Customer Reviews

American Supreme

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Suicide are back! On stage, I think it remains offensive and, well, "avantgarde". Rev fighting with his keyboard with a dark and freaky Vega screaming behind his shades. On the album, it is less "in your face"... the musical background sounds a little bit pre-programmed and the vocals are really distant from the whole mix. And that Hip Hop influence sounds bizarre to me... Anyway, it is FAR way better than their previous release, Why Be Blue!!! There's a great moody atmosphere on American Supreme, and it has its moments. Good.

And no cheap trick. Some talk, but they walked. The sound is almost sterile. Remember, nineeleven just happened and les ricains would walk into Afpainistan and later Hurak. Vega had it on the tongue as this record happened to be. Must. This is not Skinny Puppy or Nin or whatsoever. No Hip-Hop. But Vega, already in the 70's, could get like that while talking into the music, like if music was just there to support him. And here it's the same thing. Vega burns his lavatongue through the sound resulting into perfect symbiosis. Violent, disturbed, wise, thoughtprovoking, big paroles ad absurdum, Vega brings it all. American Paranoia. This album is top notch and was very important to me. I had the key back to modern music.

"American Supreme", the first Suicide studio album in ten years after the awful "Why be Blue", is quite of a mixed bag. It contains some decent tracks like "Televised Executions", "Misery Train" or "Swearin' to the flag" but as the album progresses the songs begin to run out of steam. In general the lyrics of Alan Vega are fairly good while the music by Martin Rev is rather uninspired. It seems to me that the duo has lost some of its peculiar and ominous touch since their last great album (the brooding and atmospheric "A Way of Life" from 1988). While musically "American Supreme" sounds like your average techno/electronica band, it's the lyrical content making some comment about contemporary political and social issues (9/11, over-the-top patriotism, T.V trash, etc) the aspect that definitely deserves your attention as it is the strongest element featured on the album. I don't usually like to see musicians involved in political issues, but Rev and Vega managed themselves well in that aspect. After all, these guys are street-smart as few can be. The "crash essay" included in the CD booklet by Matt Worley is also insightful and interesting.

As a whole the record is far superior to "Why Be Blue" but at the same time I find it below in rank to their releases in the 80's.

One thing is for sure: "American Supreme" is an album that won't make you forget the duo's early material and which is far from being an essential recording by the group. Although, at least, it's an album that makes you THINK (that sure is something).

Recommended only if Suicide is one of your all time favourite bands or if you don't have anything better to listen to.

Amazingly Suicide has again subtly reinvented thier own sound as American Supreme is a bit leaner and darker than Why Be Blue. It is full of musical surprises and pitfalls from Mr Rev and Vega too has not fallen prey to his own cliché but rants rather with a new strange energy.

Go get it.

Very pleased to have bought this cd. If the streets of the world had a soundtrack, this would be it. The music and vocals are very hypnotic. I keep envisioning blood flowing through the veins of civilization as I listen to this. The words are like cells full of truth. I don't find this dark...it just tells it like it is during these strange days on earth. Jim Morrison only wished he could sound as good as Vega. Pure artistry. Kudos you guys. Glad you are still making music after all these years.

Suicide has always been one of the most inovative bands around.This album is brilliant, it is also a great commentry regarding the American publics blind rage and insane reaction to the events of 9/ll.