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It is well known that each decade has its predominant musical trends that capture the attention of critics and the public. If the 80's were the golden age of thrash metal and hardcore punk on the one hand and certain new-wave and hair metal on the other, the '90s seem to sweep away these genres all at once.
And so, at the beginning of the new decade, America brings us the new grunge school from Seattle and the punk revival of Green Day, Offspring, Rancid, and similarly-voiced groups from California and nearby villas. Thrash disappears, not by chance many of these bands flop in sales, others change style to adapt to market demands; the fact is it's a black period for the genre. The same can be said for pure hardcore punk where the major founders of this movement had disbanded in the mid/end of the '80s and were already moving towards new solutions beyond the borders traced so far.
Focusing the magnifying glass on 1994, it can be said that it was a year rich with music releases, often quite significant, and especially in the punk rock genre (but not only) decidedly important.
"Dookie", "Punk In Drublic", "Smash", "Let's go", and the list could go on, these are just the most famous. But even expanding the horizons, there were various "Blue Album" (Weezer), "Grace" (Jeff Buckley), and Soundgarden. But there was not just this; indeed, for one reason or another, there are often shadowy areas towards certain realities, which do not receive the right importance, also related to their specific weight. We are talking about the legendary Sick Of It All. Unlike melodic hardcore and pop/punk rock, which began to gain admiration and audience with their enchanted structures of speed/melody, speaking primarily of the US, the SOIA had nothing in common with the latter.
After two records, still in '94, the album of world consecration "Scratch The Surface" sees the light, a true pillar in every sense. Lou Koller and company, despite being able to align themselves with the melodic-core bandwagon and lighten their sound for more visibility, continued to carry forward their creed, which is that of pure New York-style hardcore which they themselves created and developed along with bands like Agnostic Front and Madball.
The album is composed of 14 fast-paced tracks without any tension drops or any stops of any kind, dominated by the animalistic screams of Lou Koller (typical raw hc voice, therefore neither growl nor screaming), the razor-sharp riffs of brother Pete, the hyper-distorted bass of Craig Setari, and the double-kick drum of Armand Majidi.
The album was a violent critique against those, mainly majors, who wanted to force the band to move to more commercial and melodic shores. The album thus presents itself as a compact rock, well-built from the foundations and in total antithesis to the trends of the time. It's hard to choose the best episodes, because if you love the genre, it will be enough to put the record in the stereo, to be immediately struck by this condensed passion and pure energy.
The curtain rises with the excellent and speedy "No Cure" (with an exciting instrumental tail), which along with the subsequent "Insurrection" a real blow to the teeth, and the brutal and almost thrash-riffed "Goatless" only 80 seconds, constitute a very respectable triptych. In between, we find notable rhythm changes and always inspired bass parts, true trademarks of the group in "Consume" and especially "Who sets the rules" with a hellish ending.
Next up. And what a next. Here comes "Step Down" opened by unreleased choruses in full oi! style, it turns into a great anthem and elevates itself as the group's flagship, with a refrain that makes you want to scream at the top of your lungs in a chorus. One of their most famous songs. "Maladjusted" slows the structure, but does not lose in power, on the contrary, here Koller seems literally to tear his vocal cords, where Setari's sublime bass lines dominate. Opened by a series of continuous rolls "Scratch The Surface" honors and fulfills its task admirably, so beautiful, it is difficult to describe.
No way: "Free Spirit", "Force My Hand", "Desperate Fool", "Farm Team", and finally closing with the sublime "Cease Fire" are all pieces damn passionate and genuine in their virile disruptiveness. Among them, the latter deserves a mention, with a splendid fairly long instrumental intro, where a vaguely clean bass and guitar peek through at the beginning, quite rare elements in this album, but when it seems the piece is granting a break after much noise, the silence is broken in an instant and the hapless listener is immediately overwhelmed by the shockwave.
I would like to emphasize that despite the genre not leaving much room for innovation and stylistic variety, here the songwriting is at extremely high levels. Although among its members you won't find the melodic vocals and choruses of bands like NOFX and Lagwagon, the guys never seem boring. The choice to include no more than 14 pieces, for a total duration of just under half an hour, seems apt. To be honest, Rancid should take inspiration from this "strategy", as with their 22/23 songs per album, they gladly make their albums very heavy.
The atmosphere that surrounds the album is wonderful. An unhealthy, restless, gloomy, deep atmosphere, which blends with the messages of social and equality themed lyrics that SOIA wants to convey with their songs. Finally, the artwork on the main front of the platter is sublime. Many current hardcore and metal groups, by the way, declare significant influence received from Sick Of It All, who are cited among their influences, as in the case of Hatebreed, for example. A similar discussion applies for Bad Religion in melodic hardcore.
A few more words certainly deserve the capital performance behind the microphone by mister Lou Koller, undoubtedly one of the best and most charismatic singers in the hardcore scene, who irradiates positive energy and immediately involves the listener, leading them to a wild headbanging.
"Scratch The Surface" is among the best releases in the sector, as well as a manifesto of the genre, which they themselves brought to prominence, and one of the fundamental albums of the '90s without distinction of labels and musical categories. Praise to SOIA.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 No Cure (02:58)
No cure, no end in sight
No cure for poisoned minds
No change, no change, after all this talk still living foul
Ignorant, Ignorant, you think we would've learned by now
Over and over same mistakes as before
No end, no end, look around no end in sight
When the damage done is to extensive
Everyone ignores consequences
Hatred, hatred, the only thing we give ourselves
Heartless, heartless, no regard for anyone else
Sickening, sickening, the way that greed rules our lives
No cure, no cure, for the disease called mankind
Look deep inside - for the cure to what ails mankind
Look deep inside - we've got to live a more righteous life
Look deep inside - can't change the world
but you can change yourself...
02 Insurrection (01:50)
Resentful, I'm sure the feeling is mutual
Power for those with the most capital
Upper echelon not in touch at all
Grabbing at straws, desperation
Whatcha' gonna do about it?
Where are you gonna run?
Whatcha' gonna do about it
that you haven't already done?
No more joy in the lives of the skuoned and exited
Screaming from silence,
pent up inside us
All this frustration, has bred all this violence.
In the commotion power was at hand,
in the confusion wealth was up for grabs,
both looked appealing we took all that we could,
control was ours and then we understood
Helpless, I'm sure the feeling is typical
Glory for those with the most capital
Upper echelon we rule with an iron hand
Crushing any insurrection
Whatcha' gonna do about it
There's nothing you can do...
04 Who Sets the Rules (02:45)
Fly by night scenester, Fly by night hipster
One more newjack wants to set the rules
Fly by night scenester, Fly by night hipster
Never suffered, never paid the dues living contradiction,
live a lie oh so fashionable what a goddamn pitiful sight it must
be a great thing knowing it all spreading nausea with a brazen show of gall
Who sets the rules
The snobby fools
Who sets the rules
The facist who wants to rule
Living independent what a joke those caught dipping in a trust fund won't go
broke all this rhetoric is so hard to bear when the fool assumes a high and mighty air
People come and go, only some can really know who is laughable
who should be on a pedestal.
Trendy we'll see in the future what'll be, who is obsolete
The one who takes it to extremes.
05 Goatless (01:20)
Before us is an empty slate
We can impress how we please
Bombard them with the usual schlock
Whatever we've got up our sleeve
Teach them that violence
Can solve all their problems
Teach them to act on a whim
The horror the one we present is
Just where the horror begins...
Violent fantasy, comes reality
The effect will be quite a tragedy
We'll point the finger!
We'll point the finger!
We'll point the finger!
We'll point the finger!
Of blame, Before us is a twisted world
No one can work out the knots we've got
An enemy here they could be blamed for a lot
We'll say they're the problem,
We'll say they're the cause
They'll be the scapegoat now
Goatless - we'd be on the spot
We can't let the truth come out
The pressure cracks another
And they know who to come
After whe'd be goatless
We'll point the finger!
We'll point the finger!
We'll point the finger!
We'll point the finger!
The pressure cracks another
And they know who to come
After whe'd be goatless
06 Step Down (03:09)
In the underground, integrity lies within
in the underground, image doesn't mean a thing
when the substance lacks it's plain for all to see
if the deal is right then respect is where it should be.
For the fakes and frauds it's a fucking fashion show
total compromise will have them sell their soul.
all the negative all the useless influence
all the emptiness all the violent detriment
makes no sense...
Please have more to give than fashion and images
please have more to give than fashion and images
Caught up in a trap of media crap that's no way to live
Caught up in a trap of media crap so little to give
Caught up in a trap of media crap that's no way to live
Caught up in a trap of media crap so little to give
In the underground, integrity lies within
in the underground, image doesn't mean a thing
we can do away with this negativity
it's a golden day we can force them to stepdown
07 Maladjusted (02:24)
Nothing satisfies, nothing will cause it won't get a chance to.
Altered spirit and altered mind take a turn for the worst soon.
Fear has struck, fear is stuck maladjusted
Assurance won't sit well at all cause no one is trusted
You've got what you wanted
the reason you came
control the action control of the game
See through the happiness,
see through the sappiness
See through the front that obscures all the truth
and see ugliness, torture, torture and ugliness
Nothing satisfies, nothing will cause it won't get a chance to.
Altered spirit and altered mind take a turn for the worst soon.
Fear has struck, fear is stuck maladjusted
Assurance won't sit well at all cause no one is trusted
See through the happiness,
see through the sappiness
See through the front that obscures all the truth
and see ugliness, torture, torture and ugliness
Selfishness lost in a quagmire of human filth
Fear has struck, fear is stuck Maladjusted
Fear that rules a twisted fuck, Maladjusted
08 Scratch the Surface (02:51)
Scratch the surface serve a purpose
scratch the surface don't waste my time
Such empty life
night after night
all hidden faults
such shallow sight
Such simple sheep
herd to the creeps
beauty is null
barely skin deep
What is the force that drives the superficial
tell me what keeps their minds remaining little
What is the force that drives the superficial
tell me what keeps their minds remaining
so afraid of what they'd see underneath the fantasy
so afraid to actually scratch the surface
Scratch the surface serve a purpose
scratch the surface don't waste my time
All mirrors hide
faillure inside
that's maybe why
they take so much time
Big money lies
big lying eyes
eyes are the soul
big dollar signs
What is the force that drives the superficial
tell me what keeps their minds remaining little
What is the force that drives the superficial
tell me what keeps their minds remaining
so afraid of what they'd see underneath the fantasy
so afraid to actually scratch the surface
Scratch the surface serve a purpose
scratch the surface don't waste my time
09 Free Spirit (01:53)
We've taken to much for granted
the basis that some are denied
some choose to ignore this right while others would give up their lives.
For the chance to voice their opinions through all of the torture and crime
lies and deception won't change the direction of will in it's fight to survive
Freedom, not free, freedom
Even when kept in restraint the spirit continues to thrive
lies and deception won't change the direction of will
in it's fight to survive
Figures of oppression breathing down our necks
Free spirit continues to thrive
Free spirit in the face of denial this oppression,
the depression answer it with indignation
12 Return to Reality (02:43)
Return to reality Avoiding the treachery
Return to reality Witness against the fools of the world
playing a game so cruel
how long before the lesson is learned
will it be understood
Witness against the fools of the world
caught up in their own trap see how they look
so insecure just holding their weakness back
Suddenly stripped of focus in life
suddenly faced with loss
hitting just like a slap in the face bringin' it down to earth
Channeling this aggression,
confused how will it manifest keeping the sanity
without just keeping it all repressed
In the end what presents itself is the truth and the ugliness
never seen when the eyes are closed or blinded...
The effect of the file world amplified upon return
and so tempted to play the game so malicious...
Witness against the fools of the world playing a game
so cruel how long before the lesson is learned
will they ignore the words
Witness against the fools of the world caught up in their own trap
see how they look so insecure Fakely hard in their own act
13 Farm Team (02:22)
A new direction, old approach
ideas are borrowed, bought and sold
they take the credit, not the blame
leading the blind in their game
They want control with no truth
the token phrases won't come thru
Don't rest your hopes, on their backs
When their gone they won't look back
They're on the outside and looking in
for what can shape the latest trend
they'll rape the substance with no return, and steal the credit not
earned you think that we're the ones the ones who lost out when
the rules were set to win at any cost we'll stand defiant, we'll stand alone
Through years of disrespect that desecrates the soul
The times are changing but not our minds
The spirit strenghtens with the passing of time
We'll stand defiant, we'll stand alone
Through years of disrespect that desecrates the soul
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Other reviews
By Mauri
"Sick Of It All have always slapped their vision of society and their way of life in everyone’s face, prioritizing what they consider fundamental values."
"'Insurrection' is indisputably a BOMBSHELL... this album is a must-have for all the hardcore fans."
