Suicidal Tendencies Lights Camera Revolution

“You Can’t Bring Me Down”—the leadoff song on Suicidal Tendencies’ 1990 album Lights… Camera… Revolution…—was like a second coming for the group, which had existed in one form or another for almost 10 years. Beginning with a dramatic, atmospheric solo by guitarist Rocky George, the song turns into a furious rallying cry for the group and their fans: “YOU AIN’T—never seen no one like me/PREVAIL—regardless what the cost might be/POWER—flows inside of me/You can't bring me… DOWN!” Suicidal Tendencies were brimming with confidence, and they were capable of doing everything they desired and doing it well. The songs here overlay the toughness of Motörhead, the ferocity of Slayer, and the moodiness of Guns ‘N Roses. The album is wholly true to Suicidal’s vision—in some ways it seems like the album they’d been waiting 10 years to make—yet it's also one of their most accessible works. Even in its ferocity, the songs are catchy. The swinging metal groove of “Lovely” is a precursor to the rap-metal hybrids that would come to dominate the latter half of the '90s.