Review by Ben for Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today (1988)

This album caught me by surprise. I found just about nothing of interest on the self-titled release that everyone obsesses about. I guess I'm just not interested in punkish hardcore or skater music and so it was a sound I just couldn't relate to. So, I turned to How Will I Laugh Tomorrow expecting to hate it. How wrong I was!

This album is a thrash metal album! And I mean real thrash metal! Of course, some of the former Suicidal Tendencies feeling is still hanging around, but the riffs and song structures are pure thrashing gold at times. Most of all though, these songs are extremely memorable and entertaining. There are a few songs I still struggle with a bit, but Trip at the Brain, Hearing Voices, How Will I Laugh Tomorrow, Surf and Slam and If I Don't Wake Up are damn great. I'm glad I got past my ST prejudice and gave this album a shot. I better check out some of their others now.