Destruction By Definition

Destruction By Definition

Though the Suicide Machines are far more punk (and pop) than ska, they nonetheless manage to fit in some infectious ska rhythms. They're a Detroit quartet with piercings in all the right places (pretty much all over their faces), big baggy clothes, and a knack for writing fun-filled, power-packed ditties. They're also a hell of a lot of fun. At a Seattle gig (at Eckstein Middle School, of all places), they invited about half the crowd to join them on stage and performed the entire gig surrounded by (mostly) teenage boys skanking up a storm. Truly a spectacle to behold. Their debut record on the Hollywood label has much of that same wackiness. The songs are totally adrenalized, manic spasms of poppy punk, jazzed up with some deliriously danceable ska. The best line of the entire album comes in the fashion-tip-laden "The Vans Song", which advises, "Worship Jeff Spicoli, not Chris Cornell." Get the picture? <I>--Adem Tepedelen</I>