This album is a solid work - every song except for "Animal", which does not connect with me, is of typically high ST quality. Musicianship, as usual, is ST's brand of superb, and the band lineup is the same as was in place for "Freedumb".

However, several songs (which definitely rock in their own right) seem like re-hashings of great Suicidal songs of old - "Self Destruct" comes off as a funked out "You Cant Bring Me Down", "No More No Less" sounds like "Pledge Your Allegiance", and "Bullenium" sounds like "Don't Give Me Your Nothin'". That said, at least ST rips off its own material and they pick great songs out of their own catologue to plagiarize. I like all three songs being critiqued in this paragraph, by the way.

There are some tracks which are truly original ST material and are first rate - Su Casa Es Mi Casa, Children of the Bored, Home, and STraight from the Heart are classic ST. Pop Songs is amusing, but not quite as side-splitting witty as Send Me Your Money.

The verdict is that this is a very good album, which while not measuring up to all-time classics like Suicidal Tendnecies, Lights Camera and Art of Rebellion, is better than at least 95% of the hard rock being released today by other bands. If you love both ST and Infectious Grooves, then you definitely want to check this out. If IG is not your thing, then you may want to consider other ST material.

S.T. hasn't had produced an album with any guitar riffs in years (Suicidal for Life). Nothing new on this album. Superior to Freedumb but Cyco seems at a loss for anything original with the current S.T. lineup (which is the same as the Infectious lineup). Is it me or did all this start when Dean Pleasents joined the band(s)? What made S.T. and I.G. so great was their difference, you wanted some hard rock you listen to S.T. You want some Funk rock, you listed to I.G. I'd like to see Rocky back with the band.

Go buy Lights...Camera...Revolution for some Suicidal Tendencies.

There has not been one ST-album that I haven't enjoyed so far and yet, Free Your Soul ... And Save My Mind made the impression of being the first exception to this rule at first. It took a rather long time until I acquired a taste for it and it's not that I'm not used to the fact that every Suicidal-album needs its time to sink into my auditory canals properly to unfold its full power. While tracks like Self Destruct, No More No Less and Start Your Brain, that follow the direction of Freedumb, immediately made me shout along, the majority of the songs show much stronger funk and ballad-like influences. And still these tracks have debth that waits to be discovered. The Infectious Grooves - impact is clearly recognisable, but there is also the unique Suicidal-spirit to be felt. Straight From The Heart is such a track that owns both these qualities.

Free Your Soul is one of the more eclectic ST albums, sounding much of the time like a mix between their hardcore punk sound and Infectious Grooves. This blend is pretty interesting and several of the songs get stuck in your head right away, like Su Casa Es Mi Casa, the title track, Straight from the Heart, and Charlie Monroe. The album ends like the previous release, Freedumb, with a slow track called Home, which I think is one of Suicidal's better ballad-y songs. I've been a fan of this band since the late 80's, but didn't get this album until recently. To me, the riffs and some of the songs are not quite as great as Freedumb, which I thought was incredible, but I think it fits in nicely with their other material, and I plan on listening to it many, many times. ST is one the best.

This album is definitely one of the best put out by Mike since the 'Art of Rebellion' and 'Groove Family Cyco'. (I've yet to hear Freedumb, though) Just try and sit still while listening to this album... you can't. The title track totally jams! This album is more in the vein of Infectious Grooves, but the songs cover all styles that ST and Mike are capable of. A few of the tracks also have an early punkish edge to them. Make sure to pick up this album. Even if you were disappointed by Mike's other recent releases, this one won't disappoint. (The title track alone makes it worth it)