco, Remainder, Walls of Jericho, The Exceptions and Broken Spoke. In addition to playing the drums, Grant is a guitarist and vocalist, and has filled in as guitarist for both Face to Face (1998) and The Gaslight Anthem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Wilhelm Scream</span> American rock band

A Wilhelm Scream is a melodic hardcore band from New Bedford, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. Their music has been compared to Strung Out, Hot Water Music, Propagandhi, and Strike Anywhere as the band's similar artists. Their name is a reference to the Wilhelm scream, a famous stock sound effect mainly used in films. The band previously went by the names Koen, Adam's Crack, and Smackin' Isaiah, though the last was the only name to be used in any major releases. "The reason for the name changes from Koen to Smackin' Isaiah, then to A Wilhelm Scream was really a matter of them adding new members, and progressing/maturing as a band."

<i>Destruction by Definition</i> 1996 studio album by The Suicide Machines

Destruction by Definition is the debut album by the Detroit, Michigan punk rock band The Suicide Machines, released in 1996 by Hollywood Records. It was the band's first full-length album and established their presence in the mid-1990s punk rock mainstream revival alongside the third wave ska movement. The album's musical style blends elements of hardcore punk and ska, which contributed to the band's style being described as ska punk or "skacore." Music videos were filmed for the singles "No Face" and "S.O.S.," with "No Face" reaching #31 on Billboard's Modern Rock charts while "New Girl" was featured on the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater soundtrack, alongside “No Face” and “S.O.S.” being featured in the soundtrack for the PlayStation fighting game Vs. “Break The Glass” was also featured in the soundtrack to the film An American Werewolf in Paris.

<i>The Suicide Machines</i> (album) 2000 studio album by the Suicide Machines

The Suicide Machines is the third album by the American punk rock band the Suicide Machines, released in 2000 by Hollywood Records. It was the band's first album with drummer Ryan Vandeberghe, replacing Derek Grant who had left the group before the release of 1998's 'Battle Hymns'. The album's musical direction shifted away from the ska punk and hardcore styles of their previous albums and exhibited heavy pop influence, leading many to classify the album as pop punk and alternative rock. A music video was filmed for the single "Sometimes I Don't Mind", which reached No. 22 on Billboard's Modern Rock charts. The album itself ranked at No. 188 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Steal This Record</i> 2001 studio album by the Suicide Machines

Steal This Record is the fourth studio album by the Detroit, Michigan punk rock band the Suicide Machines, released in 2001 by Hollywood Records. It was the band's last album for the Hollywood label, as they moved to Side One Dummy Records the following year. It was also their last album with longtime bassist Royce Nunley, who left the group in 2002.

<i>A Match and Some Gasoline</i> 2003 studio album by The Suicide Machines

A Match and Some Gasoline is the fifth album by the Detroit, Michigan punk rock band The Suicide Machines, released in 2003 by Side One Dummy Records. It was the band's first album for the Side One Dummy label, after their departure from Hollywood Records the previous year. It was also their first album to include bassist Rich Tschirhart, replacing longtime member Royce Nunley who had left the group in 2002. The album's musical direction returned the band to the ska punk and hardcore styles of their first two albums, almost completely abandoning the pop punk style they had incorporated into their previous two releases. A music video was filmed for the single “Keep It A Crime”. The song “High Anxiety” appeared on the soundtrack of Tony Hawk’s Underground 2.

<i>War Profiteering Is Killing Us All</i> 2005 studio album by The Suicide Machines

War Profiteering Is Killing Us All is the sixth studio album by the Detroit, Michigan punk rock band The Suicide Machines, released in 2005 by Side One Dummy Records. The band broke up the following year while touring in support of the album. The album's artwork and many of its songs are critical of President George W. Bush's administration and the Iraq War. Musically, the album explores the ska punk and hardcore styles the band was known for, with short, aggressive songs dealing mostly with social and political topics. A music video was filmed for the single "War Profiteering is Killing Us All".

<i>The Least Worst of the Suicide Machines</i> 2002 compilation album by The Suicide Machines

The Least Worst of the Suicide Machines is a compilation album by the Detroit, Michigan punk rock band The Suicide Machines, released in 2002 by Hollywood Records. It has tracks from all of the band's albums on the Hollywood label: Destruction by Definition (1996), Battle Hymns (1998), The Suicide Machines (2000), and Steal This Record (2001). It also includes several previously unreleased bonus tracks. The album was released shortly after the band had left the Hollywood label and signed with Side One Dummy Records.

<i>On the Eve of Destruction: 1991–1995</i> 2005 compilation album by The Suicide Machines

On the Eve of Destruction: 1991–1995 is a compilation album by the Detroit, Michigan punk rock band The Suicide Machines, released in 2005 by Noise Riot Records. It collects nearly all the tracks from the band's early releases, including The Essential Kevorkian and Green World demos, the "Vans Song" single, and other demos and rare tracks. Several of the songs were re-recorded for the band's debut album Destruction by Definition in 1996 but appear here in early, rawer forms. It was the first release from Noise Riot, a label founded by Suicide Machines singer Jason Navarro. It was the band's final release prior to their break up, lasting from 2006 to 2009, but a new album, Revolution Spring has since been released in 2020.

<i>Live! Live! Live!</i> (EP) 1998 EP by the Suicide Machines

Live! Live! Live! is a live EP by the Detroit-based punk rock band the Suicide Machines, released in 1998 by Hollywood Records. It was a promotional EP preceding their album Battle Hymns. It contains three songs recorded during performances on December 27 and 28, 1997, at St. Andrew's Hall in Detroit. The first two songs are tracks that appear on Battle Hymns, while the third, "Friends," was originally featured on the band's 1994 'Green World' cassette. The recording of "Hating Hate" from this EP was re-released on the compilation album The Least Worst of the Suicide Machines in 2002, along with a recording of "The Real You" from the same performance.

<i>XXXX</i> (album) 2009 studio album by You Say Party! We Say Die!

XXXX is the third full-length album by Canadian dance-punk band You Say Party, released September 29, 2009. It was the last release featuring the band's original longer name and the last album with drummer Devon Clifford. The album was recorded between January and August of 2009.

<i>Broken Wing</i> (EP) 2013 EP by Alkaline Trio

Broken Wing is an EP by American punk rock band Alkaline Trio, released on April 2, 2013 on Epitaph and Heart & Skull. Produced by both Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore, Broken Wing was recorded during the same sessions that yielded the band's eighth studio album, My Shame Is True, and consists of songs that were written for the album but didn't fit the album's theme of catharsis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys</span> 1970 single by the Equals

"Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys" is a song written by Guyanese-British musician Eddy Grant and recorded in London in 1970 by his band the Equals. Their recording, produced by Grant, reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1971 and was the band's last chart hit.

<i>When God Was Great</i> 2021 studio album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

When God Was Great is the eleventh and final studio album by the Boston ska punk band the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It was released in 2021 on Hellcat, the band's only album with the label. The album was co-produced by Hellcat founder and Rancid member Tim Armstrong. The album was preceded by the singles and music videos for "The Final Parade", "I Don't Believe in Anything" and "The Killing of Georgie ".

References

  1. Battle Hymns at AllMusic
  2. Sacher, Andrew. "Read a chapter of new '90s ska & swing book 'Hell of a Hat' on Less Than Jake, Suicide Machines & more". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2022-05-13.