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The Suicide Commandos

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article The Suicide Commandos, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 2025
The Suicide Commandos
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1975
Headquarters
Minneapolis
,
United States
ProductsPunk rock music, albums, singles, EPs

The Suicide Commandos are a punk rock trio originating from Minneapolis, established in 1975. Initially, they issued two 7-inch EPs on an independent label during 1976 and 1977 before signing with Blank Records, a Mercury Records subsidiary, to release their album Make a Record in 1977. Although their original tenure lasted only about four years, they are recognized for igniting the punk rock movement in the Twin Cities area, influencing future acts such as The Suburbs, Hüsker Dü, The Replacements, and Soul Asylum.

History

Their first album, Make a Record, debuted in 1977 and was subsequently reissued on CD by Mercury Records in 1996 and later made available via Island/DefJam on iTunes in 2007. In 1979, they released a live album titled The Suicide Commandos Commit Suicide Dance Concert through Twin/Tone Records, which captured their final show before disbanding. This live LP was limited to 1,000 numbered vinyl copies and was reissued on CD by Garage D'Or Records in 2000 with an expanded tracklist increasing from 19 to 32 songs.

The song "Burn It Down" from 1977 inspired a short film by pioneering rock video director Chuck Statler, depicting the burning of the band’s long-used rehearsal space. This film was later featured in a Chuck Statler retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in 2006.

Hiatus

Following their split in 1980, Almaas relocated to New York City where he formed The Crackers and released a solo EP called Beat Rodeo. By 1982, he had assembled a quartet under the name (The) Beat Rodeo, producing two critically acclaimed albums during the mid-1980s before disbanding. Subsequently, Almaas embarked on a solo career that yielded six albums over the next twenty years.

Re-formation

Between 2003 and 2004, "Complicated Fun" by The Suicide Commandos was featured in commercials for Xbox and PlayStation aired by Target. The band also served as headliners at the Minnesota State Fair in 2007.

In 2008, Ahl and Osgood performed an acoustic set during the Republican convention held in St. Paul.

On January 17, 2009, the group reunited for a benefit concert in Minneapolis supporting Laura Kennedy of the NYC no-wave band Bush Tetras, with guest vocals by David Thomas from Pere Ubu. Later that year, on November 7, Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak proclaimed the day as "Suicide Commando Day".

On January 29, 2012, The Suicide Commandos co-headlined the seventh anniversary celebration of radio station "The Current" (89.3 FM) at Minneapolis’s iconic venue 1st Avenue, attracting thousands of devoted punk enthusiasts.

To mark The Current’s tenth anniversary in January 2015, a limited ten-inch EP titled The Current Makes A Record was released featuring studio tracks by both The Hold Steady and The Suicide Commandos. This release echoed Twin/Tone Records’ earlier limited pressing of The Commandos Commit Suicide Dance Party, which documented their final performances in 1978. The record release event took place at The Turf Club in St. Paul on January 16, 2015.

On July 29, 2015, the band officially adopted a segment of Hennepin County Road 16 (McGinty Road) spanning 1.5 miles in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

In 2016, after nearly four decades without a studio album, The Suicide Commandos recorded Time Bomb. Produced by Kevin Bowe at Master Mix in Minneapolis, mixed by Mitch Easter at Fidelitorium in North Carolina, and mastered by Bruce Templeton at Microphonic Mastering back in Minneapolis—with additional sessions conducted in New York—the album marked Twin/Tone Records’ first release since 1994 following its revival. Each member contributed four individual compositions while the thirteenth track was collaboratively written by the trio. The lead single "Boogie’s Coldest Acre" premiered on U.S. radio on April 5, 2017; pre-orders started April 15. The album was released digitally and as a limited edition run of 1,000 numbered vinyl copies on May 5 accompanied by listening parties and store appearances.

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman alongside Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges proclaimed May 5, 2017 as "Commando Day" within the Twin Cities area. The vinyl edition sold out immediately upon release.

The Suicide Commandos were honored with a star on the exterior mural of Minneapolis’s renowned nightclub First Avenue. This distinction recognizes artists who have sold out shows or made significant cultural contributions to the venue—one of Minneapolis’s most prestigious public accolades.

On June 9, 2021, it was announced by The Smithsonian that Chris Osgood’s Commando motorcycle jacket and guitar pick were added to the National Museum of American History’s collection. Curator John W. Troutman emphasized these artifacts as symbolic representations of punk’s worldwide aesthetic shaped through localized scenes spanning from Minneapolis to New York City and London—enhancing recognition of Minneapolis’s influential music heritage.

Members

  • Steve Almaas – bass guitar and vocals; subsequently became a member of Beat Rodeo
  • Dave Ahl – drums and vocals
  • Chris Osgood – guitar and vocals

Make a Record

Track list:

  1. "Shock Appeal"
  2. "Attacking the Beat"
  3. "Mosquito Crucifixion"
  4. "Mr. Dr."
  5. "Semi-Smart"
  6. "Call of the Wild"
  7. "You Can't"
  8. "I Need a Torch"
  9. "Kidnapped"
  10. "Premature"
  11. "I Don't Get It"
  12. "Real Cool"
  13. "She" (cover of The Monkees)
  14. "Burn It Down"
  15. "Match/Mismatch"
  16. Mark He's A Terror - 45 rpm single

The Commandos Commit Suicide Dance Concert

CD track list:

  1. "Shake"
  2. "Journey to the Center of the Mind"
  3. "My Little Red Book"
  4. "Back in the U.S.A."
  5. "The American Ruse"
  6. "It's My Life"
  7. "Seven Deadly Finns"
  8. "Fire"
  9. "Real Good Time Together"
  10. "Bits and Pieces"
  11. "Emission Control"
  12. "Cliché Ole"
  13. "Monster Au Go Go"
  14. "You Play Too Hard"
  15. "I Think of You"
  16. "There Goes Gladys"
  17. "Keep Your Hands to Yourself"
  18. "Complicated Fun"
  19. "Shock Appeal"
  20. "Attacking the Beat"
  21. "She"
  22. "She Said Yeah"
  23. "I'll Wait"
  24. "Mosquito Crucifixion"
  25. "Three Cool Cats"
  26. "Wild In the Streets"
  27. "Fireball 500"
  28. "You Can't"
  29. "I Need a Torch"
  30. "Burn It Down"
  31. "O Carole / Petticoat Junction theme"
  32. "Born to Be Wild"

The Legendary KQRS Concert 1976

CDr track list:

  1. "Intro"
  2. "Mosquito Crucifixion"
  3. "The Silent Treatment"
  4. "Commando Rhapsody"
  5. "Premature"
  6. "Call Of The Wild"
  7. "Nervous Breakdown"
  8. "Slow Down"
  9. "Plastic Bullets"
  10. "Emission Control"
  11. "Wipe Out"
  12. "Cliche Ole"
  13. "Monster Au Go-Go"
  14. "Action Woman"
  15. "Bits And Pieces"
  16. "I Fought The Law"
  17. "Tent"
  18. "Motorbikin'"
  19. "Match/Mismatch"
  20. "Shock Appeal"
  21. "Personality Crisis"
  22. "Search And Destroy"
  23. "Anarchy In The U.K."

Time Bomb Twin/Tone Records TTR89403

Track listing:

  1. "Hallelujah Boys" (Almaas)
  2. "Milk of Human Kindness" (Ahl)
  3. "Boogie’s Coldest Acre" (Osgood)
  4. "Try Again" (Almaas)
  5. "Frogtown" (Ahl, Osgood)
  6. "Pool Palace Cigar" (Osgood)
  7. "When I Do It, It’s O.K." (Almaas)
  8. "If I Can’t Make You Love Me" (Almaas, Ahl, Osgood)
  9. "Ghost Burrito" (Osgood)
  10. "For Such A Mean Time" (Almaas)
  11. "Cocktail Shaker" (Ahl)
  12. "The Wrong Time" (Almaas)
  13. "Late Lost Stolen Mangled Misdirected" (Osgood)

Features a radio edit version of "Boogie’s Coldest Acre"

External links

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