Speak English or Die | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 30, 1985 1995 (re-issue) 2000 (platinum re-issue) | |||
Recorded | July 2–5, 1985 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 28:41 | |||
Label | Megaforce | |||
Producer | Alex Perialas and Scott Ian | |||
Stormtroopers of Death chronology | ||||
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Speak English or Die is the debut album by the American crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death, released in August 1985.
Parts of the songs "March of the S.O.D.", "Milano Mosh", "Chromatic Death" and "Sargent D and the S.O.D." were used for commercial breaks of MTV's Headbangers Ball in the early 1990s.
After Anthrax finished recording Spreading the Disease , there was still some studio time left, so members Scott Ian and Charlie Benante called some friends, practiced some songs, and recorded it all within a week.
Many point to this album – and particularly the song "Milk" – as one of the first songs to feature a blast beat, courtesy of Benante. When asked in 2009 if he invented the blast beat, Benante replied, "If you mean that I decided to sit in my room and invent it, no it wasn't like that. The thing was something that had been around the NY hardcore scene for ages but hadn't been used for other things. The first time it really happened was on S.O. D's 'Milk' song, so I guess you could say I had a lot to do with it. Now a lot of bands are using it and doing it really well." [1]
The album had some controversy due to the lyrics, which addressed homosexuality, women and foreign cultures. Dan Lilker stated, "The lyrics were never intended to be serious, just to piss people off." [2]
In an interview with Songfacts in 2014, when asked "If Speak English or Die came out today, do you think that because of the political correctness of today, it would go over the same?", Lilker responded, "It probably would have had a harder time just because people seem to be more uptight now. Nevertheless, it was what it was, which is saying it is what it is, but back then. And I don't regret it. Maybe minor aspects went overboard with certain lyrical things, but then again, we didn't really mean them. Perhaps if people realize that, then it's just more funny." [3]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Punk News | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Ultimate Guitar | 9/10 [6] |
Speak English or Die was well received and is considered one of the greatest and most influential crossover thrash albums of all time. [7] Allmusic gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5 and said, "S.O.D.'s Speak English or Die was an important record in the fusion of hardcore punk with thrash and speed metal".
Speak English or Die has sold over one million copies worldwide. [8]
The album was re-released by Megaforce in August 1995 and a platinum edition of the album was released in February 2000.
In August 2014, Revolver placed Speak English or Die on its "14 Thrash Albums You Need to Own" list. [9]
Al Jourgensen, frontman of industrial metal band Ministry, describes Speak English or Die as an influential album that inspired him to add thrash metal guitar riffs to his band's music starting with 1989's The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste . He adds that Speak English or Die is "one of the best records ever." [10] The group would later cover "United Forces" for their 2012 album Relapse .
Scott Ian once recalled that Eddie Vedder was a fan of the album as well, saying he "cornered me one night at a party for 25 minutes telling me this story about the first time he heard Speak English Or Die and how it affected his life." [11]
There were also plans for a Speak English or Die tribute album featuring multiple artists during the late '90s, but the release never materialized. [12]
All tracks written by S.O.D.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "March of the S.O.D." | 1:27 |
2. | "Sargent D and the S.O.D." | 2:23 |
3. | "Kill Yourself" | 2:11 |
4. | "Milano Mosh" | 1:32 |
5. | "Speak English or Die" | 2:24 |
6. | "United Forces" | 1:53 |
7. | "Chromatic Death" | 0:43 |
8. | "Pi Alpha Nu" | 1:09 |
9. | "Anti-Procrastination Song" | 0:06 |
10. | "What's That Noise" (cameo appearance by producer Alex Perialas) | 1:00 |
11. | "Freddy Krueger" | 2:32 |
12. | "Milk" | 1:54 |
13. | "Pre-Menstrual Princess Blues" | 1:20 |
14. | "Pussy Whipped" | 2:14 |
15. | "Fist Banging Mania" | 2:04 |
16. | "No Turning Back" | 0:52 |
17. | "Fuck the Middle East" | 0:27 |
18. | "Douche Crew" | 1:35 |
19. | "Hey Gordy!" | 0:07 |
20. | "Ballad of Jimi Hendrix" | 0:05 |
21. | "Diamonds and Rust (Extended Version)" | 0:02 |
Comparison with bootlegs from this era showed that the live tracks were recorded live at Club Citta in Kawasaki on June 5, 1999, except for "United Forces" part I and II, that were recorded at Club Citta on June 7, 1999.[ citation needed ] S.O.D. also played on June 8, 1999, at Club Citta, completing a three-night stint at the venue.[ citation needed ]
The bonus track "Ram It Up" added in reissues was an outtake from the original album sessions that had appeared already in 1985 on the Megaforce From the Megavault compilation. [13] The song is a cover version taken from the Tod und Wahnsinn album (1983) of the German hardcore punk band Inferno. [14]
Anthrax is an American thrash metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by rhythm guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker. The group is considered one of the leaders of the thrash metal scene from the 1980s and is part of the "Big Four" of the genre, along with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. They were also one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast. The band's current lineup consists of Scott Ian, drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Frank Bello, vocalist Joey Belladonna and lead guitarist Jonathan Donais. Anthrax's lineup has changed numerous times over their career, leaving Ian as the only constant member of the band. Ian and Benante are the only two members to appear on all of Anthrax's albums, while Bello has been a member of Anthrax since 1984, replacing Lilker.
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Moshing is an extreme style of dancing in which participants push or slam into each other. Taking place in an area called the mosh pit, it is typically performed to aggressive styles of live music such as punk rock and heavy metal.
Stormtroopers of Death was an American crossover thrash band formed in New York City in 1985. They are credited as being amongst the first groups to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal into a style often referred to as crossover thrash. The band is also known for reuniting Anthrax members, guitarist Scott Ian and drummer Charlie Benante, with their former bassist Dan Lilker. Their instrumental song "March of the S.O.D." from their 1985 debut album, Speak English or Die, was the Headbangers Ball intro anthem for many years. Another song from the same album, "Chromatic Death", was also used during the show as a segue between ads and videos.
Daniel Adam Lilker is an American musician best known as a bass player, but also guitarist, pianist, drummer and vocalist. He has played bass in numerous heavy metal bands, including Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, S.O.D. and Holy Moses, and grindcore bands Brutal Truth and Exit-13.
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Charles Lee Benante is an American musician, best known as the drummer for thrash metal band Anthrax and crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death. Known as one of the pioneers of double bass drumming and credited for popularizing the blast beat technique, he is Anthrax's main composer and has released eleven studio albums with the band. Benante joined the reunited Pantera in 2022, replacing original drummer Vinnie Paul, who died in 2018.
Live at Budokan is a live album released by American crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death. The album is a recording of a one-off re-union gig put on by the band, and includes the majority of the longer tracks from their first album and some previously unheard tracks, as well as covers of the bands M.O.D., Ministry, Nirvana, and Fear. Although its title refers to Budokan, the famous Japanese concert hall, this album was actually recorded in New York City, the title is a play on Cheap Trick's seminal At Budokan live album from 1978. The concert happened at New York City venue The Ritz, where S.O.D. appeared alongside Agnostic Front and Morbid Angel.
Billy Milano is an American heavy metal and hardcore punk musician. He is the singer and occasionally guitarist and bassist of crossover thrash band M.O.D., and was the singer of its predecessor, Stormtroopers of Death. Prior to these bands, Milano played in early New York hardcore band the Psychos, which also launched the career of future Agnostic Front vocalist Roger Miret. Milano was also the singer of United Forces, which included his Stormtroopers of Death bandmate Dan Lilker. Milano managed a number of bands, including Agnostic Front, for whom he also co-produced the 1997 Epitaph Records release Something's Gotta Give and roadie for Anthrax.
M.O.D. is an American crossover thrash band from New York City, fronted by Stormtroopers of Death vocalist Billy Milano. The band has been around for 38 years, and released eight studio albums. With M.O.D., Milano sought to continue on the musical path of the bands Anthrax, Stormtroopers of Death (S.O.D.) and Nuclear Assault, mixing shades of hardcore punk with thrash metal and often humorous and politically incorrect lyrics.
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Crab Society North is a demo album by American crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death. It was recorded on July 1, 1985 with a walkman put into a speaker. The demo was recorded in the kitchen of Pyramid Sound studios and contains mostly improvised material.
Rise of the Infidels is the third and final album by crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death. The album was released in August 2007 on the Nuclear Blast label. The album is described as an "extended EP", with a running time close to an hour. According to singer Milano the album will "finally be the last of S.O.D.".