Metal Underground.com

Suicidal Tendencies is back with its first album in 13 years, the aptly named "13." On the good side, it's nice to hear Mike Muir and crew back performing the funky thrash-punk that they do so well. With pro skaters making a guest appearance on one track and an overall skate park friendly vibe, it seems that Muir knows his market well. Fans will enjoy this new material, while others may find it to be pretty dated sounding, given that Muir and crew seem to have ignored everything that's happened metal-wise in the last decade.

On the positive side, songs like the opener, "Shake It Out" and the aggressive "Smash It!" are powerful rockers that will get your head banging. Even when the band lets the funk take over on tracks like "God Only Knows ... Who I Am," lead guitarist Dean Pleasants brings the metal in the solos. It's also fun to hear Steve Bruner's funky bass style interact with more straightforward punk and metal guitar on "Make Your Stand!"

On the other hand, there's Muir's tendency to rely on some familiar lyrical tropes. "Who's Afraid?" and "Cyco Style" both rely overly much on the old standby "Cyco Myco" bit. Also, there's the fact that both "Till My Last Breath" and especially "Life ... (Can't Live With It Can't Live Without It)" feel like Red Hot Chili Peppers outtakes.

The disc does end on a decent note, with Pleasants firing off some Hendrix-style licks on "This World." Still, it's hard to recommend Suicidal Tendencies' "13" to anyone but devout "cyco" fans of the band. There's nothing overly phenomenal about it, and it runs out of gas toward the end. Fans will enjoy this one, but others will find it OK at best.