Suicidal Tendencies formed in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California in 1980 by Mike Muir, guitarist Mike Ball, bassist Mike Dunnigan and drummer Carlos Egert. A short-lived lineup, Ball and Egert left after a matter of months, prompting Mike Dunnigan to switch to guitar and having his brother, Sean, join on drums, and Andrew Evans joined on bass. Mike Dunnigan would later be replaced by Rick Battson. By 1983, Battson, Evans and Sean Dunnigan had left the band, to be replaced by Grant Estes, Louiche Mayorga and Amery Smith on guitar, bass and drums respectively. After the 1983 release of the band's self-titled debut album Estes left the band and was replaced by Jon Nelson. In 1984, Nelson and Smith left Suicidal Tendencies and was briefly replaced by Anthony Gallo who left to form Los Cycos with Muir. Enter Rocky George and R. J. Herrera. After Join the Army was released in 1987, Mayorga left the band that same year, being replaced by Ric Clayton before hiring Bob Heathcote. Also in 1987, they hired Mike Clark as their second guitarist, then making Suicidal Tendencies a five-piece band. The lineup of Muir, George, Clark, Heathcote and Herrera recorded one album together in 1988, before Heathcote left the band a year later. Heathcote was replaced by Robert Trujillo. After the release of their next two albums, Controlled by Hatred/Feel Like Shit...Déjà Vu and Lights...Camera...Revolution!, Herrera left Suicidal Tendencies in 1991 and their next album was recorded without an official replacement for him; session musicianJosh Freese handled the drum tracks. Herrera would eventually be replaced by Jimmy DeGrasso. After the 1994 release of Suicidal for Life, relationships between band members began to deteriorate and core members began to leave. This resulted in the band's split in 1995. However, Muir and Clark brought Suicidal Tendencies back together a year later and hired three new members, Dean Pleasants on guitar, Josh Paul on bass and Brooks Wackerman on drums. The reunion lineup recorded the albums Freedumb and Free Your Soul and Save My Mind, before Wackerman left the band in 2001 to join Bad Religion and be replaced by Ron Bruner. Bassist Paul left in 2002 and was replaced by Ron's brother Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner. By 2005, Ron Bruner had left the band, and Dave Hidalgo had taken over on drums. In 2007, Dave Hidalgo was replaced by Infectious Grooves drummer and 2003 Guitar Center "Drum-off" champion Eric Moore. During the band's extensive touring regiment in 2011 and 2012, bassist Stephen Bruner was absent for many of the shows due to his solo career interests and other music commitments. Replacing him in his touring role for the band has been Tim "Rawbiz" Williams. Mike Clark suffered a head injury requiring 9 staples at a pre-show incident in Santa Cruz on May 31, 2012 and left the band soon after. He was replaced by Nico Santora. Another lineup change took place in March 2014 when Thomas Pridgen replaced Eric Moore on drums after the band destroyed Moore's drum kit during a video recording without first informing him of the intended action. On August 27, 2014, Suicidal Tendencies announced the death of their bassist Tim Williams on the band's Facebook page. Williams was replaced by Michael Morgan, and then two years later, Morgan was replaced by Ra Díaz. Also in 2016, guitarist Nico Santora left the band and was replaced by Oneironaut guitarist Jeff Pogan, while drummer Eric Moore was replaced by former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. Pogan announced his departure from the band in July 2018.
