Speak English or Die
Speak English or Die is the debut studio album by the American crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death (S.O.D.), released on August 30, 1985. It was recorded July 2–5, 1985 at Pyramid Studio in Ithaca, New York, and runs 28 minutes and 41 seconds. The album was produced by Alex Perialas and Scott Ian and helped fuse hardcore punk with thrash and speed metal.
The idea for the album came about quickly after Anthrax finished recording Spreading the Disease; Scott Ian and Charlie Benante invited friends, practiced a few songs, and recorded everything within about a week. The track "Milk" is often noted for featuring an early blast beat.
The lyrics were controversial, touching on homosexuality, women, and foreign cultures. Dan Lilker has explained they weren’t intended to be taken seriously, but rather to provoke people. In 2014 he said the album might be viewed differently today, but he doesn’t regret it.
Speak English or Die was well received and is regarded as a landmark in crossover thrash. AllMusic gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars, noting its importance in merging hardcore with thrash and speed metal, and it has sold over a million copies. The album was inducted into the Decibel Hall of Fame in 2009. It was reissued in August 1995, with a platinum edition released in February 2000, and Revolver included it on a 2014 list of essential thrash albums.
The album has influenced other musicians, with Al Jourgensen of Ministry citing it as influential and Eddie Vedder a noted fan. S.O.D. also covered "United Forces" for their 2012 Relapse release. All tracks were written by S.O.D. A bonus track, "Ram It Up," appeared on some reissues and is a cover of Inferno’s 1983 song from Tod und Wahnsinn.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 16:38 (CET).