SICK OF IT ALL - "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" (2018)

SICK OF IT ALL - "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON"
(Running time: 33:04 minutes; 17 songs)
("Century Media Records"; 2018; CD):

Hell yeahr, trust your eyes because here's now alreaday the next round fired at you and this time in the here'n'now it will be and it is all about the brandnew SICK OF IT ALL longplayer titled "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" released still sort of very recently at the 2nd of November of 2018 via the veterans of and at "CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS". If you know and read this blog now for already a bit longer or if you would (or in fact do) know me personally then you would or should know that SICK OF IT ALL are one of my top five bands ever and personally to/for me one of the very most important bands of all time ever and so the passed sort of four years or so that passed us by leading up to "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" had been sort of pretty long years - but pretty long years that are now finally over. And so, yes, I was truly incredible curious when SICK OF IT ALL's "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" finally hit the shelves and dropped and thanks to preordering I received it right at the day it was finally released. And, yes, I know… don't ask me why it again took me nearly two months to finally get this review done and out to/for you… anyhow anyway, I guess… So, yes, it's 2018 and SICK OF IT ALL are finally back with "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" (and they are back with a bang) and so without any more introducing ramblings now finally let's go: 17 songs in roughly 33 minutes running time, yes, and so one thing should be clear and this is that right from the get-go we will be or better are in for a fiery, wild, and furious ride here with SICK OF IT ALL's "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON". And so, oh hell yeahr, expect some amazing and outstanding New York Hardcore of the most supreme and unique kind done and delivered by this finest and almighty NYHC silverbacks that's just still after sort of 32 years of being around still is so incredible fresh and so unbelievable alive'n'lively that any new'n'young band outta there should shy away when confronted with this already immortal masterpiece, yes, and especially when we talk about Hardcore in 2018 things have changed a bit in my book which means that as fantastic as SLAPSHOT's "MAKE AMERICA HATE AGAIN" and WISDOM IN CHAINS' "NOTHING IN NATURE RESPECTS WEAKNESS" definitely are from sort of now on both bands and albums share the 2nd spot with SICK OF IT ALL's "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" turning into my Hardcore album of, in, and for 2018. Here we get the absolutely real deal in form of amazing and fantastic highly energetic and highly dynamic as well as also damn diverse and multi-facetted/multi-layered songwriting that's offering a good healthy bunch of twists'n'turns and some fresh new notes'n'tones here and there and serving some good doses of cool surprising moves and parts, a damn huge and very fresh arranged and done sing a long hymnal potential, and adding several culminating moods all together (in)to nothing but and nothing less than absolutely amazing, exciting, grapping, rousing, conquering and just sheer amazing larger than life anthems of that totally unique own special SICK OF IT ALL tone and that's one more time so incredible strong present and marking here on and with "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" and (at least so my perception) above all it's incredible fresh and diverse on here and this (even) more than the last times SICK OF IT ALL were around before. The ingredients out of raging (New York) Hardcore, some Metallic Hardcore notes, and a big bunch of Punkrock, Streetpunk and Oi! with added huge doses of hymnal melody lines and sing a longs in(to) it all, yes, this ingredients are all here and stayed the same (and why shouldn't they) but are done and arranged, composed, and structured damn fresh and sort of in a 'new' way and are unbelievable grapping, exciting, rousing, and energizing and this all will make sure that SICK OF IT ALL's "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" will massively conquer you with supreme overwhelming force and will push you on and through everything and this also for hell a lot of some time for sure. Yes, this is Hardcore!!! All is served to us via one of if not the most charismatic and unique lead singing voice(s) especially in Hardcore outta there with Lou Koller delivering his absolutely almighty vokillz like only he can do it; via everything down smashing guitar-work delivered by Pete Koller shining with full force riffing and devastating rhythm work and adding great cool into the crushing riffing integrated great melody lines to it all and keeping it exciting with a huge bunch of great smooth flowing changes in the rhythmic arrangements and the pace structures of the songs and adding a lot of dynamic(s) to it all with doing so; via a loud'n'proud roaring and strutting and nicely present bass playing delivered by Craig "Ahead" Setari; and via powerful full force punching and smashing and not only incredible heavy but also damn smooth delivered crushing drumming by Armand Majidi; and a bunch of very strong guest singers join in as well as a damn huge sing a long fueled hymnal character is added to it all. This all makes an album that's from start to finish nothing but an all killers and no fillers album and so to name here any listening tipps maybe isn't making that much sense after all at the end of the day but if you really want or deman some then I would say my personal favorites so far or right now are probably "INNER VISION", "THAT CRAZY WHITE BOY SHIT", "BULL'S ANTHEM", "ROBERT MOSES WAS A RACIST", "SELF IMPORTANT SHITHEAD", "TO THE WOLVES", "ALWAYS WITH US", "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON", "BEEF BETWEEN VEGANS", "HARDCORE HORSESHOE", "DEEP STATE", "WORK THE SYSTEM", and "THE NEW SLAVERY" and so maybe or why not start your discovery of SICK OF IT ALL's "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" with this ultra-platinum gems. Top notch diverse and very outspoken and also highly socially aware and political lyrics, a pure beauty of an artwork, and a clear and heavy and nicely warm'n'earthy production sound then finally round it all perfectly up. Okay, yes, I think so far I've said all what there was or what I had so far to say to/about SICK OF IT ALL and their brandnew "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" masterpiece, the Hardcore album of and for 2018 (and probably also in and for years to come) and definitely also one of the very best and very most strongest albums in general of, in, and for 2018 (and again also probably in and for years to come), yes, and I can only most highly recommend this larger than life masterpiece to anyone outta there and so best just go out and get your copy of SICK OF IT ALL's "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" and this best instantly. Hardcore!!! Fist!!!
(10 of 10 points)
https://www.sickofitall.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

SICK OF IT ALL - "THAT CRAZY WHITE BOY SHIT" (2018, "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON")

SICK OF IT ALL - "LAST ACT OF DEFIANCE" (Hardcore Godfathers from the NYC make their glorious return in 2014. / CD-Release via "CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS", limited edition.)

SICK OF IT ALL - "LAST ACT OF DEFIANCE"
("CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS"; CD / Limited Version)
(Note: The limited version comes not in a jewel case but in a digi-bock/box and with a nice and pretty cool patch for your jacket, hoody, or cappy or what the hell else ever and it also features two exclusive bonus tracks - the CD, not the patch...)
(Running time: 16 songs in 35:38 minutes.)

They are back, SICK OF IT ALL are finally back, three years after their more than great and more than relevant 25 years anniversary celebration album "NON STOP" and four years after their so far last real or proper regular album "BASED ON A TRUE STORY" now in 2014 they finally really put out their newest one, titled "LAST ACT OF DEFIANCE"  (and just btw, the title makes me just say that I definitely hope that it won't be their last act which means their final album), and I can't tell you how I was waiting for it, for the return of one my ultimate heroe bands ever, to say it that way. And I also asked myself if they will conquer like they did before, especially after they never let me down with not one single album, yes, and I can tell you that they definitely conquered and conquer like before - if not even more dominant and more supreme. Beside the question if and if so then how they would be able or will stand their ground today in general it was also pretty interesting for me to see and experience how they would stand their ground in particular in such a music-wise strong year than 2014 it is, at least in my book. And so I was incredible curious to finally put it in my stereo, crank up the volume, listen to it, give it a good round, and then another one, and then... then I realized that I was on a short holiday travel when I bought this shining little great silver disc back then at the early beginning of this year's October and there where I spend my little short holiday I had no opportunity to put it on (heavy) rotation... and so I had no other choice then keep on waiting for it even a bit longer... but when I was back home and I finally fired it up that's how I did... and that's when I was totally knocked off promptly, like a forceful swing of a crowbar straight to the face it hit me.

It's just phenomenal how hard and heavy, furious and intense SICK OF IT ALL made their return with "LAST ACT OF DEFIANCE", they kick legions of butts of all those who proclaim or that are announced to be the definition of Hardcore 2014 or any bullshit like this, and they deliver mighty kicks and this just so easily that they leave even not the smallest space for questioning who are the lions and who's the prey. And this still today. Hm, and thinking about it... for how long this guys are now already around and in what age they are today, hm, but who cares, because it just feels that they only get better and better over and with all those years - and with this being said always keep in mind that they always had been the true and real force, so this definitely means and says a lot. The sixteen songs (and this, only logical, includes the fourteen regular album tracks, clearly and definitely) storm to power right from the get-go and lave no question unanswered, so let us here and now have a more detailed look on it, on what's going on here on "LAST ACT OF DEFIANCE", yes, and that's how and what we will do now and so here we go:

The album is heavily marked by forward driving and pushing harsh shredding and deadly ripping damn sharp aimed and heavy hitting guitars, that are beside this, which means all this shredding and ripping stuff, also damn fucking well-versed played and shine with great composed and arranged riffs and just a fantastic rhythm and groove work, so that the guitars heavily mark and even make the songs in their whole structures and arrangements, not at least because the guitars lead the way or better they decide and give the order how fast the way is walked, what means that the guitars with all their riffs and grooves definitely make the pace of the songs. That the guitars are delivered on a damn high level of skills and quality should be clear anyhow, so here just for the record, also just for the record: I love this typical characteristic tone and sound of the guitars, it's definitely through and through SICK OF IT ALL and that's just fantastic, that's what I love, a strong own unique and also (more than "only") great identity. Man, when I think about that my first ever experience of and with SICK OF IT ALL had been with their in my case definitely lifechanging "SCRATCH THE SURFACE" masterpiece groundbreaker back then in 1994 when I was just thirteen years young you maybe get a good impression of how important this band was and still is (and definitely will always be) for me and how I love this band and their specific characteristic and unique sound, style, and identity. And man, I really listen and mosh to SICK OF IT ALL now already for twenty years... that's maybe longer then some of the readers of this blog are old, man, whatever happened, hahaha, where did the time go... ;-) But, okay, okay, okay, that's another story, so back to the "LAST ACT OF DEFIANCE": All the hailing and praising of the guitars and their dominance shouldn't lead you on a wrong way of thinking somewhat and somehow bad about the rhythm section, because, let's get it clear, all great guitar work would be lost somewhere in the void if the rhythm section, bass and drums, can't keep up with it and after SICK OF IT ALL are one of the bands that definitely are and always had been nothing else than the real deal you can be sure that they know this old and simple truth. And so expect the outstanding guitars to be backed up by a widescreen stunning heavy very massive, absolutely tight and precise to the point played, masterful and exhilarated rhythm section that definitely knows how to fill and even more and this is how to cultivate the structures and the arrangements and rhythms of the songs with massive force and just sheer full power, and this in a damn fucking very manifold, grapping, cavalierly, and totally spurred yet sheer heavy and brutal way. Or, to say it more short, expect the outstanding guitars to be backed up by a outstanding rhythm section. Above all then shine the fantastic and phenomenal lead vocals, they shine to outshine every- and anything else, delivered simply by one of the most characteristic and most unique, by one of the damn best and greatest lead singers outta there, so there's no need to loose any more words about it, Lou Koller simply is THE man, point and fact. Backed up are the lead vocals by fat loud widescreen gang back up chantings and supported by the more than great guest singer Mad Joe Black/WISDOM IN CHAINS who shares vocal duties at the brilliant "FACING THE ABYSS". This is just true, real, pure, and just fantastic and timeless Hardcore from the NYC or NYHC on a stand-alone level that leaves even larger-than-life great ones like AGNOSTIC FRONT and MADBALL (clearly) behind, it's just incredible. Add to it here and there a slight metallic glance and tone and fill in some Oi! Oi! Oi! from time to time and you will have the perfect mixture of that special SICK OF IT ALL brew, all delivered via a sheer amazing high skilled and intense-grapping exciting songwriting. To compare SICK OF IT ALL with any other bands would be ridiculous and beside this also damn disrespectful, and so I will definitely spare me this. They do their own thing and they do it on a stand-alone level, and maybe with "LAST ACT OF DEFIANCE" even a bit more than before (with their also totally outshining precursor releases). In their own history you can maybe best locate it in the middle of a coordinate system in between "SCRATCH THE SURFACE", "CALL TO ARMS", "DEATH TO TYRANTS" and, as a logical and organic development of it, "BASED ON A TRUE STORY", and with some (very) few "YOURS TRULY" and "BUILT TO LAST" marks in it to round it all up as well, and all this done very fresh and lively-alive and on a very present-"today" level (no copy'n'paste work of own old glory days, not that I expected them to do this, but just to point it out and set it straight), full of 120% relevance. This also counts for the more than great and very diverse and multilayered outspoken lyrics, really a fresh pleasure to read and listen to and also a perfect match to/with the title and especially the (btw just totally awesome and fantastic) artwork of the album, that's in fact a real and true beauty. The widescreen and still warm and organic/natural or earthy production sound - loud, fat, heavy, brutally harsh, and hard yet dirty and organicly at the same time and over all the time - then just gives it all its more than bright shining crown made out of purest platinum and diamonds.

No filler to be found, just - yehp, you see it coming (but even it sounds like a cliché, here it is nothing but the truth) - killers to be found, so it's pretty hard to name you any favorites, but if you want so then go and check out "ROAD LESS TRAVELLED", "GET BRONX", "NEVER BACK DOWN", "BELTAWAY GETAWAY", "2061", "FACING THE ABYSS", "SIDELINED", "SOUND THE ALARM", "DISCONNECT YOUR FLESH", "OUTGUNNED", and "DNC (DO NOT COMPLY)" (Oi! Oi! Oi!) first out - as well as "STAND DOWN" and "WITH ALL DISRESPECT" in case you can get your hands still on a copy of the limited version - but don't make any mistakes, because the (anyhow only very, very few) not mentioned songs are also truly masterpieces of work.

So you see, SICK OF IT ALL came back and they conquered, again and again, and this in a more than "only" dominant way, and if 2014 would not also have finally seen the release of the new CRUCIAL CHANGE album it would had been SICK OF IT ALL who would have conquered my "virtual trophy" of having made the album of the year 2014, but also so they have created one hell of an outstanding dominant and supreme beast of an album with "LAST ACT OF DEFIANCE" that I can't recommend high enough here and now to/for you, simply pretty much the best of the best (with just one excepetion this year), and SICK OF IT ALL beat with "LAST ACT OF DEFIANCE" even SLAPSHOT with their 2014 self-titled masterpiece and delievered the best Hardcore album 2014, and also if we take a look on music in general, like already said more or less, it's just a through and through phenomenal masterpiece. Hm, and now you already now my no. # 1 and my no. # 2 album of 2014, hm, but so it be. And I am proud to keep walking on on the "ROAD LESS TRAVELLED" still inspired and guidelined by the music and words of the greatest of the great: SICK OF IT ALL.  HARDCORE!!! FIST!!! /// Andy
(Rating: 10 of 10 points)

SICK OF IT ALL - "ROAD LESS TRAVELLED"

(Band site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=477u0EEfjeI)
(Label site: http://www.centurymedia.com/)
(Note: And after Blogger really one more time again is freakin' fuckin' ticking me totally off with refusing to post the links as direct links to the sites, damn it, just copy the links in the headline of another tab of your browser and then simply go there... fuckin' Blogger, damn it.)
(PS: Please don't ask me why my scanner didn't get it done to do the scan in a clored way and instead of this delivered mostly just black/white scans, don't ask me why... that my scanner wouldn't be able to scan the "reflecting-holo-effects" of the artwork was clear to me, but why now also just black/white, I don't know... but anyhow, I think you get also via this pictures a pretty good impression of the complete artwork and that was all that I wanted to reach with giving you - again - a complete scan of the whole artwork of this album, so not questioning anymore here and now...)

SICK OF IT ALL - "WITH ALL DISRESPECT"

SICK OF IT ALL - "NONSTOP" (NYHC Legends with their 25th anniversary album on "CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS" in 2011 on CD plus DVD)

SICK OF IT ALL - "NONSTOP"
("Century Meida Records"; CD plus DVD):

So, this is it, all or both in one, finally the last of the 2011 releases that I need to review up here and also this is my absolutely favorite and unrivaled no. # 1 ranked album of 2011 and finally its review is coming up here. 2011 was a pretty if not very strong year when it's about albums that had been released, especially Hardcore and also all in beweteen such sytles like Crust, Grind, Sludge, Metal/Death Core and (more extreme) Metal in general really came off big again and managed to get back heavily in my focus (okay, Hardcore was always, is and will remain in the centre point of my focus, that's clear), and anyhow looking back at it at least musically it was a really good year. And this one here is the total top job done in 2011 and this by no one else than the almighty SICK OF IT ALL from the NY, legends of the HC. Hm, crappy writing, maybe, but I think you get what's behind of it;-). SICK OF IT ALL are fucking back, the kings of kings!!! In 2011 SOIA were around for 25 years and so they decided to celebrate this fact a little bit and this they've done with this very album here and for this 19 classics had been chosen by them (plus an great intro and an also damn great outro featuring the Rap/Hip Hop legend KRS-ONE - look for example here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-xj5LR3ZaQ and enjoy it, that was when Rap/Hip Hop was great and no trendy fancy hipster bullshit crap, period) and were complely re-recorded and SOIA really managed to make them totally even by far better, something not many bands know how to score with. SOIA cultivated this bunch of their old classics with a brandnew sharp and harsh, yet even far more anthemic edge and even all  songs cover a wide disatnce in/of the existence of SOIA (from their early beginnings up to "BUILT TO LAST") this very album here comes as a album standing for its own without any holes or lacks or breaks in it, a complete album of its own, just 100% thru and thru a soon to be classic SOIA and NYHC and HC in general album made out of old made new hymns and anthems of this titans. Driven forward by sharp and hard, heavy but yet catchy, melodic and hymnal guitar work, outstanding charismatic dry and mean and hard shouted lead vocals, a massive and bulky bully like bass, brutal stomping drumming, without too much crappy stereotypical Metal stuff and no bullshit Beatdown shit stuff in it, great influenced by Oi!/Streetpunk and Punkrock, and all pretty varying and damn rich on variations, done by skilled veteran musicians and delivered through great songwriting. Awesome!!! Some song titles for you? Okay, how sound "INJUSTICE SYSTEM", "SANCTUARY", "SCRATCH THE SURFCAE", "US VS. THEM", "JUST LOOK AROUND", "WORLD FULL OF HATE", "PUSHED TOO FAR", "G.I. JOE HEADSTOMP", "BUSTED", "MY LIFE", "RELENTLESS", and "BUILT TO LAST", just to name some, for you? Great, I know!!! On top of it we get a powerful and crsipy, yet warm and earthy production sound, a brilliant artwork, outstanding lyrics and a great band documentary DVD on top of it all. (But the DVD comes only as a part of the limited edition, just that you know about it here and now.) The complete package and surely 100% if not 150% pure platinum. My album of the year of 2011, I think you know the deal: You need to have it!!! HARDCORE!!! FIST!!! (10 of 10 points)
(http://www.sickofitall.com/)
(http://www.myspace.com/sickofitallny)
(http://www.facebook.com/sickofitallny)

New York Hardcore - AGNOSTIC FRONT, SICK OF IT ALL, MURPHY'S LAW, etc. pp. - "NO JUSTICE, JUST US!" - Concert Flyer

Hey dear readers, like last night also this is a post without a deeper meaning, just for your visual enjoyment. This very flyer I just found on the web while surfing with tired eyes through it these minutes. Also no big thoughts (or any thoughts) behind this one, just a great flyer of a concert that must have been one hell of an awesome show, damn it, wished I would have been there. Here it comes...

... no fear or concern, ready to take on the world - not playing it safe, gonna change everything...

SICK OF IT ALL - "BASED ON A TRUE STORY" ("Century Media"; CD):

Yeahr, they're back, one of the very, very best Hardcore bands ever!!! (If not the best!!!) Four years in the making, after their great precursor release "DEATH TO TYRANTS" (also already released on the german label "Century Media"), and somehow it's strange because on the one side it had been four damn long years, but on the other side it just did not seem like four years at all when I think about it... strange world, anyhow... and damn, I can't beat the feeling that slowly I'm really growing older reaching slowly the dirty thirtys, haha;-). It was back in 1994 when they really got me, it was when their "SCRATCH THE SURFACE" masterpiece came out and it had been pretty much SICK OF IT ALL and BIOHAZARD (with their great "STATE OF THE WORLD ADDRESS" longplayer, but that's another story...) who really first caught me and got me deep down into the world of Hardcore, not letting me see any kind of reason at all to get out of it again until the present day!!! (What shall I say, I'm a kid of the 1990's baby, haha, and more and more Hardcore bands, records and music did come later very, very soon.) Like I've already said, they are back, and if you ask me with their strongest and best record since their brilliant 1999 "CALL TO ARMS" longplayer, if not even since their 1994 "SCRATCH THE SURFACE" masterpiece. They march forward on their road mixing the metallic harshness and brutality of the "SCRATCH THE SURFACE" record and their anthemic and heavily Oi!/Streetpunk influenced "CALL TO ARMS" full length. They also worked in this direction more or less also on the two precursor records, the very sinister "LIFE ON THE ROPES" record of the year of 2003 and the militantly revolting "DEATH TO TYRANTS" record from 2006, but every time with lying the attention on another facet of the spectrum of the by Metal as well as Oi!/Streetpunk influenced New York Hardcore style. And that's also pretty much what they are doing here, again fuckin' great, and this time even a lot better!!! Mixing brutal, harsh and fully clichè-free metallic heaviness with finger-pointing, crew-shouting sing-a-long parts, brachial moshing parts with incredible strong and anthemic larger than life 'chanting-parts', all very forward adrifting, very forceful and pushing, lively and energy-rich, banging hard as well as full of grapping melodies and leads. It's just great, through and though!!! Also the fast and clever arranged changes in style, pace and mood of the songs as well as the record as a whole are just phenomenal good done!!! Characteristic guitar playing and singing, 'fat' crew chants and gang shouts, a fuckin' well-versed rhythmsection, great instrument playing abilities as well as sheer fantastic songwriting. Great!!! And with the fantastic "LIFELINE" we do also get the official legal successor of the 1994 immortal evergreen "STEP DOWN", musically and lyrically, my absolute damn favorite, for sure!!! On top of it we do also get great and very varying lyrics, thumbs up, an awesome artwork, and a damn good and beefy production sound. This is just great and pure platinum, so if your taste in music just blanket a little bit of Hardcore then don't think twice, but just get this record!!! Fantastic stuff!!! (10 of 10 points)

(http://www.sickofitall.com/)

(http://www.myspace.com/sickofitallny)