Sick of it All "Life on the Ropes" CD
[Fat]
What can you say about this band that hasn't already been said? They've been around for over 15 years, this is their seventh full-length... they're fucking hardcore legends. I own every album they've ever put out, and while some are stronger than others, they've never put out a bad record. And this is no exception. They've always done whatever the hell they wanted and succeeded. The material here builds off of the direction they've been heading in for the last several years, keeping things relatively straightforward and mixing classic hardcore influences with some post-hardcore textures and a little bit of melody. It's not simple, fast hardcore, but it's still pretty harsh. Only one song tops three minutes, so they keep things going and it flows right through. "Paper Tiger (Fakin' the Punk)" features guest vocals from John Joseph (Cro-Mags); "For Now" is slower and more melodic, definitely a standout track, very memorable; "Take Control" is heavier and has a lot of driving basslines and interesting thick chord progressions; and tracks like the leadoff "Relentless" even remind me a bit of the "Scratch the Surface" days. I don't have any gripes with the recording at all. As always the bass tone is fucking sweet, playing the perfect role, the drums are resonant and natural, the guitars are heavy but very clear, and the vocals sound fucking great. Once again the band surprises visually, and the layout goes in a different direction than all of their past records. Everything is printed on matte paper and there are lots of cartoon-ish illustrations, often blended with photos of city streets, depicting images of political corruption, greed, perversion, and the generally fucked up state of the world right now. The lyrics follow similar paths, pretty much calling it how it is and keeping things straightforward, without being steeped in either too much negativity or overly optimistic twists. Shit, you've gotta know the deal with this. If you've been a longtime fan of Sick of it All you'll more than likely pick this up anyway, and if you've never heard the band before, well... you should still start with the old classics, but this won't disappoint either. And for what it's worth I do like this better than "Yours Truly". This band rules. I can think of few other bands that have been around for so long that I still respect 110%. (7/10)
Running time - 38:22, Tracks: 16
[Notable tracks: Relentless, Paper Tiger (Fakin' the Punk), For Now, Take Control, Kept in Check]
Fat Wreck Chords - http://www.fatwreck.com

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