Review by Rexorcist for S.O.D. - Speak English or Die (1985)

You'd think a leading influence in the world of crossover thrash would've lasted longere than 2 studio albums, especially considering how popular the combination of hardcore punk and thrash metal got in the thrash scene.  Slayer and Voivod were both rocking the influence, even if they rarely ever reached the blatancy of S.O.D.  Now this album is made up of nearly 20 similar songs, all going for the same basic goal: combine the two genres and complain about the things punk rockers complain about.  This leaves little room for guitar solos and is mostly built for the explosion of quick songs built to cater to the youth growing tired of modern politics and authority.  But there are a number of strengths that need to be considered here.  First of all, for a thrash debut, the production is practically FLAWLESS.  No demo-style noise which is extremely common for thrash debuts, not studio saturation of any kind.  It's pure, simple punk, through and through.  As well, these guys are excellent at the one thing they do: thrash punk traditions as hard as they can.  And the lyrics might be to the point, but they embody the multiple facets of the punk spirit perfectly, even when they're going into the comedy of it all.  This isn't a perfect album in terms of the art, but it's a perfectly punk album, so it's essential both punk and thrash.

86