Released September 13, 1988 Artist Suicidal Tendencies Producer Mark Dodson | Length 50:17 Release date 13 September 1988 Label Epic Records | |
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Recorded April 1988 at Cherokee Studios How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today
(1988) Controlled by Hatred/Feel Like Shit...Déjà Vu
(1989) Genres Thrash metal, Crossover thrash, Skate punk Similar Suicidal Tendencies albums, Thrash metal albums | ||
How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today is the third album by American crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies, released on September 13, 1988 on Epic Records, their first album on that label. It was also the band's first album recorded with guitarist Mike Clark, and their only release with bassist Bob Heathcote, who was replaced by Robert Trujillo in 1989.
Contents
Musical style
How Will I Laugh... is crucial to Suicidal Tendencies stylistic developments in that it sees the band abandoning most of their full-fledged punk influences in favor of a more thrash metal-oriented sound. One could see this stylistic changes in this album's predecessor Join the Army, but this album had a distinctly more defined metal sound; more complex and lengthy songs, as well as better production values.
The addition of a rhythm guitarist, Mike Clark (who had played with Muir in No Mercy, which was supposed to originally be a metal only side project) changed the band's style heavily as well. Clark writes much of the music for this album, and he gives lead guitarist Rocky George more soloing time. Thus creating another factor in this album and future albums' more metal-oriented sound.
Reception
Reviews for How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today have been mostly positive. AllMusic's Steve Huey awards the album four-and-a-half stars out of five, and described it as "one of its best efforts". For the musical direction, Huey states, "The band's thrashy fusion of its hardcore roots with speed metal was fully developed by this point, and Mike Muir's social commentary and self-analysis were as ragingly compelling and by turns amusing as ever."
How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today was moderately successful, peaking at #111 on the Billboard 200. It remained on that chart for eleven weeks. The album featured singles "Trip at the Brain" and the title track, both of which managed to become successful with their target audiences.
In August 2014, Revolver placed the album on its "14 Thrash Albums You Need to Own" list.
CD version
Credits
Album
Billboard (North America)
Trivia
Songs
1Trip at the Brain
2Hearing Voices4:14
3Pledge Your Allegiance4:32