S.O.D.

Bigger than the Devil (Nuclear Blast)
by Scott Hefflon

There was no way this slab was ever going to match Speak English or Die!, much less out-do it, so there was really no reason for this record to exist. Ever. Block it out and remember S.O.D. circa ’85. The reasons this sucks are many, but the most obvious is that this musical style has all been done before, unlike when Speak English or Die! came out and knocked us all on our asses. Also, not to be cruel, but Anthrax, M.O.D., and Nuclear Assault (Brutal Truth probably has more cred, huh?) stopped being influential or even remotely interesting years ago, and this regrouping of has-beens is just plain pathetic. It may be fast and aggressive, occasionally goofy, but it’s not even close to the zany magic of the original that gave us “Kill Yourself,” “Pussywhipped,” and more quirky hardcore metal zingers than anyone else before or since. They just don’t have the humor anymore, and these songs blend together into the usual roaring’n’boring tough guy crap that’s saturated metal since it’s bastardized birth. I guess the old fucks have to step aside and let the young ‘uns spout dorky wit and manic riffs, but for all the great stand-up comedy that makes heavy rotation on cable, there ain’t a funny band out there, much less a funny metal band. (Strapping Young Lad came close a few years back but got sick of being a joke, but with a new “Weird Al” album out and selling well, it’s obvious there’s still market for it. I’d sigh at the lack of humor in this biz, but first I have to get this piece of shit outta my CD player.)
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