Reunited punk trio The Suicide Commandos — the pioneering Minneapolis band that paved the way for Hüsker Dü, The Replacements and Soul Asylum — this spring will release the very belated follow-up to their 1978 debut Make a Record, a 13-track album titled Time Bomb that will be issued on the newly reactivated Twin/Tone Records label.
The new album, produced by the band and mixed by Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Let’s Active, The dB’s), is due out May 5 digitally and in a limited, numbered vinyl pressing of 1,000 copies.
In announcing the record, the label describes it this way:
“Time Bomb has many of the hallmarks of the band’s original oeuvre, their fast, punky, brainy, fun and often funny rock n’ roll sound — The Ramones meet Eddie Cochran meets ZZ Top — but adds a catchy, pop-ish slant and a modern production flare that brings a freshness to the entire proceedings.”
The Commandos — Chris Osgood, Dave Ahl and Steve Almaas — broke up in the late ’70s, first reunited for a benefit in 2009, and have played together sporadically since. It was not until recently, though, that the trio felt compelled to go back into the studio.
“After (Ramones drummer) Tommy Erdelyi died, Steve pointed out that the Ramones were all gone and we were all still here, and that we should make a record,” guitarist Chris Osgood said in a news release.
Almaas added: “The time was right. I had a couple of songs I thought would sound good with Chris and Dave. Once they started coming up with material, it inspired me to write a few more. Also, in this modern age, it’s much easier to work long distance. That really helped make this possible.”
Time Bomb will be the first release on the newly revived Twin/Tone imprint since The Suburbs’ Viva! Suburbs! (Live at First Avenue) in 1994. The famed Minneapolis label is still run by two of its three cofounders (Paul Stark and Peter Jesperson; Charley Hallman died in 2015).
The band does plan to tour behind the new album, although it will be “strategic,” with local and national dates still in the planning stages, according to Twin/Tone’s news release.
See the album’s full tracklist below.
Tracklist: The Suicide Commandos, Time Bomb
1. “Hallelujah Boys”
2. “Milk of Human Kindness”
3. “Boogie’s Coldest Acre”
4. “Try Again”
5. “Frogtown”
6. “Pool Palace Cigar”
7. “When I Do It, It’s O.K.”
8. “If We Can’t Make You Love Me”
9. “Ghost Burrito”
10. “For Such a Mean Time”
11. “Cocktail Shaker”
12. “The Wrong Time”
13. “Late Lost Stolen Mangled Misdirected”
