Yesterday’s Tomorrow: The Lasting Bite of Suicidal Tendencies’ Classic

Suicidal Tendencies : How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can’t Even Smile Today

Released : 13-09-1988

Vinyl released by: Epic Records

Oh how the memories come flooding back! How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can’t Even Smile Today marks Suicidal Tendencies’ explosive transformation from skate-punk misfits to full-throttle thrashers. This album is a razor-edged blend of aggression, melody, and introspection and literally a tightrope walk between fury and despair. Mike Muir’s vocals are raw and confrontational as he wrestles with alienation, betrayal, and self-doubt. His delivery swings from manic rants to almost pleading vulnerability, embodying the title’s tortured question.

Musically, this was the band’s cleanest and most muscular effort. Guitarists Mike Clark and Rocky George forged a dual-guitar assault that’s both intricate and anthemic, lacing hardcore roots with metallic precision. Tracks like Trip at the Brain and Suicyco Mania thrash forward with surgical tightness, while the title track unfolds into a surprisingly epic meditative state, blending melodic introspection with crushing riffs.

The production, courtesy of Mark Dodson, gives the band a sharp, stadium-ready edge without sanding down their street-born grit. This album cemented Suicidal Tendencies as more than just the pigeon-holed “Institutionalized” band. It’s a fierce, intelligent statement of evolution for any band, not to mind ST. Looking back at it through my then 13yo eyes, it was a perfect snapshot of a time when the crossover metal revolution was at its most intense and personal. Brutal, thought-provoking, and relentlessly alive.