S.O.D. originally began as a project for
Anthrax songwriters
Scott Ian and
Charlie Benante to release material that their singer
Joey Belladonna could not sing. That was back in 1985, so it is interesting that in 1992, only months before they fired
Belladonna from
Anthrax, that they decided to reunite for a concert in New York City. This is almost all of
Speak English or Die! with a few covers thrown in for good measure. What is truly entertaining is the between-song banter between the audience and caustic frontman
Billy Milano. His angry, funny tirades emphasize the more humorous aspects of this project. Classics like "Milk," "Chromatic Death," and "Kill Yourself" are here in all their offensive glory. The enthusiastic crowd helps the mood of the album, and certain songs are changed enough to give them an interesting spin. A good example is "Speak English or Die!," which places the opening riff to
Slayer's classic "Raining Blood" in the middle of the song. The covers are good, although
S.O.D. really does not add much to classics by
Nirvana or
Fear except for heavier guitars. The album is a little long, and without getting to see the onstage antics (the near-300 pound
Milano opened the show by stage diving off of a 15 foot speaker into the crowd), it is hard to understand what they are talking about sometimes. But overall, this is a good live album for fans who had been waiting for something new from the kings of hardcore metal.