S.O.D.
SPEAK ENGLISH OR DIE
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S.O.D formed in New York in 1985.
Anthrax had just finished recording Spreading the Disease and Scott Ian (guitar) and Charlie Benante (drums) along with ex-bassist Dan Lilker and Psychos bassist Billy Milano on vocals decided to form a hardcore band based on the drawings of Sargent D (a character Scott had come up with ).
Originally recorded a 63-song demo called Crab Society North.
Working with the Zuzula's Megaforce Records they recorded the album Speak English or Die.
Recorded and mixed in 3 days to become a landmark album and one of the first to mix Hardcore and Thrash.
Though the band did draw some controversy over offensive lyrics - Scott describes the songs as "ridiculous" and "just a big inside joke". Never intending to be serious..
In an interview with Songfacts in 2014, when asked "If Speak English or Die came out today, do you think that because of the political correctness of today, it would go over the same?", Lilker responded, "It probably would have had a harder time just because people seem to be more uptight now. Nevertheless, it was what it was, which is saying it is what it is, but back then. And I don't regret it. Maybe minor aspects went overboard with certain lyrical things, but then again, we didn't really mean them. Perhaps if people realize that, then it's just more funny." Songfacts. November 6, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
Touring with Motorhead and The Plasmatics in '85.
MTV's Headbangers Ball featured The March of SOD and Chromatic Death Milano Mosh", "Chromatic Death," and "Sargent D and the S.O.D as intros and commercial breaks.
MEMBERS:
Scott Ian – guitar, backing vocals
Dan Lilker – bass, backing vocals
Charlie Benante – drums, additional guitar solos
Billy Milano – lead vocals
TRACKS:
1. "March of the S.O.D." 1:27
2. "Sargent D and the S.O.D." 2:23
3. "Kill Yourself" 2:11
4. "Milano Mosh" 1:32
5. "Speak English or Die" 2:24
6. "United Forces" 1:53
7. "Chromatic Death" 0:43
8. "Pi Alpha Nu" 1:09
9. "Anti-Procrastination Song" 0:06
10. "What's that Noise • cameo appearance by producer Alex Perialas" 1:00
11. "Freddy Krueger" 2:32
12. "Milk" 1:54
13. "Pre-Menstrual Princess Blues" 1:20
14. "Pussy Whipped" 2:14
15. "Fist Banging Mania" 2:04
16. "No Turning Back" 0:52
17. "Fuck the Middle East" 0:27
18. "Douche Crew" 1:35
19. "Hey Gordy!" 0:07
20. "Ballad of Jimi Hendrix" 0:05
21. "Diamonds and Rust (Extended Version)"
1992 re-issue bonus track
"Ram It Up" – 1:21 (Inferno cover)
2000 re-issue bonus studio tracks
"Identity" – 2:50
"Go" – 1:07
2000 re-issue live bonus tracks recorded in Tokyo, 1999
"March of the S.O.D."/"Sargent D and the S.O.D." – 4:25
"Kill Yourself" – 4:08
"Milano Mosh" – 2:09
"Speak English or Die" – 4:31
"Fuck the Middle East"/"Douche Crew" – 3:11
"Not"/"Momo"/"Taint"/"The Camel Boy"/"Diamonds and Rust"/"Anti-Procrastination Song" – 1:24
"Milk" – 4:08
"United Forces pt.I" – 2:01
"United Forces pt.II" – 2:05
"Ram It Up" – 1:22 (Inferno cover)(Bonus Studio Hidden Track)
2015 30th anniversary edition bonus track
"Crab Society North Demos" -14:48
Speak English or Die has sold over 1 million copies worldwide.
The album was re-released by Megaforce in August 1995 and a platinum edition of the album was released in February 2000.
In August 2014, Revolver placed Speak English or Die on its "14 Thrash Albums You Need to Own" list.
Show Summary
The one thing that great thrash and great comedy have in common is great timing!! Stormtroopers of Death (S.O.D.) came around at the perfect time in the 80’s thrash metal scene and were the perfect blend of hilarity, angst, and ultra thrashy, punky hard-core goodness to help remind us all that we could still HAVE FUN, especially with Metal!!
So come, JOIN US as we dive into ‘Speak English or Die’, the debut album from S.O.D. Also, a few characters we haven’t heard from in a bit stop by to weigh in and give us their thoughts on this critically important landmark thrash metal album.
Fix your favorite relaxer and JOIN US for the Stormtroopers of Death: Speak English or Die Metal Nerdery Album Dive and prepare to smile, because EVERYONE remembers laughter
Show Notes
(00:00): Intro (Click it, lad!)/Hybrid Metal Nerdery/Updates from the Metal Nerdery Nerds/A recommendation to Mastodon/Gangsta Rap=Metal /#itsmetal/ #touchynottouching /#feelingfeeling/ #angerland (and Thin Lizzy)
(03:40): Stormtroopers of Death: Speak English or Die (#sarcasmcore)-We’re gonna go DEEPER LATER #procrastitution/#nopostnocore/#prepostsarcasmcore/#Scatterbrain
(06:40): Tangentionally related item with Scatterbrain (from Down Under!)/More Updates/Tommy and The Whistlin’ Crickets/#wheezy - reprise (LOL!)
(10:07): S.O.D.: Speak English or Die/The Sargent D Character/GeeOff T8: screamfromtheballs#/Wait, HOW many tracks!? Crab Society North: The Box Set Buffet?/Recording MacGyverishness/#blipcore/And you thought Reign in Blood covered a lot of ground in a short time…(look up S.O.D. 6 songs in 9 seconds and/or Live at Budokhan on the UNRESTRICTED version of YouTube)/3 days to create something LEGENDARY!
(16:23): Matt’s thoughts on recording and production (and most importantly: PASSION!!! /The Magic of Recording and Producing a MAGICAL, LEGENDARY metal album!/#funinmetal
(20:02): Headbanger’s Ball theme music/Opened for Motorhead/Fire up the METAL NERDERY TIME TUNNEL!/USA for…wait, WHAT?/Mmmm, more Crab Society North (with a side of Anthrax, Nuclear Assault and M.O.D., please) /#alexparalysis/A word from Christopher Walking/The Dan Lilker Bass Gnarliness/#speakspanishordie
(26:36): Extra Hot Sauce: Taco of Death (T.O.D.)/NOT SOD/(you’ll look at it!)/Kill Yourself: The Movie (is it better than ‘Kill Yourself: the book’?/)#idareyou/#celticfrostedflakes/#ijustfrosted
(32:12): The Tracks: The March of the S.O.D. (#cantbeloudenough)/#danlilkerHAIL/ (READ the lyrics, LOL!)/The Perfect Power Foursome/#makemetalfunagain
(37:14): Kill Yourself (Now!)/#moshpart/SOD: The beginning of “Groove” metal?
(39:23): Can you DO…The Milano Mosh!? (Well… CAN you?)
(41:00): Speak English or Die/#triggeralert/HAIL to Billy Milano and S.O.D.
(43:21): United Forces/A new “relaxing” segment/Chromatic Death #itsnotlongenough/Headbanger’s Ball reference.
(46:56): Pi Alpha Nu (Where’s McMahon? And also, WHO is McMahon?)/ Anti Procrastination Song/What’s That Noise? (And what was the “FQ” for that song?)20?
(53:10): Freddy Krueger/Milk (First “blast beat” recorded on an album?)
(58:51): Pre-Menstrual Princess Blues (Irving!?)/Lyrical geniusness #basketballs/S.O.D.: The Monty Python of Metal/ Pussywhipped
(1:03:12): Fistbanging Mania/No Turning Back
(1:06:16): Fuck the Middle East/Douche Crew (Tom Araya scream?)
(1:10:33): A few Blipcore tracks: Hey Gordy/The Ballad of Jimi Hendrix/Diamonds and Rust (Extended Version)/Archie uses a “Q”: Ram it Up! (Inferno cover) #qunt/1992 re-issue bonus track/Other “Ballads”/2000 Re-issue of Speak English or Die included ‘Identity’ and ‘Go’ as bonus tracks/Billy Milano: The Godfather of #PreSarcasmBlipPostCore/CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE WORDERY ABOUT METAL NERDERY!!!!
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