Sick of It All
Encyclopedia
Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...

 band from Queens, New York. Formed in 1986, the band consisted of brothers Lou Koller on vocals and Pete Koller on lead guitar, Rich Cipriano on bass, and Armand Majidi on drums. There have been only two member changes since their inception, with Max Capshaw temporarily filling in for Majidi in 1989 and Craig Setari replacing Cipriano in 1992. Formed when hardcore punk waned in popularity, Sick of It All has nonetheless been known to be a major part of the New York hardcore
New York hardcore
New York hardcore refers to hardcore punk and metalcore music created in New York City and to the subculture associated with that music. New York hardcore grew out of the hardcore scene established in Washington, D.C., by bands such as Bad Brains and Minor Threat. Hardcore '81 is an album by the...

 scene.

Though their 1989 debut album Blood, Sweat and No Tears
Blood, Sweat and No Tears
Blood, Sweat and No Tears is the first full-length album by the hardcore punk band Sick of it All, released on July 12, 1989.-Track listing:# "The Blood & The Sweat" – 1:50# "Clobberin' Time"/"Pay The Price" featuring KRS-One – 1:37...

 was a moderate success, Sick of It All had not achieved commercial success until further albums. After the release of their 1992 second album Just Look Around
Just Look Around
Just Look Around is Sick Of It All's second full-length album, released in 1992. It is the follow-up to the band's first album, Blood, Sweat and No Tears .-Track listing:# "We Want the Truth" – 2:55# "Locomotive" – 2:12...

, East West Records
East West Records
East West Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group.-History:...

 saw the band's potential and signed them in 1993. Sick of It All's third and major label debut album, Scratch the Surface
Scratch the Surface
Scratch the Surface is Sick of It All's third studio album, released in 1994. It was the band's first major label recording on Eastwest Records, their first venture away from an indie label....

, was released in 1994 to criticial acclaim, especially the singles "Scratch the Surface" and "Step Down" (the video for the latter single would also be featured in the 1995 Beavis and Butt-head
Beavis and Butt-Head
Beavis and Butt-head is an American animated television series created by Mike Judge. The series originated from Frog Baseball, a 1992 short film by Judge. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept. Beavis and Butt-head originally aired from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997...

 episode "Premature Evacuation"). Their 1997 follow-up Built to Last
Built to Last (Sick of It All album)
Built to Last is the fourth full-length studio album and the second major label release by New York hardcore punk band, Sick of It All. It was released on East West Records – a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group – in February, 1997...

 was also highly acclaimed. Despite the success of Built to Last, Sick of It All was dropped from East West and signed to Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....

 in 1998, who released the band's next three albums. Seven years later, Sick of It All was dropped from Fat Wreck and signed to Abacus Records, a subsidiary of Century Media
Century Media Records
Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...

. This label released their eighth studio album Death to Tyrants
Death to Tyrants
Death to Tyrants is Sick of it All's eighth album, released on April 18, 2006. On this record, the band introduced a much heavier and stronger sound...

 in 2006 to positive reviews (Abacus eventually went out of business, though Sick of It All would remain on Century Media). Death to Tyrants was followed by Based on a True Story
Based on a True Story (Sick of It All album)
Based on a True Story is the ninth studio album by Sick of It All. It was released on April 20, 2010, on the band's new label Century Media Records . It was the band's first album in four years, following the release of Death to Tyrants in 2006, the longest gap between albums in Sick of It All's...

 in 2010.

Early career (1986–1992)

Formed in 1986 in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....

, New York, Sick of It All was formed alongside New York hardcore
New York hardcore
New York hardcore refers to hardcore punk and metalcore music created in New York City and to the subculture associated with that music. New York hardcore grew out of the hardcore scene established in Washington, D.C., by bands such as Bad Brains and Minor Threat. Hardcore '81 is an album by the...

 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
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...

 in 1987, after first bassist 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
Revelation Records
Revelation Records is an independent record label focusing originally and primarily on hardcore punk. The label is known for its role in the evolution of hardcore and metallic post-hardcore with important releases by bands such as Youth of Today, Warzone, Sick of It All, Quicksand, Side By Side,...

 (which was later re-issued on the tenth anniversary of its release, in 1997).

In 1988, Sick of It All signed to Relativity Records
Relativity Records
Relativity Records, often branded just Relativity, is an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distribution in metro New York. Early on, as an indie label, Relativity released music in a variety of styles, including dance, jazz, punk, and...

 and recorded their first full-length, Blood, Sweat and No Tears
Blood, Sweat and No Tears
Blood, Sweat and No Tears is the first full-length album by the hardcore punk band Sick of it All, released on July 12, 1989.-Track listing:# "The Blood & The Sweat" – 1:50# "Clobberin' Time"/"Pay The Price" featuring KRS-One – 1:37...

, which was released in 1989. The album's follow-up, Just Look Around
Just Look Around
Just Look Around is Sick Of It All's second full-length album, released in 1992. It is the follow-up to the band's first album, Blood, Sweat and No Tears .-Track listing:# "We Want the Truth" – 2:55# "Locomotive" – 2:12...

, was released in 1992.

Rising popularity (1993–1997)

Sick of It All released their record Scratch the Surface
Scratch the Surface
Scratch the Surface is Sick of It All's third studio album, released in 1994. It was the band's first major label recording on Eastwest Records, their first venture away from an indie label....

 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
Youth of Today
Youth of Today is an American hardcore punk straight edge band, formed in 1985 and still in activity. The band played a major role in establishing the Youth Crew subculture of hardcore, both espousing and evolving the philosophies of the straight edge and vegetarian lifestyles.-History:Youth Of...

 and Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front is an American hardcore band. The band began playing hardcore similar to their contemporaries, and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning New York hardcore scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded 1984 classic Victim in Pain before evolving to incorporate thrash...

 bass player Craig Setari, who had replaced Rich Cipriano in early 1993.

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
Built to Last (Sick of It All album)
Built to Last is the fourth full-length studio album and the second major label release by New York hardcore punk band, Sick of It All. It was released on East West Records – a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group – in February, 1997...

. This record had released 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
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....

, owned and run by Fat Mike of NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...

. After releasing the "Potential For A Fall
Potential for a Fall
"Potential for a Fall" is a three track single from New York hardcore punk band Sick of It All. It was released in January, 1999, and was their first recording for the Fat Wreck Chords record label. Aside from two album tracks, it also contains the previously unreleased track "Soul Be Free" from...

" single – for which another video was filmed, Call To Arms was released in February 1999.

The 2000 follow-up Yours Truly
Yours Truly (Sick of It All album)
Yours Truly is the sixth full-length studio album from New York hardcore punk band, Sick of It All. It was released in November, 2000, on Fat Wreck Chords and follows Call to Arms from 1999.-Track listing:*All tracks written by Sick of It All...

 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
Sick of It All: The Story So Far
-Plot summary:'The Story So Far' documents Sick of It All's career from their beginnings to the success that has allowed them a career in music. Through personal insight and performances, the members and those closest to them describe their transformation from adolescent malcontents to the...

, and a year later a live record was released as part of Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....

' 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
Life on the Ropes
Life on the Ropes is the seventh full-length studio album from New York hardcore punk band, Sick of It All. Released in September, 2003, it was the band's final album of new material on Fat Wreck Chords...

. In 2004, the band also released an album of b-sides
B-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...

, covers and rare tracks entitled Outtakes for the Outcast
Outtakes for the Outcast
Outtakes for the Outcast is an album from New York hardcore punk band, Sick of It All. It contains unreleased original songs, B-sides, and cover versions, and was the last album released by the band on Fat Wreck Chords before their move to Abacus Recordings....

, 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
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....

' Life on the Ropes
Life on the Ropes
Life on the Ropes is the seventh full-length studio album from New York hardcore punk band, Sick of It All. Released in September, 2003, it was the band's final album of new material on Fat Wreck Chords...

. The new album, titled Death to Tyrants
Death to Tyrants
Death to Tyrants is Sick of it All's eighth album, released on April 18, 2006. On this record, the band introduced a much heavier and stronger sound...

, was released on April 18, 2006. The band has recently toured with AFI
AFI (band)
AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...

 and The Dear & Departed
The Dear & Departed
The Dear & Departed is a rock band from Orange County and Los Angeles, California, founded by Dan Smith. Founded in 2006, the band went on the Vans Warped Tour and released their debut album the same year. In 2007 the band again played on the tour, and some other tours followed...

 in early 2007.

A tribute to the band, titled Our Impact Will Be Felt
Our Impact Will Be Felt
Our Impact Will Be Felt is a tribute album by various artists dedicated to Sick of It All, released on May 8, 2007. The album's title is a reference to a line of the song "Built to Last", which appeared on the band's album of the same title....

, was released on April 24, 2007, and includes covers from artists such as Bane
Bane (band)
Bane, a hardcore punk band, began as a side project between Aaron Dalbec and Damon Bellardo. Aaron approached Matt Firestone to sing and they played under the moniker of Gateway for a few shows, before Firestone departed ways to focus on other projects...

, Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California. Formed in 1999, the band blends influences stemming from modern hardcore punk, symphonic black metal, and melodic death metal...

, The Bouncing Souls
The Bouncing Souls
The Bouncing Souls are a punk rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 1987. By the time of their acknowledgment by the national punk rock scene, they had reignited a "pogo" element to New Jersey punk rock by playing fast light-hearted songs, a model followed by various other local...

, Ignite, Comeback Kid
Comeback Kid
Comeback Kid is a Canadian hardcore band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Formed in 2002, the band is currently signed to Facedown Records. Their name comes from a headline in a newspaper about hockey player, Mario Lemieux coming back to the NHL. The band was formed in 2002 by Andrew Neufeld and Jeremy...

, Hatebreed
Hatebreed
- History :Hatebreed was formed in 1994 in Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Haven. They began by recording a three song demo and selling it to locals. Those three songs would eventually be released on a split seven inch with New York's Neglect in 1995...

, Himsa, Madball
Madball
Madball is a New York-based hardcore band that originated in the late 1980s, as a side-project of Agnostic Front .- History :Madball was founded in 1988 and featured most of Agnostic Front's members...

, Most Precious Blood, Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...

, Pennywise
Pennywise (band)
Pennywise is a Californian punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California, formed in 1988. The name is derived from the monster, It, from the Stephen King novel of the same title....

, Rise Against
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...

, Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...

, Stretch Arm Strong
Stretch Arm Strong
Stretch Arm Strong is a hardcore punk band from Chapin South Carolina, and the flagship band for We Put Out Records. They have been active since 1992. Several of the band members are outspoken Christians, but they prefer not to be classified as a Christian band in some cases. They do prefer to be...

, The Suicide Machines
The Suicide Machines
The Suicide Machines were an American punk rock band formed in March 1991 in Detroit, Michigan and disbanded in May 2006. During the course of their career the band released six full-length albums on the labels Hollywood Records and Side One Dummy Records...

, Unearth
Unearth
Unearth is an American metalcore band from Winthrop, Massachusetts. Formed in 1998, the group has released five studio albums. Their fourth record, The March was released on October 14, 2008 meeting with high positive reception by many...

, 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 would begin recording their new album in November for a 2010 release. Based on a True Story
Based on a True Story (Sick of It All album)
Based on a True Story is the ninth studio album by Sick of It All. It was released on April 20, 2010, on the band's new label Century Media Records . It was the band's first album in four years, following the release of Death to Tyrants in 2006, the longest gap between albums in Sick of It All's...

, the first Sick of It All album in four years, was released on April 20, 2010. Sick of it All also toured in Australia with Rise Against to support their Endgame
Endgame (Rise Against album)
Endgame is the sixth studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against. Produced by Bill Stevenson, it was released on March 15, 2011. Rise Against began work on the album in September 2010, after completing touring in support of its previous album, Appeal to Reason, in mid-2010...

 tour in 2011. They also toured the UK with AFI
AFI (band)
AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...

 and Dear & Departed in April 2010.

In November 2011, singer Lou Koller revealed to AbsolutePunk that Sick of It All has begun writing a new album to be released in 2012. He stated: "Right now we're concentrating on writing our new record, inspired by the last two tours we've done with different bands. We have some really good lyrics and tons of songs done. We'll see what happens. We've just got a lotta good stuff coming up." Sick of it All will also appear on the metal festival Graspop in 2012.

Current Members

  • Lou Koller - vocals (since 1986)
  • Pete Koller - guitar, backing vocals (since 1986)
  • Craig Setari - bass, backing vocals (since 1992)
  • Armand Majidi - drums (since 1986)

Studio albums

  • Blood, Sweat and No Tears
    Blood, Sweat and No Tears
    Blood, Sweat and No Tears is the first full-length album by the hardcore punk band Sick of it All, released on July 12, 1989.-Track listing:# "The Blood & The Sweat" – 1:50# "Clobberin' Time"/"Pay The Price" featuring KRS-One – 1:37...

     (1989)
  • Just Look Around
    Just Look Around
    Just Look Around is Sick Of It All's second full-length album, released in 1992. It is the follow-up to the band's first album, Blood, Sweat and No Tears .-Track listing:# "We Want the Truth" – 2:55# "Locomotive" – 2:12...

     (1992)
  • Scratch the Surface
    Scratch the Surface
    Scratch the Surface is Sick of It All's third studio album, released in 1994. It was the band's first major label recording on Eastwest Records, their first venture away from an indie label....

     (1994)
  • Built to Last
    Built to Last (Sick of It All album)
    Built to Last is the fourth full-length studio album and the second major label release by New York hardcore punk band, Sick of It All. It was released on East West Records – a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group – in February, 1997...

     (1997)
  • Call to Arms (1999)
  • Yours Truly
    Yours Truly (Sick of It All album)
    Yours Truly is the sixth full-length studio album from New York hardcore punk band, Sick of It All. It was released in November, 2000, on Fat Wreck Chords and follows Call to Arms from 1999.-Track listing:*All tracks written by Sick of It All...

     (2000)
  • Life on the Ropes
    Life on the Ropes
    Life on the Ropes is the seventh full-length studio album from New York hardcore punk band, Sick of It All. Released in September, 2003, it was the band's final album of new material on Fat Wreck Chords...

     (2003)
  • Death to Tyrants
    Death to Tyrants
    Death to Tyrants is Sick of it All's eighth album, released on April 18, 2006. On this record, the band introduced a much heavier and stronger sound...

     (2006)
  • Based on a True Story
    Based on a True Story (Sick of It All album)
    Based on a True Story is the ninth studio album by Sick of It All. It was released on April 20, 2010, on the band's new label Century Media Records . It was the band's first album in four years, following the release of Death to Tyrants in 2006, the longest gap between albums in Sick of It All's...

    (2010)
  • Nonstop (2011)
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