Suicidal Tendencies, 24th June 2026, Hades, Copenhell Festival, Denmark

Photo: Goran www.urbanmescalero.com

After all these years, Suicidal Tendencies are still out there doing their thing, still drawing crowds, and still managing to deliver. Sure, Mike Muir is the only original member remaining, but he knows how to surround himself with strong players, and we should not neglect the fact that guitarist Dean Pleasants has been with him for 20 years now. Ben Weinman (of The Dillinger Escape Plan) has been in the band since 2018, perhaps longer than one might have expected. Tye Trujillo has been in the band for five years as well, handling the duties his father used to back in the band’s heyday. The newest addition is drummer Xavier Ware, who is taking over after the mind-bending lineage of drummers who have handled the position over the last five years: Dave Lombardo, Brandon Pertzborn, Greyson Nekrutman, and Jay Weinberg.

Some things, however, do not change, and one of them is the fact that the band still opens its shows with “You Can’t Bring Me Down.” Another thing that does not seem to change is the fact that band leader Mike Muir remains an energy bomb. At the age of 63, he still paces the stage as frantically as ever, and he still preaches between songs at such a rapid pace that it can be difficult to follow.

After the massive opener, “Possessed to Skate” did not quite manage to maintain the momentum. On the other hand, “Send Me Your Money” and “War Inside My Head” were as punchy as ever. The band also delivered a pleasant surprise in the form of “Alone” one of the highlights from their 1990 album Lights…Camera…Revolution!. Experiencing Pleasants nail the Rocky George’s guitar solo in that song was worth the price of admission alone.

Muir, Pleasants, and Weinman delivered with tremendous energy, while the new drummer, Ware, not only filled those massive shoes but did so with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. Unlike the rest of the band, (or even his father, former Suicidal Tendencies bassist and current Metallica bassist Rob Trujillo) Trujillo comes across as somewhat “too cool for school” – something that doesn’t fit the band and something his father never did, even to this day. His playing, on the other hand was as strong as demaneded.

Suicidal Tendencies closed the show with the obligatory “Pledge Your Allegiance,” during which Muir invited the crowd onto the stage, resulting in it being completely packed with jumping and dancing fans. A fitting ending to a concert by the people, for the people.