It's always difficult for a band to still have a growing fan base after a long hiatus, ever changing band members, and loads of controversy based on their following. But this didn't stop lead vocalist Mike Muir from raising Suicidal Tendencies from the dead and going on a two month US Tour. On the second stop of their tour, Suicidal played with Whole Wheat Bread and Terror to a sold out show in Englewood, CO. And even though the crowd had to stand out in the cold and snow for almost an hour before even being let in, everyone was pumped to finally see a band that has been on hiatus for almost 10 years.

Whole Wheat Bread
Whole Wheat Bread played a short set that started out slow and ended with somewhat of a bang. The band reminded me of every late 90's/early 2000's pop punk band. So needless to say, it wasn't anything new. The majority of the crowd stood around and only became somewhat noisy when the band played a medley of Wu-Tang Clan, Slayer and Rage Against The Machine. Within the three-band lineup, Whole Wheat Bread seemed out of place, however I have to say that I did enjoy finally figuring out why they would call themselves Whole Wheat Bread. Clever.

Terror
I didn't think that I would like Terror since I was told that they were a metal band, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were an old-school hardcore/thrash band. And a good one for that matter. The band played a mix of traditional hardcore riffs and shouting group vocals. The set lasted about 30 minutes, but it only felt like 15. In fact, I tried to count how many songs the set included, but lost count after 5 because I was so entertained by the lead vocalist, Scott Vogels, running around and demanding that the crowd get even rowdier.

Suicidal Tendencies
By the time that Suicidal Tendencies came on, the majority of the fans were all packed at the front of the stage chanting ST. The band's stage setup was very minimal with only the band and their equipment. I have never seen Suicidal play before, but I assume that this is how it was when they first started and probably how most punk bands really should play.

During their hour-long set, Suicidal kept the crowd going with a wide range of old songs like "Church Of Suicidal", "War In My Head", "Lovely", "Possessed To Skate", "I Saw Your Mommy", "I Shot The Devil", and "Fascist Pig" while giving us a taste of new material like "Come Alive" and "Get United". And even though the whole band was highly energetic, I was most entertained by their new drummer, Eric Moore. He cracked me up with his fancy stick twirls and even joined the crowd during their request for an encore. Suicidal's performance was pure and genuine. They had nothing to prove or promote other than themselves and it was refreshing to see a band just play.

So if you missed the Suicidal show - your loss. It's been a while since Denver has seen a good hardcore show. But don't worry. Suicidal promised to be back next year when they are ready to promote their new album. And if you really want to see them this year (which I highly recommend), check them out them out on their 15 stop US tour (with one more stop in Colorado). It will be well worth it even if you have to stand out in the cold and snow for an hour before getting in.

-Melissa Skrbic-Huss

Suicidal Tendencies w/ Whole Wheat Bread and Terror
November 28th, 2008
Gothic Theater
Englewood, CO

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