Speak English or Die
is the debut album
by the American
crossover thrash
band
released in
August 1985.
Parts of the songs
"March of the S.O.D.",
"Milano Mosh",
"Chromatic Death"
and
"Sargent D
and the S.O.D."
were used for
commercial breaks of
MTV's Headbangers Ball
in the early 1990s.
Composition
After Anthrax
finished recording
Spreading the Disease,
there was still some
studio time left,
so members
Scott Ian
and
Charlie Benante
called some friends,
practiced some songs,
and recorded
it all within a week.
Many point to this album
and particularly the song
"Milk"
as one of the
first songs to
feature a blast beat,
courtesy of
Benante.
When asked in 2009
if he invented the
blast beat,
Benante replied,
"If you mean that I
decided to sit in my room
and invent it,
no it wasn't like that.
The thing was something
that had been around
the NY hardcore scene
for ages
but hadn't been used
for other things.
The first time
it really happened was
on S.O. D's
'Milk' song,
so I guess you could say
I had a lot to do with it.
Now a lot of bands
are using it
and doing
it really well."
The album had some
controversy due
to the lyrics,
which addressed
homosexuality,
women
and
foreign cultures.
Dan Lilker stated,
"The lyrics were never intended
to be serious,
just to piss people off."
In an interview with
Songfacts in 2014,
when asked
"If Speak English or Die
came out today,
do you think that because
of the political correctness
of today,
it would go over the same?",
Lilker responded,
"It probably would have had
a harder time just because
people seem to be
more uptight now.
Nevertheless,
it was what it was,
which is saying it
is what it is,
but back then.
And I don't regret it.
Maybe minor aspects
went overboard
with certain
lyrical things,
but then again,
we didn't really
mean them.
Perhaps
if people realize that,
then it's just more funny."
Album Cover Art
The album cover,
featuring the band's
mascot
Sergeant D
holding a severed head,
further fueled the
controversy surrounding
S.O.D.
The artwork,
designed by Anthrax
guitarist
Scott Ian,
was a visual representation
of the band's
irreverent and
provocative attitude.
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