| Background information | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Queens, New York, USA |
| Genres | Hardcore punk |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | Revelation, Relativity, EastWest, Elektra, Fat Wreck Chords, Abacus, Century Media |
| Associated acts | Creep Division, Blood from the Soul |
| Website | www.sickofitall.com |
Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band, from Queens, New York, formed in 1986. Founded by brothers Lou Koller (vocals) and Pete Koller (guitar), Armand Majidi (drums) and Rich Cipriano (bass). They have been known to be a major part of the New York hardcore scene.
Early career (1986-1992)
Hailing from Queens, New York, Sick of It All was formed alongside New York hardcore bands Straight Ahead, and Rest In Pieces which both featured Majidi and current Sick of It All bass player Craig Setari. Majidi joined up with the Koller brothers and Rich Cipriano to record the Sick of It All demo in 1986, after original bass player Mark McNielly and drummer David Lamb left. The band began to play Sunday afternoon matinees at renowned venue CBGB's, and soon after released a self-titled 7" on Revelation Records (which was later re-issued on the tenth anniversary of its release, in 1997).
In 1988, Sick of It All signed to Relativity Records and recorded their first full-length, Blood, Sweat and No Tears, which was released in the following year. The album's follow-up, Just Look Around, was released in 1992.
Sick of It All released their record Scratch the Surface on major label EastWest Records. They also recorded a video for "Step Down" and the title track "Scratch The Surface". The record was the first recorded with long-time friend and former Straight Ahead, Rest In Pieces, Youth of Today and Agnostic Front bass player Craig Setari, who had replaced Rich Cipriano in early 1993.
The band received bad publicity in December 1992 when Wayne Lo, a prep-college student, shot and killed two people and wounded four others at the Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Widely-circulated photos of him at his arrest showed him wearing a Sick of It All t-shirt. After being inundated with claims that they initiated violence at shows and through their music, the band defended themselves in the press (particularly The New York Times).
The fair success of Scratch the Surface allowed the band to tour worldwide. In 1997 they released their second record on the EastWest label, Built to Last. More punk-inspired than their previous effort, Built to Last produced a number of live staples for the band, including "Us vs. Them," "Busted" and "Good Lookin' Out." The album also marked the end of Sick of It All's contractual agreement with EastWest.
The Fat Wreck Chords years (1998-2004)
In 1998, Sick of It All signed to independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, owned and run by Fat Mike of NOFX. After releasing the "Potential For A Fall" single - for which another video was filmed, Call To Arms was released in February 1999.
The 2000 follow-up Yours Truly was less critically acclaimed. Despite containing some of the bands favored live tracks, including "Blown Away," "The Bland Within," "District" and "America," some fans felt alienated by the album's progressive nature and in a recent interview, frontman Lou Koller claimed that the album's cover art probably contributed to its poor reception.
In 2001, Sick of It All released their home video The Story So Far, and a year later a live record was released as part of Fat Wreck Chords' Live In A Dive series. The album showcased tracks from Sick of It All's entire career up to that point in time.
2003 saw Sick of It All release their seventh studio album: Life on the Ropes. In 2004, the band also released an album of b-sides, covers and rare tracks entitled Outtakes for the Outcast, which contains some Sick of It All recordings.
Recent activity and the future of the band (2005-present)
In early 2005, Sick of It All signed to Abacus Recordings to record the follow-up to Fat Wreck Chords' Life on the Ropes. The new album, titled Death to Tyrants, was released on April 18, 2006. The band has recently toured with AFI and The Dear & Departed in early 2007.
A tribute to the band, titled Our Impact Will Be Felt, was released on April 24, 2007, and includes covers from artists such as Bane, Bleeding Through, The Bouncing Souls, Comeback Kid, Hatebreed, Himsa, Madball, Most Precious Blood, Napalm Death, Pennywise, Rise Against, Sepultura, Stretch Arm Strong, Unearth, and Walls of Jericho.
Following a worldwide tour in support of Death to Tyrants, Sick of It All began working on new material for their next album. In an August 2009 interview with singer Lou Koller, he revealed that the band will begin recording their new album in November for a 2010 release.
more: wikipedia, official site
more: wikipedia, official site
