Sick of It All

Nonstop (Century Media)
By Mike Delano

There’s always reason to be nervous when a band announces an album of re-recordings of old material. Unless the old stuff is out of print, is it necessary? Can the band really recapture the spirit of decades-old material? Are we in for just a contract-fulfilling cash grab? Lucky for us, Sick of It All know how to do it right. Even if you have the balls to doubt the sincerity of a band that attacks everything they do with an incredible passion and aggression, about 20 seconds into opener “Clobberin’ Time,” all doubts are obliterated. SOIA plow through the 20 classics on Nonstop with a relentless energy, and everything sounds ferocious, especially Lou Koller’s commanding roar, which is still the best in all of hardcore. This is actually the best way to experience the band’s most memorable songs: Instead of a standard retrospective or greatest hits collection, this set of SOIA’s best sounds cohesive and urgent and has better production than a live album would. Short of jumping in the pit, this is the ideal way to listen to the NYHC kings, fresh for 2012.
(www.centurymedia.com)