The Suicide Machines

Formed in Detroit, Michigan, in the early 1990s, The Suicide Machines emerged from the local punk scene by blending ska, punk rock and hardcore. Initially active under the name Jack Kevorkian and the Suicide Machines, the band developed a fast, staccato sound, alternating upbeat ska rhythms with more direct hardcore passages, driven by Jason Navarro’s vocals. Picked up by Hollywood Records, The Suicide Machines released the album Destruction by Definition in 1996, which established them in the American ska‑punk movement, followed by Battle Hymns in 1998, a more upfront, punk‑oriented record. Around 2000 the lineup moved toward melodic punk rock and a leaner hardcore on The Suicide Machines (2000) and Steal This Record (2001) on SideOneDummy, before emphasizing the political and social edge of their lyrics on A Match and Some Gasoline (2003) and War Profiteering Is Killing Us All (2005). After splitting in 2006, The Suicide Machines reunited in 2009 to resume touring and returned to the studio with Revolution Spring, released in 2020 on Fat Wreck Chords, continuing a trajectory marked by consistent live energy and a lasting place in Detroit punk.