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Some people are born to rock… a few are born to thrash.
And SUICIDE WATCH definitely belong to the latter, all
members being enthusiastic veterans of the thrash, hardcore
and crossover scenes for many years, every fibre of
their beings committed to relentless musical mayhem.
And as their debut album, GLOBAL WARNING, will testify,
they’ve distilled all their extensive knowledge of the
genre into one of the most potent thrashcore releases
outside of the Bay Area.
Drummer ADE and bassist IAN were both long-standing
members of the popular UK metalcore act, STAMPIN’ GROUND,
during their creative heyday, playing together on the
band’s first three albums, including the ground-breaking
'An Expression Of Repressed Violence' and 'Carved From
Empty Words', establishing themselves in the process
as a formidable rhythm section.
Vocalist RID was actually the original drummer of STAMPIN’
GROUND before ADE, but only played on the band's first
demo. Before that he proved himself an intense and versatile
vocalist in critically acclaimed UKHC bands such as
DECADENCE WITHIN and BURNSIDE. Guitarist SIMON completes
the band’s potentially lethal arsenal, a player of incredible
natural ability, with a shredding right hand to match
the very best in his field. For the last five years
he has played alongside RID in BURNSIDE, and before
that with ADE in TALIESIN, as well as forming his own
extreme thrash band, the short-lived FAILSAFE, along
the way.
The long and short of it is, these four guys know each
other’s playing styles back to front, and inside out;
the chemistry within SUICIDE WATCH is second to none,
they genuinely live and breath the music they play.
In fact, the thirteen songs on GLOBAL WARNING were written
over the course of just twelve rehearsals, and recorded,
mixed and mastered (live onto analogue tape with none
of the digital trickery so often employed by modern
thrash bands) in only four days.
As well as a devastating sonic attack, SUICIDE WATCH
pride themselves on positive, sincere lyrics; they are
four compassionate, caring individuals that have something
of genuine value to impart to the listener. That's why
you won’t find any songs about Satan and 'bangin' the
head that doesn’t bang’ on GLOBAL WARNING. The world
is going to hell at a rate of knots, there's more important
issues at stake right now than who is more metal than
whom, and consequently the band's lyrical thrust is
steeped in the grim reality of modern life.
But whether you buy into the band's politically charged
agenda or not, there’s no denying that this is a righteous
thrash metal album in the vein of such greats as VIO-LENCE,
TESTAMENT, KREATOR, DARK ANGEL, EXODUS, SLAYER and ANTHRAX.
Even the striking cover art, by the legendary ED REPKA
(MEGADETH, EVIL DEAD, NUCLAR ASSAULT, BIOHAZARD...), is
reminiscent of that golden age of extreme metal of the
mid- to late-Eighties.
So, batten down the hatches and bring the fuggin' mosh,
SUICIDE WATCH have issued a GLOBAL WARNING... and it is
indeed the soundtrack to the end of the world.
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