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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...
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 Taurus
Scratch The Surface is among the best releases in the sector, as well as a manifesto of the genre.
The album was a violent critique against those, mainly majors, who wanted to force the band to move to more commercial and melodic shores.
