Stormtroopers Of Death

New York City's thriving underground metal and hardcore scenes provided the setting for the creation of Stormtroopers Of Death (S.O.D.) in 1985. Conceived as a side project bringing together musicians from both worlds, the group combined the speed and aggression of hardcore punk with the heavy riffs and rhythmic intensity of thrash metal, helping establish what became known as crossover thrash.

 
The original line-up reunited three musicians associated with Anthrax: Scott Ian (guitar), Charlie Benante (drums) and Dan Lilker (bass), alongside vocalist Billy Milano, who had previously been involved in the New York hardcore scene. Ian and Benante had already developed their reputation through Anthrax, while Lilker had been an original member of the band before leaving in 1984 and subsequently becoming involved with Nuclear Assault. Milano's shouted vocals and deliberately provocative lyrics gave S.O.D. a distinctly irreverent character, drawing on hardcore's confrontational attitude and the humour of the underground punk scene. 

 
Their debut album, 'Speak English Or Die', appeared on Megaforce Records in December 1985. Recorded in just three days at Pyramid Sound in Ithaca, New York, the 21-track record was a fast, abrasive collection of short songs, combining tightly constructed thrash riffs, hardcore rhythms, rapid-fire drumming and deliberately outrageous humour. The material included "March Of The S.O.D.", "Sargent D And The S.O.D.", "Milk", "Milano Mosh" and "United Forces". The lyrics, delivered through Milano's aggressive shouting, frequently relied on black humour, provocation and politically incorrect jokes, generating controversy that became closely associated with the group's identity. 

 
Initially conceived as a short-lived side project during a break in Anthrax's activities, S.O.D. played a relatively small number of concerts before the members returned to their other bands. Milano subsequently formed M.O.D. (Method Of Destruction), continuing to explore the mixture of hardcore and thrash metal. The growing reputation of 'Speak English Or Die', however, brought the original musicians back together in 1992 for further performances, documented on 'Live At Budokan', an album whose title was deliberately misleading, as the recording actually came from a New York concert. 

 
Another reunion followed in 1997, leading to a more permanent return between 1999 and 2002. The group released 'Bigger Than The Devil' in 1999, their first full-length studio album since their debut, followed by touring and the video release "Kill Yourself: The Movie". Further disagreements between the members eventually brought this period to an end. In 2007, Megaforce released 'Rise Of The Infidels', a collection combining previously unreleased material and live recordings, marking another chapter in the band's intermittent history.