"Join the Army" is the second studio album by American crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies. It was released in 1987, four years after their self-titled debut. The album marked a significant shift in the band's sound and style, moving away from their original hardcore punk roots and embracing a more thrash metal-oriented approach.
The album features tracks like "Possessed to Skate" and "War Inside My Head" which are considered seminal in the crossover thrash genre. It showcases faster tempos, lengthy guitar solos, and complex song structures, advancements from their previous sounds. "Join the Army" was a significant influence on the then-nascent genre, and helped the band gain a broader audience.
The lineup for "Join the Army" included Mike Muir on vocals, Mike Clark and Rocky George on guitar, Louiche Mayorga on bass, and R.J. Herrera on drums. The recording process for this album was relatively plagued with difficulty due to the band members' conflicting visions for the sound and direction of the album which led to internal disputes. Despite these obstacles, the album played a crucial role in the band's career and in the development of crossover thrash as a genre.
