The Suicide Machines are an American
punk rock band formed in March 1991 in
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
. During the course of their career, the band has released seven full-length albums on the labels
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records l ...
,
Side One Dummy Records
SideOneDummy Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1995 by Bill Armstrong and Joe Sib. The label began as a way for them to release music for their friends' bands. Thereafter SideOneDummy launched the car ...
and Fat Wreck Chords, as well as several EPs and singles. They have experienced lineup changes over the years, all with founding member Jason Navarro as lead singer and front man. The contemporary lineup includes Ryan Vandeberghe on drums, Rich Tschirhart on bass and Justin Malek on guitar.
The band's musical style initially blended elements of
punk rock,
ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
, and
hardcore
Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to:
Arts and media Film
* ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film
* ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott
* ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
into genres popularly known as
ska punk
Ska punk (also spelled ska-punk) is a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music together. (sometimes spelled skacore) is a subgenre of ska punk that mixes ska with hardcore punk. Early ska punk mixed both 2 tone and ska with hardc ...
and ska-core, which characterized their first two albums. After a brief foray in a more radio friendly direction, they shifted back towards their mid-1990s style, bringing back ska punk, as well as a heavier ferocity with strong political overtones that draws from early hardcore punk.
The Suicide Machines have achieved a high level of underground recognition through relentless touring, including multiple performances on the
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
,
Riot Fest
Riot Fest is an annual three-day punk rock music festival based in Chicago, Illinois, at Douglass Park. It is known for booking reunions, guest performances, and full album performances. Riot Fest remains one of the largest independently owned m ...
and for many years their annual hometown Black Christmas festivals.
In 2019, the band entered Marc Jacob Hudson's Rancho Recordo, with producer
Roger Lima
Rogério Lima Manganelli (born October 31, 1973), commonly known as Roger Lima, is an American musician, best known as the bassist and co-lead vocalist of the ska-punk
Ska punk (also spelled ska-punk) is a fusion genre that mixes ska mus ...
of
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1992. The band consists of Chris DeMakes (guitars, vocals), Roger Lima (bass, vocals), Matt Yonker (drums), Buddy Schaub (trombone), and Peter "JR" Wasilewski (saxoph ...
to record a new full-length album, ''Revolution Spring''. The album was released March 27, 2020, via
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords (pronounced "Fat Records") is a San Francisco, California-based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett (better known as Fat Mike) in 1990.
The label has released mater ...
. A music video, "To Play Caesar (Is To Be Stabbed To Death)" from the ''Revolution Spring'' album was released in 2020 as well.
In 2022, the band released a split 12" with Japanese band Coquettish, entitled "''Gebo Gomi''" on Bad Time Records.
Band history
1991-1995: Jack Kevorkian and the Suicide Machines
The Suicide Machines formed in 1991 in
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
under the original name
Jack Kevorkian
Murad Jacob "Jack" Kevorkian (May 26, 1928 – June 3, 2011) was an American pathologist and euthanasia proponent. He publicly championed a terminal patient's right to die by physician-assisted suicide, embodied in his quote, "Dying is n ...
and the Suicide Machines. The band's original lineup consisted of
Jason Navarro
The Suicide Machines are an American punk rock band formed in March 1991 in Detroit, Michigan. During the course of their career, the band has released seven full-length albums on the labels Hollywood Records, Side One Dummy Records and Fat Wre ...
on
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
,
Dan Lukacinsky
Dan Lukacinsky is a singer and musician who provided vocals and guitar for the Suicide Machines. He now plays guitar and sings in Kick Like Kato. He's also been working as a producer for other bands and has been selling guitars for a living. He gr ...
on
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
, Jason Brake on
bass, and Stefan Rairigh on
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
. This lineup lasted a year until Bill Jennings replaced Rairigh, but he was soon replaced by
Derek Grant. They recorded the band's first demos ''
The Essential Kevorkian
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' and ''
Green World'' in 1993 and 1994, both released through their own label Sluggo's Old Skool Records. They also released the "Vans Song" 7" single on
Youth Rendition Records
Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...
. Brake left the group in 1994 and was briefly replaced by Dave Smith until Royce Nunley joined as the new permanent bass player. The lineup of Navarro, Lukacinsky, Nunley, and Grant would last for the next four years. This lineup reduced the band's name to The Suicide Machines and recorded the ''
Skank for Brains
Skank may refer to:
Music
* Skank (band), a Brazilian rock/pop/reggae/ska band
** ''Skank'' (album), the band's self-titled debut album
* Skank (guitar), a guitar technique used in reggae, ska, and rocksteady
* Skank beat, a drum beat common ...
'' split album with
The Rudiments
The Rudiments are an American ska punk band from the East Bay, California, United States.
Biography
Known originally as Los Rudiments the group came together in the early 1990s, getting their start playing such venues as Santa Clara's One Step ...
.
1996-2001: Hollywood Records years
In 1995 the band signed to
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records l ...
. 1996 saw the release of their first album, ''
Destruction by Definition
''Destruction by Definition'' is the debut album by the Detroit, Michigan punk rock band The Suicide Machines, released in 1996 by Hollywood Records. It was the band's first full-length album and established their presence in the mid-1990s punk ...
''. Its blend of
punk rock and
ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
brought them national attention in the midst of the mid-1990s punk rock mainstream revival. The single "No Face" became a minor hit on modern rock radio stations and the album was supported through extensive touring across the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. They released a follow-up in 1998 entitled ''
Battle Hymns'', which continued their
ska punk
Ska punk (also spelled ska-punk) is a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music together. (sometimes spelled skacore) is a subgenre of ska punk that mixes ska with hardcore punk. Early ska punk mixed both 2 tone and ska with hardc ...
style while incorporating more aggressive elements of
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
and sociopolitical lyrics, with nearly all of its songs lasting under two minutes in length.
Following the release of ''Battle Hymns'' Grant left the band. He went on to play with numerous groups including
Thoughts of Ionesco,
The Vandals
The Vandals are an American punk rock band, established in 1980 in Orange County, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums, two live albums, and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped ...
,
Face to Face, and
Telegraph
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
before finding a permanent position in the
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Matt Skiba (vocals, guitar), Dan Andriano (vocals, bass) and Derek Grant (drums, vocals).
Founded in late 1996 by Skiba, bassist Rob Do ...
. He was replaced by Erin Pitman for some touring before new permanent drummer
Ryan Vandeberghe
Ryan may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
*Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
Places Australia
* Division of Ryan, an elector ...
joined. In 2000 this lineup released ''
The Suicide Machines
The Suicide Machines are an American punk rock band formed in March 1991 in Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. During the course of their career, the band has released seven full-length albums on the labels Hollywood Records, Side One Dummy Records and ...
'', a more hard rock oriented effort that moved away from the ska influences of their earlier releases. They received some radio and video play for the single "Sometimes I Don't Mind" and performed on the
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
that summer. In 2001 they released ''
Steal This Record'', which continued their exploration of
pop punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
style while mixing in elements of their earlier ska punk and hardcore albums.
2002-2005: Side One Dummy Records years
Following touring in support of ''Steal This Record'' bassist Nunley left The Suicide Machines to start his own band,
Blueprint 76, and was replaced by Rich Tschirhart. The band also ended their contract with Hollywood Records, fulfilling their contractual obligations by releasing the compilation album ''
The Least Worst of the Suicide Machines
''The Least Worst of the Suicide Machines'' is a compilation album by the Detroit, Michigan punk rock band The Suicide Machines, released in 2002 by Hollywood Records. It has tracks from all of the band's albums on the Hollywood label: ''Destruc ...
''. They then moved to the independent label
Side One Dummy Records
SideOneDummy Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1995 by Bill Armstrong and Joe Sib. The label began as a way for them to release music for their friends' bands. Thereafter SideOneDummy launched the car ...
. Their next album ''
A Match and Some Gasoline'', released in 2003, found the band abandoning the pop experimentations of their previous two albums and returning more to the ska punk and hardcore styles of their earlier years. They also continued exploring sociopolitical themes in songs such as "Did You Ever Get a Feeling of Dread?" and "Your Silence," which were critical of President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
's administration, its response to the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
, and the wars in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
and
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. They toured internationally in support of the album and again performed on the Warped Tour.
In 2005 the band released the album ''
War Profiteering is Killing Us All'', which continued their political themes by openly attacking the Bush White House, the continuation of the Iraq War, and conservative Republicanism. Navarro also launched his own record label,
Noise Riot Records, and released ''
On the Eve of Destruction: 1991-1995'', a compilation of the band's early EPs, singles, and demos.
2006-2008: Breakup, post-Suicide Machines activity and reformation
In 2006, while touring in support of ''War Profiteering is Killing Us All'', the band abruptly broke up. Explanations given by the band members for this included Vandeberghe's desire to take a break from touring, which he did while friend Steve McCrumb filled for a performance at the Troubadour in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
on May 11. A tour of
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
had been planned to follow this, and Navarro had suggested that the band perform its final shows that
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
. However, interpersonal tensions came to a head after the Troubadour show when Lukacinsky refused to finish the tour. Lukacinsky himself further elaborated that the band had been planning to break up for some time.
Following the band's breakup Navarro and Vandeberghe continued working with
Left in Ruin, a band they had started as a Suicide Machines side project and had worked on and off with for almost 6 years. Vandeberghe also joined the new band
Hifi Handgrenades, and Tschirhart joined the band soon after. Later, Tschirhart formed another band called
The A-Gang with former
Mest
Mest is an American rock band originally formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Tony Lovato, bassist Matt Lovato, drummer Nick Gigler, and guitarist Jeremiah Rangel. They broke up in 2006 after eleven years, but temporarily reformed in Californi ...
drummer
Nick Gigler
Mest is an American rock band originally formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Tony Lovato, bassist Matt Lovato, drummer Nick Gigler, and guitarist Jeremiah Rangel. They broke up in 2006 after eleven years, but temporarily reformed in Californ ...
. Lukacinsky, meanwhile, started his own band
Bayonetting the Wounded, who broke up after a few demo recordings. He then moved to Japan and formed The One Thought Moment. Early in 2008, Navarro formed another Detroit band,
Hellmouth
A Hellmouth, or the jaws of Hell, is the entrance to Hell envisaged as the gaping mouth of a huge monster, an image which first appeared in Anglo-Saxon art, and then spread all over Europe. It remained very common in depictions of the '' Last ...
, in which he was back on lead vocals. In 2011, Navarro formed a new band called Break Anchor.
Bassist Rich Tschirhart also went on to form Bastardous with former Mest drummer, Nick Gigler.
In 2013, drummer Ryan Vandeberghe teamed up with current and former members of Telegraph, Hellmouth, Hifi Handgrenades, ForDireLifeSake, and others to form the band Rebel Spies.
The Suicide Machines as a band were dormant for 3 years. Always willing to play benefits for various social activist causes, they reunited in 2009.
2009-2019: Reformation and Return
In late 2009, The Suicide Machines, with Hellmouth drummer Justin Malek replacing Lukacinsky on guitar, reformed for a benefit concert in Detroit.
On July 24, 2010, The Suicide Machines performed at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit. In October, The Suicide Machines performed at
The Fest
The Fest is an annual music festival in Gainesville, Florida, United States, organized by Tony Weinbender, formerly of No Idea Records. It is a predominantly punk rock and pop-punk festival, though there are also a good number of indie rock, h ...
9. On October 8, 2011 The Suicide Machines played
Riot Fest
Riot Fest is an annual three-day punk rock music festival based in Chicago, Illinois, at Douglass Park. It is known for booking reunions, guest performances, and full album performances. Riot Fest remains one of the largest independently owned m ...
2011 in Chicago, as well as further shows throughout 2011.
The Suicide Machines played shows in Rochester, NY on May 19, followed by a performance at Pouzza Fest 2012, which took place May 18–20 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Throughout 2012, 2013, and 2014, the band continued to play shows around the U.S., including their annual Black Christmas fests that they headline in their native Detroit each December.
On August 16, 2014, The Suicide Machines headlined with Lower Class Brats, Suburban Legends and Morning Glory for the Summergrind 2014 show in Denver, Colorado.
In April 2015, the band embarked on a two-week tour of the midwestern and east coast United States with former drummer Derek Grant, performing their 1996 album, 'Destruction By Definition', in its entirety at all shows.
The band played the Vans Warped Tour that summer for four dates: Cuyahoga Falls, Cincinnati, Noblesville, and Auburn Hills. On May 18, 2017, it was announced that The Suicide Machines would be headlining the New Generation of Ska Festival in Seoul, South Korea on August 19.
The band played a show with
The Code on May 25, 2018 in Lawrenceville, PA and announced that they were working on new material, and would return with a new record. They performed some of the new songs at Black Christmas in Detroit in December 2018. The band played local shows throughout the year and occasionally did short tours and one-off shows overseas.
The band's final live performance before the global pandemic shutdown was a benefit for the charity Food Not Class in January 2020.
Black Christmas shows 2013-2019
For 7 consecutive years, the Suicide Machines hosted and headlined multi-band shows at The Majestic Complex in Detroit around the holidays. The yearly shows featured multiple stages and up to 18 additional bands. Over the years featured guests included Anti-Flag, The Black Dahlia Murder, Negative Approach, Meatmen, Mustard Plug, Wilson, Koffin Kats, ForDireLifeSake, Esham, Gangster Fun, Easy Action and many others.
2020-present: Revolution Spring & Gebo Gomi
In early 2020 Fat Wreck Chords announced the band's new album, ''Revolution Spring'', would be released on March 27, 2020.
On March 25, 2020, a stream of the album was posted to
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. Unfortunately, the onset of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic prevented the band from touring to support the new release.
During the shutdown, the band instead filmed and streamed "The Suicide Machines Devil's Night 2020" on YouTube.
The band returned to live in person performance in July 2021 with another benefit for the Food Not Class charity.
In October 2021, they performed a Halloween themed show at Detroit City Distillery to celebrate the release of their Suicide Machines' signature bourbon, Well Whiskey Wishes.
2022 saw The Suicide Machines touring the UK and United States, including dates on the traveling Punk In Drublic music and craft beer festival. They also released a split 12" ''Gebo Gomi'' with Japanese band Coquettish, on Bad Time Records.
Band members
Current members
*Jason "Jay" Navarro –
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
*Ryan Vandeberghe –
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
*Rich Tschirhart –
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
,
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...
*Justin Malek –
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
Former members
*
Dan Lukacinsky
Dan Lukacinsky is a singer and musician who provided vocals and guitar for the Suicide Machines. He now plays guitar and sings in Kick Like Kato. He's also been working as a producer for other bands and has been selling guitars for a living. He gr ...
– guitar, backing vocals
*Jason "Jay" Brake – bass guitar
*Stefan Rairigh – drums
*
Derek Grant – drums, backing vocals, keyboards
*Bill Jennings – drums
*Royce Nunley – bass, backing vocals
*Dave Smith – bass
*Erin Pitman – drums
*Danny Lore – bass
Timeline
Discography
The
discography
Discography is the study and cataloging of published sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified music genres. The exact information included varies depending on the type and scope of the discography, but a discography entry ...
of The Suicide Machines consists of seven
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
s, one
split album
A split album (or split) is a music album that includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There are also singles and EPs of the same variety, which are often called "split singles" and "split EPs" respectively. Split albums differ from "var ...
, two
compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
s, three
EPs, four
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
s, two
demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
s, and six
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
s.
Studio albums
Split EP albums
Compilation albums
Extended plays
Singles
Demos
Music videos
Other appearances
The following songs by The Suicide Machines were released on compilation and tribute albums. This is not an exhaustive list; songs that were first released on the band's albums, EPs, and singles are not included.
References
External links
Official Myspace profileSideOneDummy records official profileThe unofficial band message board
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suicide Machines, The
Hollywood Records artists
Hardcore punk groups from Michigan
Musical groups from Detroit
Skate punk groups
American ska punk musical groups
Musical groups established in 1991
SideOneDummy Records artists
Fat Wreck Chords artists