SICK OF IT ALL - 25 Years Nonstop The History of SICK OF IT ALL In A NutshellŠ featuring: KRS One guest appearance UK TOUR DATES 7 OCT LEEDS JOSEPHS WELL 8 OCT LONDON GARAGE-BIG CHEESE MAGAZINE-15TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW 9 OCT NEWCASTLE TRILLIANS FOR A DIGI PROMO PLEASE CONTACT: Zoya or chrissie@positivenuisance.com ³Nonstop² Available as: Ltd. Digipak incl. Bonus DVD, LP+CD, CD, Digital Download 25 Years Nonstop The History of SICK OF IT ALL In A NutshellŠ Since 1986 SICK OF IT ALL have been thrashing out classic Hardcore anthems and touring the globe without a break. Apart from their incomparable work ethic, SICK OF IT ALL are also very unique regarding their steady lineup: since their inception there have been only two member changes with E.K. (Erik Komst) temporarily filling in for Armand Majidi on drums in 1990-1991 and Craig Setari replacing Rich Cipriano on the bass in 1993. There are very few bands on the planet who have enjoyed such longevity, and even fewer musicians who have shared the stage as often. Despite booking the first SICK OF IT ALL show and being in the band for almost 20 years, Setari (who also played in seminal hardcore bands such as Straight Ahead, Rest In Pieces (with Majidi), Youth Of Today and Agnostic Front) is still considered the new kid. Here is a brief view of this special band's deep history: After being inspired by the buzzing New York Hardcore scene of the early eighties, brothers Lou and Pete Koller enlisted high school buddies Armand Majidi and Rich Cipriano to form SICK OF IT ALL which recorded its first demo in 1986. After cutting their teeth playing numerous well-received shows up and down the northeast, the band earned the prestige to play alongside many of their early heroes in Sunday afternoon matinees at CBGB¹s, where they were an instant sensation. They released their first 7² EP in 1987 on Revelation Records, which propelled the band to become nationally recognized. This led to the signing to In Effect Records, who put out their first two albums: 'Blood, Sweat And No Tears' (1989) and 'Just Look Around' (1992), which to this day are regarded as huge influences by many of today's leaders of heavy music. When EastWest / Elektra signed the band in 1993, there was a new era starting - a quantum leap that gave commercial success to other local heavyweights such as Biohazard and Life Of Agony, and focused a lot of attention on the aggressive music New York had to offer. Because of the consistent intensity of their live shows, and their worldwide appeal, SICK OF IT ALL was one of the few true Hardcore bands that secured a major label deal. 1994 saw the release of 'Scratch The Surface,' that played a major role in the continued success of Hardcore and the Metalcore scene that followed. After touring the world, the band released its second major label release - the more punk driven 'Built To Last' in 1997. Between 1998 and 2005 they found a new home with Fat Wreck Chords for the albums, 'Call To Arms' (1999), 'Yours Truly' (2000), 'Live in a Dive' (2002) and 'Life On The Ropes' (2003). The artistic documentary 'The Story So Far' (2001) allowed fans an intimate look into SICK OF IT ALL, from the early beginnings of their career to the international success that finally established them as one of the leaders of a whole genre. Sadly, until this day 'The Story So Far' has only been available on the obsolete format of VHS, so the special edition of 'Nonstop' marks the first time the documentary has been made available on DVD. The current chapter in the history of SICK OF IT ALL started when signing to Century Media Records/Abacus Recordings in 2005. They chose to work with an up-and-coming metal producer Tue Madsen on their highly acclaimed 'Death To Tyrants' (2006), and the band enjoyed a rebirth of sorts. Many older fans that hadn't appreciated the production of the last few releases were reined back in by its ferocious sound. SICK OF IT ALL and their new label partners then worked on a tribute to the band: 20 years after their first 7² was issued, 'Our Impact Will Be Felt' featured covers from such disparate bands as Bleeding Through, The Bouncing Souls, Ignite, Comeback Kid, Hatebreed, Himsa, Madball, Napalm Death, Pennywise, Rise Against, Sepultura, Unearth, and Walls of Jericho. The band spent 2009 writing and recording the current studio album 'Based On A True Story', again with Madsen, which was released in the Spring of 2010. While touring for the album relentlessly, they still found the time to hit Madsen's Antfarm Studio in order to celebrate their 25th Anniversary with re-recordings of classic hits for the latest record, 'Nonstop'. Drummer Armand Majidi gives props to the Danish producer who guided the helm for the last few years: ³this whole album is partially because of working with Tue Madsen - the man who has finally made SOIA sound the way we should in the studio.² Release Date: October 31st, 2011 Which leads us to 'Nonstop' and the FAQs that will inevitably be raised: When asked why the songs were rerecorded, Majidi responds: ³We felt certain songs had to be redone for different reasons. Lou was never happy with his vocals on the first album because he didn't deliver the lines with much intensity. Some of the songs ended up being performed live at drastically different tempos and they became better. This album also serves to put our work from different eras together on one release, which is good for a band who has been around as long as us. We always hear people tell us that they favor one particular album, and it's always because that's the one that introduced them to SOIA. Over the years the band did touch on different directions and either benefitted from recording quality or suffered because of it. Some things have worked and some things haven't - so it¹s cool to hear all these songs put back to back with the same awesome sound." How did it feel? Do they still feel fresh and up to date? ³It was a fun recording session, and a relatively easy one because we're so used to playing so many of these songs live. They're like second nature. Most of these songs make their way into our live sets all the time, so they're current - they reach new ears with every show and are constantly refreshed by their exposure to a brand new audience. It's not like they had to be dusted off.² Did you change anything about them? If not, would there be anything you wish you did differently in the 1st place? ³We changed tempos mostly and some of the arrangements, but we didn't want to do anything too drastic. We wanted to keep most of the songs true to the originals, but with a more powerful sound that makes them all they can be." Did you need to do anything to get you into the mood to thrash out those old tunes? ³What was great was the fact that we played two big New York shows before recording this album. They both took place in a club called Webster Hall that was one of the first big venues we ever played. There was a real gritty throwback vibe, but it was comfortable and I think it helped our focus in the studio. We played a lot of older songs at both shows, so to see the audience react to them was a great way to remind ourselves of their impact on the scene. Both shows were very satisfying, because they validated this landmark year in a way that only big New York hardcore shows could.² So, put in this disc and celebrate 25 years of NYHC. Furthermore, look forward for a full European tour in fall/winter 2011 which will once again prove that SICK OF IT ALL indeed deliver hardcore ³Nonstop²! SICK OF IT ALL ³Nonstop² 1) Clobberin¹ Time 2) Injustice System! 3) Sanctuary 4) Scratch The Surface 5) Us Vs. Them 6) The Deal 7) Just Look Around 8) Ratpack 9) World Full Of Hate 10) Pushed Too Far 11) GI Joe Headstomp 12) Never Measure Up 13) Chip Away 14) Busted 15) Locomotive 16) My Life 17) Friends Like You 18) Relentless 19) No Labels 20) Built To Last Line-Up: Lou Koller - Vocals Pete Koller - Guitar Armand Majidi - Drums Craig Ahead Bass Selected Discography: Blood, Sweat and No Tears (1989) Just Look Around (1992) Scratch the Surface (1994) Built to Last (1997) Call to Arms (1999) Yours Truly (2000) Life on the Ropes (2003) Death to Tyrants (2006) Based on a True Story (2010) SICK OF IT ALL online: www.myspace.com/sickofitallny www.sickofitall.com
