10 Weirdest Cult Albums You Need To Hear
3. Suicide - Suicide
Towards the end of the '70s, the sounds of underground rock had a few different faces. For as much as punk still had a firm grip on the collective mindset, the sounds of new wave were quickly infiltrating the airwaves and becoming the new order of the day. Most bands fell on either side of the camp, but Suicide's debut record was one that fit somewhere in the middle.
Across this record, every single song is dominated by electronic keyboard work, but the actual attitude behind it is much more hard-edged than you might expect. As opposed to the more artificial sounds of something like Devo, this is an electronic album with a punk heart, with songs like "Rocket USA" sounding like it could just as easily be hammered out on a guitar rather than a synthesizer.
On the other hand, the band uses the keyboards to their fullest extent, with songs like "Frankie Teardrop" being absolutely harrowing as it tells the tale of a down-his-luck man who ends up murdering his entire family over the course of 10 minutes. The album may remain a cult favorite through the years, but even acts like Bruce Springsteen have come forward to shout this album's praises for its grim emotional resonance. Suicide may not have gotten too big after this, but the brooding atmosphere this creates will put anyone on edge.