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DeGenere: NY HARDCORE "Scratch The Surface" is the third album (excluding the first EP) for the Koller brothers' band, and the first album released under a major label, Eastwest Records. The Sick Of It All are a Hardcore band, actually a New York Hardcore group that has been able to build an undeniable reputation and a vast fan base over the years (they will celebrate their twentieth anniversary in 2006), thanks to their sound, their integrity, and their energetic and powerful on-stage performances.
If I had to define the sound of Soia to someone who doesn't know them, I would tell them to think of the speed and immediacy of Hardcore, and why not also its melodicity, and at the same time think of the distortion, the Overdrive typical of Thrash metal but without the solos. (All of this while still providing some guidelines). Having said this, which undoubtedly will have caused some dissent, it must also be said that they are adept at constructing a sound uniquely their own that has always distinguished them. This album, which fits into the vast cauldron of the Punk/Hardcore genre, made its mark because when it came out in 1994, the American scene was under the spell of Green Day, Offspring, and the like. All the record labels were searching for the next big thing in Punk(?!) territory. The Soia, on their first contract with a major as I mentioned, were excellent at staying true to themselves and their fan base in such a fake and "commercial" landscape like that of the time, and they stood out for the honesty with which they approached the "leap". Moreover, the Soia have always slapped their vision of society and their way of life in everyone's face, prioritizing what they consider fundamental values.
On the album, in my opinion, the best tracks are represented by "Insurrection", indisputably a BOMBSHELL, "No Cure", the lightning-fast "Goatless", and also "Step Down" or "Desperate Fool". It's a bit difficult to mention the best tracks (these are not absolutely the only ones present) because if you like the genre, this album is a must-have. For all the reasons listed in this review, "Scratch the Surface" ranks rightfully as one of the best products of the '90s in the Hardcore scene. Last point, the peculiarity of SOIA and their integrity still make them an absolutely Indie/Underground group in the purest sense of the term. For all enthusiasts. Recommended... now excuse me, I'm going to stage-dive off my desk...
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