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Released on September 30, 2014 via Century Media Records
Certain bands manage to transcend the sub-genre they inhabit, certain bands manage to imprint themselves onto the wider spectrum via force of will and certain bands create a legacy from creating bone fide classic anthems.
New York hardcore Legends Sick Of It All are all of the above, having cemented their status with the imperious Scratch the Surface album twenty years ago and despite never truly recapturing that zeitgeist of hardcore mixed with metal that saw them embraced by the metal and rock community at large, their quality of writing and powerful live performances have never dipped below ‘superb’ and brand new album Last Act Of Defiance keeps up the fine tradition with another blast of balls to the wall hardcore.
The aptly titled ‘Sound The Alarm’ kicks in the door with fast paced high energy hardcore RIFFS and doesn’t mess by immediately breaking out the gang chant choruses and is immediately followed by the equally fast ‘n’ furious ‘2061’. Both tracks clock in at a mere 120 seconds each but leave their mark via a combination of sonic and lyrical fury. The sound is massive benefitting from a very beefy metallic polish and they are angry, VERY angry! Even if they don’t explicitly state the targets of their venom (General hints of Figures in Authority) either by accident or design, the closest we get to direct intent is the lyrics “We’ll be waiting sixty years for the truth” in ‘2061’ which I assume is a reference to 9/11.
It’s not all vitriolic blood and thunder as ‘Road Less Travelled’ is an autobiographical band tale set to punk rock mixing in incisive RIFFing and burst of two stepping groove and followed up the obligatory hardcore life affirming anthem (“Set Yourself Free”, “We gotta stand up” etc) in ‘Get Bronx’
After this diversion it’s straight back to the fury via a mixture of styles as ‘Part Of History’ amps up the intensity with metallic urgency, ‘Losing War’ goes for the hardcore groove and gang chants and ‘Never Back Down’ barrels down the energetic punk rock route.
Although the 14 strong track listing appears daunting all the tracks continue to fly by around the two minute mark as each track strikes home, leaves a mark and immediately rolls into the next leaving no time for faffing about and before you know it the big sing along anthem ‘D.N.C’ arrives to carry you home.
It’s fast, it’s angry, it’s heavy and not just that… Releasing a brilliant album twenty eight years into your career is one thing, sounding fresh relevant and retaining the sense of genuine passion is on another scale and Sick Of It All nail it!
